Defence Trailblazer showcases new ‘industry innovators’

Defence Trailblazer recently hosted the 2026 Entrepreneurial Foundations for Defence + Showcase in Canberra, the culmination of a 12-week program for defence industry innovators. The event featured 15 early-stage companies from across the country, spotlighting the people developing innovative products, technologies and services with Defence and dual-use applications. Hosted at the Canberra Airport precinct on 12 November, participants showcased their innovations to relevant players from Defence, industry and the investment community. Innovation Portfolio Manager at Defence Trailblazer Liz Kobold highlighted the level of collaboration that developed between the participants as a key feature of the program. “This was a wonderful group of smart technology trailblazers working to protect and support our Defence personnel with exciting new technologies,” said Ms Kobold. “The extent to which they supported one another made the program that much more effective.” The Entrepreneurial Foundations for Defence (EFD)+ cohort was comprised of a diverse mix of researchers, Defence veterans, hardware/software developers, and entrepreneurs with backgrounds in everything from advanced manufacturing to clinical medicine. Five members of the EFD+ 2026 cohort shared their entrepreneurial journeys and how the program has helped accelerate their innovations and company growth. Arc Professional Services: Jeremy Stredwick, Founder (ACT) Arc Professional Services delivers systems integration and technical capability for clients in Defence, National Security and government sectors. The firm has supported projects including the creation of a Geospatial system for Army, upgrading the air traffic management system for Air Force, and enhancing cybersecurity for the Australian Taxation Office. Founder Jeremy Stredwick, an ADF veteran, is committed to positioning Arc as a veteran-first company. The company has been recognised as a Veteran Employer of Choice, exemplifying effective veteran integration into the civilian workforce. “I have worked a lot in helping veterans find jobs, so establishing a professional services group that actually employs veterans made sense,” said Mr Stredwick. “Plus, veterans have a really good understanding of the Defence environment and problem set, so they can be relied upon in tough projects.” Stredwick has appreciated that EFD+ has provided access to subject matter experts and technical specialists with extensive defence experience. “It’s been so useful to have real world professionals provide their advice in areas I was unfamiliar with. The Defence Trailblazer program is critical for defence entrepreneurs, and therefore Defence.” Arc showcased its ‘Raspberry Sauce’ project, which is exploring affordable software-defined radio frequency (RF) technologies to strengthen sovereign capability. “We’ve been developing the concepts and prototypes of a distributed RF sensing solution, demonstrating what is possible to do without a huge budget.” Frontier Fluid Systems: Alice Haddon, Chief Fluid Systems (NSW) Frontier Fluid Systems (FFS) is the new R&D arm of Chief Fluid Systems, Australia’s choice supplier of fluid conveying products, which develops innovative solutions to service the naval and maritime industries. FFS’ first project is the Emergency Hose Replacement Kit (EHRK), a world-first deployable solution enabling crews to replace failed hose assemblies in the field without specialist tools or external support. The kit has already been procured by Defence and is awaiting trial with the Royal Australian Navy, with discussions ongoing. Commercial Manager Alice Haddon says that EFD+ has been invaluable in helping FFS explore wider adoption and market expansion. She said of the program: “Backed by an established company, we came in with a commercial foundation and a technically proven product. The EFD+ program has built on that, sharpening our thinking around strategy and positioning the EHRK concept for broader adoption across the ADF, allied forces, and emerging dual-use markets, including land vehicle and littoral applications. The connections and relationships formed through the program have been extremely motivating, along with the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from like-minded innovators. The diversity of perspectives has pushed my thinking in new directions.” Ignis Hypersonics: Co-Founders Fikry Aljawhari, CEO, and Zeina Aljawhari, COO Ignis Hypersonics builds affordable and reusable liquid rocket engines and the platform that designs, controls, and sustains them. Its patent-pending Rotating Detonation Engine is being developed for space launch, hypersonic vehicles, and defence flight test programs. The platform, the Ignis Virtual Test and Control Cell, is an engine-agnostic intelligent digital twin for engine operators and propulsion programs in any sector. It lets engineers simulate, test, and refine an engine design, and can provide real-time engine control. Currently at TRL 3, the platform is being validated against data from existing engines and is targeting TRL 5 by the end of 2026. Co-founders Fikry and Zeina Aljawhari are both students at Adelaide University, studying Aerospace Engineering/Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering/Finance respectively. Mr Aljawhari’s work in engineering design and additive manufacturing showed him the potential for using a digital twin for rocket engine development. “We’re building a new class of rocket engine, and a platform that lets any propulsion program design, test, and refine its engine in simulation before a single part is made,” he said. The co-founders say that EFD+ has given them critical insights into how Defence considers adopting new capability. “For us, the most valuable part has been the guidance to develop a rigorous readiness framework, insight into how Defence works, and direct access to the people who can move us forward.” SmartHeal: Santosh Kaur, Founder and CEO (Victoria) SmartHeal is a clinical decision support system for wound care that is powered by AI and computer vision technology. The technology supports clinicians, facility managers and patients to consistently measure and monitor wound healing for clinician monitoring and decision-making. It features fully encrypted data transmission, sovereign data storage and a complete audit trail aligned with Australian Privacy Principles. Founder Santosh Kaur is a registered nurse, digital health clinician and educator. She has treated wounds across multiple healthcare settings, including severe wounds at a hyperbaric clinic, and has experienced first-hand how challenging it is to consistently track wounds. This inspired her to develop SmartHeal, “not to replace clinical judgment, but to give clinicians a consistent, trusted record,” said Ms Kaur. Engaging with Defence Trailblazer has helped the company explore how the product could be applied in Defence environments — where skin and soft tissue injuries are very common, but are assessed in places where wound expertise is limited. “We no longer see this only as a capability question: it is survivability, and extending the lives of serving ADF members and veterans.” Ms Kaur says that the introductions facilitated through EFD+ have been incredibly valuable for SmartHeal. “This is a program that can take a company from the outside edge of Defence toward the tables where those decisions are made. “A great many people in the defence ecosystem have invested their belief and time in our company, and we intend to work as hard as we can to deliver a return on that.” EFD+ program The Showcase is the culmination of the EFD+ program, a core element in the Defence Trailblazer DINAMIC Program. The 12-week program, delivered through a mixture of online and in-person sessions from August to November 2026, provided participants with essential insights to build: Defence readiness, Technology readiness and Commercial readiness. EFD+ was supported by over 90 individuals from 60 organisations contributing through tailored presentations, mentoring and coaching to support the cohort along their entrepreneurial journey. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]