Nova Systems to establish Australian Centre of Excellence

Nova Systems will invest an initial A$2 million to establish an Australian Test and Evaluation Centre of Excellence – a central hub supporting sovereign defence capability and cutting-edge research, digital technologies, training and ideas. The concept was announced today by Nova Systems Chief Executive Officer Jim McDowell at the 2022 SETE Conference in Canberra. The hub will bring together Defence, industry and academia to deliver integrated joint-force Test and Evaluation (T&E) and capability assurance. The Nova Systems Test and Evaluation Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a national initiative that will support the delivery of truly sovereign – Australian controlled – T&E capability to the Australian Defence Force, resulting in the delivery of safe, fit-for-purpose capability for our service men and women to deliver operational outcomes. The Nova Systems T&E CoE will:  Support the acceleration of emerging technologies (for example digital twins and synthetics).  Enable collaboration across industry and academia to develop sovereign and enduring T&E capability.  Ensure the long-term sustainability of the Australian T&E workforce.  Deliver innovation and Research and Development activities.  Deliver T&E practitioner training and professional short courses.  Deliver subject-matter experts in the field of T&E to distribute in-depth knowledge through training, conferences, seminars, concepts and papers.  There is also scope for a technology incubator intended to create a national and international focus on the development of new digital tools and methodologies for capability assurance – “assurance technology” or “Assuretech”. Nova Systems Chief Executive Officer Jim McDowell. Nova Systems Chief Executive Officer Jim McDowell said the establishment of the CoE cements the company’s position as a sovereign leader in T&E. “Nova Systems is proud to be unveiling our plans to open an Australian-first Test and Evaluation Centre of Excellence bringing together the brightest minds, cutting edge research, training and collaboration to create and sustain a sovereign T&E capability that is operationally critical to our nation’s defence mission,” McDowell said. “In the face of increasing global uncertainty, new threats, reduced warning time and insecure global supply chains, it’s a significant time in our history to secure our sovereign capabilities. T&E is Nova Systems’ bread and butter; something we have been leading the way in for more than 20 years. Every platform across all domains – land, maritime, air, space and cyber must be tested and assured from concept all the way to disposal – and this is exactly the expertise we deliver. Defence is becoming increasingly complex and integrated with a focus on joint-force capability, we need to continually evolve our methods to keep the best capability in the hands of our defence forces. We envision the Nova Systems T&E CoE will lead and develop new and exciting ways of doing things for the benefit of our nation. The Nova Systems T&E Centre of Excellence will support our common goal of keeping Australia safe and secure now and for our future generations.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]