Emily Hilder to lead the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator

The Defence Science and Technology Group has revealed that Professor Emily Hilder will be the substantive Head of the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) charged with boosting defence innovation.

Professor Hilder brings a wealth of leadership and STEM experience to the job of building up ASCA, which is part of a significant reshaping of defence innovation activities.

Gone is the Defence Innovation Hub and associated grants, replaced with the ASCA charged with linking innovation more closely to eventual procurement by the Australian Defence Force.

Professor Hilder said she was thrilled to be leading a team that was turning innovative technologies into defence capabilities.

She said: “Our purpose is to accelerate delivery of capabilities to our Australian Defence Force through innovation.

“We will achieve this by working alongside industry, academia and other research partners across our three programmes, innovation incubation and emerging and disruptive technologies.”

Professor Hilder has a background in research having been named as one of the top 10 leaders in analytical science worldwide, and has worked with universities and industry to deliver new products and capability.

The Australian government is investing $748 million in ASCA over the next four years, and $3.4 billion over the next decade to deliver new capabilities for ADF.

Picture: Defence Science and Technology Group/Professor Emily Hilder