Defence events in Adelaide

GISA26 is Australia's primary dedicated forum for information-domain capability development, attracting senior ADF leadership, Five Eyes and Quad partners, and defence-industry decision-makers in a single venue — making it a high-value pipeline event for suppliers of cyber, EW, ISR, AI, and C2 solutions. The combination of open exhibition, classified briefing streams, and live wargaming creates rare access to operational requirements and procurement intent that is difficult to replicate at larger, less focused trade shows. For SMEs and startups, the dedicated Research & Innovation stream and the sub-500-delegate scale offer direct engagement with senior government and military buyers without the noise of a major exhibition.

ADSTAR is the single most direct access point to Australia's Defence science and technology decision-making community, drawing senior ADF leaders, allied nation delegations, and the Chief Defence Scientist under one roof. For SMEs and startups, the dedicated Startup Alley, ASCA Pitch Day, and 350+ abstract submissions from 128 organisations signal genuine procurement and partnership pipeline opportunities. The biennial cadence and government-hosted format mean that exhibiting or presenting here directly shapes the Defence IS&T investment priorities articulated in the National Defence Strategy.

This pitch day is a direct pipeline into Australian Defence procurement: ASCA funds travel and accommodation for selected presenters, and winning solutions gain visibility with senior ADF decision-makers actively seeking to transition asymmetric capabilities. For SMEs and startups, it is one of the few structured, government-run mechanisms to formally pitch C2 and resilience technologies to Defence under the Defence Industry Development Strategy. The RFI-to-pitch format means shortlisted companies receive formal evaluation feedback and exposure to the broader ADSTAR ecosystem of 2,000+ researchers and decision-makers.

SubSTEC is Australia's only dedicated submarine science and engineering conference, making it the primary access point for suppliers seeking to engage the RAN submarine enterprise, Defence SA, and AUKUS programme decision-makers in a single venue. For SMEs and startups, the SME Spotlight sessions and tiered sponsorship tiers (Bronze upward) offer direct visibility to the naval and government officials who shape sovereign capability investment. With Australia committing to a multi-decade, multi-billion-dollar nuclear submarine transition, SubSTEC8 is the earliest opportunity to position technology and services ahead of major procurement cycles.