Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP) Pathways Manager Bez Mohammadi shares first-hand insights into South Australia’s evolving research and innovation sector.

In search of a new challenge, Bez turned to the defence and space industries. “I joined DIP in 2022 because I wanted to be part of something new and exciting,” he said. “South Australia is evolving, and cutting-edge projects are continuously coming to the fore.”

DIP is a catalyst for defence-relevant research and development in South Australia. “We foster collaboration and engagement between industry, academia and defence to accelerate DIP-funded projects.”

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship from the University of Adelaide and the experience gained working in both the space start-up and consulting sectors prior to joining, Bez offers unique insights and adds a lot of value to the team.

In his role, Bez works closely with project teams to identify and promote their research to commercialisation partners and end users. He is also responsible for scoping further funding and partnership opportunities for project teams to scale-up.

“I get to witness key project milestones, help businesses overcome hurdles and achieve successful outcomes in the defence and space industries.”

A key part of this is international engagement with AUKUS partner countries to promote South Australian innovation, science and technology to organisations in the UK and US.

Bez adds that there are a host of opportunities on offer to budding graduates hoping to carve out a fulfilling career path.

“There are so many options to choose from both in academia and industry. Graduates could work as university researchers or lecturers, or they could choose to venture into R&D at some of South Australia’s leading industry organisations.”

“Whatever path you choose, there’s always a need for smart people to solve real-world problems and work on cutting-edge projects.”

His advice to anyone wanting to find their place in the sector is to engage early. “Build your network to ensure that you are well placed when an opportunity presents itself. Put yourself out there to learn and grow. There’s something for everyone.”

As an active member of the start-up community, Bez enjoys taking part in hackathons, pitching competitions and attending launch events for new start-ups – all terrific opportunities for networking with South Australia’s R&D community.

“South Australia is home to some of the most talented researchers, world-class universities and a large contingent of the Defence Science and Technology Group. The opportunities that are available in the state in R&D, particularly around AUKUS Pillar II, will provide a real opportunity for researchers to develop new technologies that will make a difference for our Defence Force and grow our space capability,” said Bez.

“It’s an exciting time for research and innovation in South Australia.”