Press Conference at Silicon Quantum Computing, Sydney

MICHELLE SIMMONS, CEO OF SILICON QUANTUM COMPUTING: [inaudible] …with Schneider Electric, we've been working with the company over the last year or two, looking at network energy forecasting, particularly looking at a series of data every year, and then trying to predict what's going to happen next. We've got an average of 20 per cent improvement by using our quantum processor rather than just classical computing, and up to 40 per cent improvement. So, what does this mean? It basically means that now we can start to optimise the energy network as a distributed energy resource system that Schneider looks at. We have been basically looking at bringing in solar energy more efficiently and reducing the cost of energy to the customer. This is a very exciting processor that we've got in Watermelon. It's the second time that we've demonstrated the advantage of both, commercially, of this product. The first one was in production training times with Telstra last year, and so really, this is a globally unique product that we make here at SQC, that is demonstrating the use for lower energy resources for Australian consumers.

SENATOR TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE: Thank you, Michelle Simmons, for welcoming us here at SQC, and to the University of New South Wales, for this announcement. I just want to say at the outset, before I get to the announcement itself, that Michelle's leadership with SQC, and quantum research in Australia, provides a quintessentially Australian model of research leadership. Not just quantum in the laboratory, but quantum being applied in practical applications that are making a big difference for Australia, and building our competitive advantage and our industrial and our critical technology capability to solve real-world practical problems. SQC, a flagship Australian quantum company is leading the way in what is a niche Australian critical technological capability in quantum. All the focus at the moment on artificial intelligence and Australia's advantage here is not just in artificial intelligence, but in quantum technology, solving real-world practical problems like the one that Michelle just took you through. This is a really happy opportunity as part of our critical technology strategy, to announce the second round of this Aussie quantum project for Australian critical technologies. Among that is a $3.6 million grant to SQC to assist with the development of its quantum-enhanced and artificial intelligence processor with their colleagues at Schneider Electric, who are, again, another outstanding Australian success story. Thousands of blue-collar and white-collar-collar staff employed by Schneider Electric all around the country, in producing goods for the data industry and for the electricity sector, working with electricity utilities. And this partnership, deploying SQC's quantum capability, their remarkable chip capability, with Schneider Electric, to deliver a more efficient electricity system, meaning that we're able to switch faster between different sources of electricity generation in the grid, managing it more efficiently. What that means is being able to switch on our gas or our wind or our solar to drive down electricity costs, as we manage the electricity network in the Australian interest.

There's a series of other funding announcements that I want to make today. 

$2.2 million to develop accurate testing and diagnosis of iron deficiency in First Nations peoples led by FeBI Technologies in Victoria. 

$2.2 million to build and test an advanced quantum clock that can keep the electricity grid accurately timed, without relying upon external signals led by QuantX Labs in South Australia. 

Two different quantum applications at different ends of the electricity transmission challenge, both together in different ways, driving more efficiency and lower cost in our electricity grid. 

$2 million to deliver a working prototype next-generation quantum biosensor for more efficient water security inspections by Avicena Systems based in Western Australia. 

$1.2 million for the development of a real-time quantum biosensor monitoring livestock health and disease led by iQSense in Queensland. 

What these are mission-focused grants. We've said to the tech sector, here is a problem that Australia needs to solve. We've challenged the Australian research and development community and our research sector to meet these challenges with startups and research capacity. And in six examples here, they have met the challenge, developing real-world technologies that will be deployed for Australia and Australians into the future, making our critical technologies, making lives better for Australia and making us stronger. 

I'd like to go to Matt Thistlethwaite, who is the Member for Kingsford Smith and our Assistant Minister for [Foreign Affairs and Trade] and our Assistant Minister for Immigration. One of the great things about Kingsford Smith, and there's a lot of great things about Kingsford Smith, is that the University of New South Wales and this remarkable research capacity sits in the heart of Kingsford Smith, making its economy vibrant, and its capacity to deliver good jobs for the people of Kingsford Smith, are really strong. Matt is at the heart of that effort, and I want to put him on to say a few words. 

MATT THISTLETHWAITE MP, MEMBER FOR KINGSFORD SMITH, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND THE ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE: Thanks Tim. Quantum computing is a bit like a unicorn. It's often spoken of, but rarely ever seen in practice. The team here at Silicon Quantum Computing at University of New South Wales are breathing life into the unicorn, making it a reality, and delivering better outcomes for Australians. That's why we're very proud of this partnership between Silicon Quantum Computing and Schneider, that will deliver efficiency benefits for electricity consumers and the network across Australia, and optimise the use of renewable energy in the system to ensure that ultimately consumers pay less for their electricity, and we're on the path to meeting our net zero commitments by 2050. I'm very proud of Michelle and the team here at Silicon Quantum Computing and the incredible work that they are performing. But the best thing about the team here at Silicon Quantitative Computing, is that if you think this is big, the best is yet to come. 

JOURNALIST: [INAUDIBLE]

AYRES: The decision from Ukraine not to take that technology from Australia is a decision for them. It is, as I understand it, based on their technical requirements and the way that it integrates with the rest of their systems. Australia's contribution to Ukraine's effort to withstand a brutal, illegal war of aggression from a despotic regime in Russia has been ongoing since the first shots were fired in this terrible conflict, and the meeting that the Prime Minister had with President Zelensky is one in a series of engagements that Anthony Albanese has had on Australia's behalf with the Ukrainian President. We have made a substantial contribution, well north of a billion dollars. We are and have been, the largest non-NATO contributor to that effort. We will continue to find ways of supporting Ukraine, but I can't provide additional technical details or security details of the nature of that ongoing contribution. We will continue to play our role here because it's in Australia's national interest. It's in Australia's interest not to allow the international rules-based order to break down, not to allow strong powers to bully and overcome middle-sized and small countries. That's absolutely in the Australian national interest, and that's what we'll continue to do.

JOURNALIST: Just further to that, Minister Ayres, it appears that Ukraine and Australia do want to look at building drones and looking at their cyber capabilities and missiles as well. Is that your understanding too about this relationship? 

AYRES: Again, I don't want to go into the technical details, Andrew, of the Australian Defence Force's support and the Australian Government's support. But drone technology has obviously been critical to Ukraine's defence, and that has been absolutely foundational. I mean, who would have thought in 2026 that we would be talking about a land war in Europe that costs tens of thousands of lives every month. That is what is occurring there. Drone technology and this mobile, agile response, courageous and tenacious response of the Ukrainians has absolutely changed the way that countries think about modern warfare and defense. Australia has capabilities in drone technology, but I'm not in a position, Andrew, to outline the future technical details of how it is that we'll be engaged. But we are deeply engaged, and we will continue to do this work with Ukraine.