Australia’s quantum and AI leaders travelled to Singapore on a recent business mission, taking centre stage at Tech Week Singapore to emphasise their eagerness to partner with Southeast Asia.
The Australia–Southeast Asia Business Exchange (SEABX) mission was led by Professor Michelle Simmons AO, CEO of Silicon Quantum Computing and one of the world’s foremost quantum physicists. Austrade and the Tech Council of Australia (TCA) co-led the mission.
The Australian delegation included 12 representatives from Australia’s largest tech companies, and 23 scale-up companies. The delegation took part in more than 60 business-matching meetings across the two-day event.
‘Australia’s tech sector is powered by cutting-edge research, broad commercial expertise, and a spirit of collaboration,’ says Professor Simmons.
‘This mission is about showcasing not our national strength and depth in fields like quantum, AI and cyber security, but also our keenness to partner with Singapore to drive innovation and economic growth across the region.’
Forging collaboration in quantum and AI
Australia’s strengths as a trusted technology partner for Singapore and the broader region were spotlighted during the mission.
The program kicked off with 2 roundtables hosted by Austrade, designed to strengthen collaboration in quantum and AI technologies between Australian innovators and Singaporean government and industry stakeholders.
Led by Professor Simmons, the quantum roundtable explored practical pathways for bilateral ecosystem-wide collaboration in quantum computing and commercialisation of quantum devices.
The AI roundtable focused on adoption and responsible innovation, including opportunities for Australia and Singapore to collaborate on issues across telecommunications, retail, logistics and the built environment.
Australia takes the stage at Tech Week Singapore
Australia’s leadership in emerging technologies was also highlighted through multiple speaking sessions on the Tech Week Singapore keynote stage.
Highlights included Professor Simmons speaking on Australia’s leadership in the new quantum economy, and a presentation on Australia’s rise as a global tech powerhouse by the Tech Council of Australia.
Austrade also took part in a panel discussion on how Australian AI solutions are accelerating productivity in health and logistics with Karl Miklis, Chief Revenue Officer at Harrison.ai and Talea Bader, Co-founder and CEO of SKUTOPIA.
The Australia Pavilion served as a connection point for Australian innovators and Southeast Asian industry leaders. The pavilion attracted over 2,000 visitors across 2 days, including government officials, tech investors and regional business partners.
‘Tech Week Singapore is a platform for Australia to demonstrate its role as a global innovation partner,’ says Catherine Gallagher, General Manager, Austrade Southeast Asia. ‘These companies represent the very best of Australia’s technology ecosystem, combining research excellence, commercial agility, and a commitment to solving real-world challenges.’
The mission also coincided with the signing of an agreement between SGTech and the Tech Council of Australia. The agreement marks a new chapter of collaboration to strengthen connections and opportunities between Australia and Singapore’s technology ecosystems.
Knowledge sharing and site visits
During Tech Week, Austrade hosted its first-ever live Go Global Toolkit webinar, featuring former Tech Council of Australia CEO Damian Kassabgi and Belinda Dennett, Senior Director of Government Relations at AirTrunk.
The two presenters shared first-hand insights into opportunities in Singapore’s tech sector and lessons from AirTrunk’s regional success. To hear their insights, watch the video on the Go Global Toolkit Export Academy.
Aside from attending Tech Week, delegates took part in networking and site visits. A highlight was a trip to Singapore’s National Quantum Federated Foundry, where they saw the country’s cutting-edge nanofabrication facilities and engaged with researchers whose work was inspired by Professor Simmons.
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