Chris Picton MP
Minister for Defence & Space Industries
New jobs will be created in South Australia’s internationally recognised research and development sector, with defence technology company RFTEQ teaming up with a Poland based company to combine their expertise and develop new security and electronic warfare technology.
RFTEQ has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with European sensing specialist XY-Sensing, to explore new opportunities across advanced radio frequency, radar, sensing and mission-system technologies.
The collaboration will accelerate the development of innovative technologies capable of addressing increasingly complex security and operational challenges. This includes next-generation sensing and monitoring solutions for drones and unmanned systems, border security, critical infrastructure protection.
The MOU signed at MSPO, one of Europe’s largest military defence exhibitions, follows a technology assessment workshop held last month. At this workshop, RFTEQ and XY-Sensing identified strong alignment in their capabilities, vision and approach to innovation.
RFTEQ will be able to hire 30 additional staff over the next 12 months by scaling its specialist engineering, production, integration and support teams to meet growing demand for advanced detection and jamming platforms manufactured in South Australia.
These growth targets are in line with RFTEQ’s current growth expecting to create an additional 150 positions in the four years to follow. This expansion will strengthen local sovereign capability, create high-value domestic manufacturing jobs, and generate new export opportunities into Europe, while supporting the broader Australian Defence industry through increased supply chain activity, technical collaboration and delivery capacity.
The partnership was coordinated by Westberi, RFTEQ’s strategic advisor in Europe, which supports Australian defence technology companies seeking to establish partnerships and expand into European markets.
Over the coming months, the companies will evaluate potential initiatives, engage with industry and government stakeholders, and explore opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
Quotes attributable to Chris Picton
This partnership combines the expertise from Australia and Poland to develop smarter technology for defence forces.
It’s recognition of the high-calibre work happening in South Australia’s defence industry and in particular our research and development sector.
SA’s growing defence industry generated a record $2 billion in economic activity last financial year and its partnerships like this that continue to create new opportunities for highly skilled local jobs.
Quotes attributable to David Kinnaird, CEO, RFTEQ
This MOU marks an important step for RFTEQ and XY-Sensing, bringing together complementary expertise to accelerate innovation, expand market opportunities, and deliver advanced solutions for defence, security, and critical infrastructure customers.
The partnership, facilitated by Westberi, also supports Australia’s defence industry, creates opportunities for local suppliers and skilled jobs, and reinforces South Australia’s position as a hub for defence innovation and advanced manufacturing.
Through greater international engagement and technology collaboration, we can help drive economic growth, strengthen sovereign capability, and contribute to a more resilient and competitive Australian defence ecosystem.
