Stop the World: Defence innovation and the pathway to Pillar 2 success

This double episode of Stop the World is all about defence innovation.

ASPI’s Director of Defence Strategy and National Security Bec Shrimpton speaks to Anduril’s Vice President of Strategy for Australia and the Asia Pacific Pete Quinn, the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive at Anduril Australia and Asia Pacific David Goodrich, as well as ASPI Visiting Senior Fellow Keirin Joyce.

They discuss the importance of autonomous systems, what role they can play in the Australian Defence Force, and how they can be used to help deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

Later in the episode, ASPI’s Strategic Communications Manager Steph Tiller speaks to Senior Defence Economist and ASPI Senior Fellow George Henneke to unpack his new report ‘AUKUS Pillar 2 critical pathways: a road map to enabling international collaboration’. They discuss the report’s findings and explore the key reforms that Australia should focus on to ensure that Pillar 2 is a success.

Mentioned in this episode:

⁠https://www.aspi.org.au/index.php/report/aukus-pillar-2-critical-pathways-road-map-enabling-international-collaboration⁠

Guests:

⁠Bec Shrimpton⁠

⁠Pete Quinn⁠

⁠David Goodrich⁠

⁠Keirin Joyce⁠

⁠Steph Tiller⁠

⁠George Henneke

Stop the World: Why auld acquaintance should ne’er be forgot

Australia and the United Kingdom have a lot of shared history and values, but not a lot of shared geography. For a long time, that left the strategic relationship feeling a little dusty—a friendship to be taken for granted. But the two countries’ security partnership has a sense of deepening urgency, with the creation of AUKUS, the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt and the recent signing of a new defence and security cooperation agreement. With Russia’s war against Ukraine and Chinese regional assertiveness, Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are increasingly seen as tied.

To unpack these developments, ASPI’s Stop the World podcast is devoting today’s episode to the Australia-UK strategic relationship.

ASPI senior analyst Alex Bristow speaks with UK High Commissioner Vicki Treadell and Alessio Patalano, professor of war and strategy in East Asia at King’s College London. And in the episode’s second session, ASPI senior analyst Euan Graham speaks with Philip Shetler-Jones, senior research fellow in Indo-Pacific security at the Royal United Services Institute.

Guests:

⁠Alex Bristow⁠

⁠Vicki Treadell⁠

⁠Alessio Patalano⁠

⁠Euan Graham⁠

⁠Philip Shetler-Jones⁠

Mapping China’s data harvesting and global propaganda efforts

ASPI has released a groundbreaking report that finds the Chinese Communist Party seeks to harvest user data from globally popular Chinese apps, games and online platforms in a likely effort to improve its global propaganda.

The research maps the CCP’s propaganda system, highlighting the links between the Central Propaganda Department, state-owned or controlled propaganda entities and data-collection activities, and technology investments in Chinese companies.

In this special short episode of Stop the World, David Wroe speaks with ASPI analyst Daria Impiombato about the key takeaways from this major piece of research.

Mentioned in this episode:
Truth and reality with Chinese characteristics

Guests:
David Wroe
Daria Impiombato

Stop the World: The future of intelligence

This week on Stop the World, it’s all about intelligence. Chris Taylor, head of ASPI’s Statecraft and Intelligence Program interviews David Gioe, Professor of Intelligence and Security at King’s College London and Associate Professor of History at the US Military Academy at West Point. 

They discuss the history of intelligence, with a focus on the Cold War, and explore how it has evolved over time. Chris asks David about the impact of technology on intelligence collection and analysis, and they consider the changing nature of intelligence and new techniques, as well as the ongoing importance of human intelligence.

Mentioned in this episode:
ASPI report: Australia’s 2024 Independent Intelligence Review: opportunities and challenges

Guests:
Chris Taylor
David Gioe

Stop the World: Unpacking Australia’s new defence strategy

This week on Stop the World, Senior ASPI Analyst Euan Graham is joined by retired Major General Andrew Bottrell AO, who was previously Head of Land Systems at Defence, alongside ASPI’s Director of Defence Strategy & National Security Bec Shrimpton to discuss the newly released National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program.

What is a National Defence Strategy and an Integrated Investment Program and why do we need them? Euan, Andrew and Bec explain the rationale behind the NDS and IIP and share their immediate responses to the two documents – what impressed them and where they see the risks and challenges as the Government looks to implement them.

Mentioned in this episode:
ASPI report: Regional security and Pacific partnerships: Recuriting Pacific Islanders into the Australian Defence Force
National Defence Strategy
Integrated Investment Program

Guests:
Euan Graham
Major General (Ret’d) Andrew Bottrell AO
Bec Shrimpton

Stop the World: Human rights in 2024

Stop the World, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s new podcast is finally here!

Everything seems to be accelerating: geopolitics, technology, security threats, the dispersal of information. At times, it feels like a blur. But beneath the dizzying proliferation of events, discoveries, rivalries and unravellings taking place around the world, there are deeper trends that can be grasped and understood through conversation and debate. 

That’s the idea behind Stop the World, ASPI’s new podcast on international affairs and security. Each week, we will cast a freeze-frame around the blur of events and bring some clarity and insight on defence, technology, cyber, geopolitics and foreign policy. We will bring you the best minds and voices—Australian and international guests as well as our own experts—to talk about everything from rising authoritarianism to climate change, from armed conflict to disinformation.

In our first episode, ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi is joined by Elaine Pearson, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch, and Daniela Gavshon, Australia Director of Human Rights Watch.

They discuss the big issues to watch in 2024, the challenges human rights researchers face today, and the difficulty of keeping public attention on human rights issues as multiple crises unfold around the world. They also explore the practice of arbitrary detention, including the case of Australian writer and academic Dr Yang Hengjun, and how governments can respond.

Guests:
Justin Bassi
Elaine Pearson
Daniela Gavshon

Biodata and biotechnology: Opportunity and challenges for Australia

This new ASPI report canvasses the extraordinary recent developments in genome sequencing and genetic engineering, which will transform all biological enterprises, including healthcare, among the most important parts of the global economy. It argues that there is a once-in- generation opportunity for Australia to play a leading role in a major economic and revolution with digital deliverables, capitalising on our high quality biomedical science, agricultural R&D and healthcare systems

The report identifies a number of elements for Australia to realize this opportunity. First and foremost, a national strategic and action plan is required for the collection and integration of genomic, clinical and smart sensor data for healthcare, and the development of advanced analytical software and point-of-care reporting systems, which can be exported to the world. This plan needs to be resourced by the Australian government, as a major public good infrastructure project. 

Such information will be part of the very fabric of healthcare and drug development in the future. More broadly, genomic information will be used in infection tracing, customs, quarantine, protection of commercial rights, quality control, provenance, security and policing, among others. It will accelerate the identification of valuable traits in animals, plants and microorganisms. Genetic engineering can now be done with speed, sophistication and precision that were unimaginable just a few years ago, and will enhance the efficiency, quality and range of biological production.

There are resourcing, privacy, vulnerabilities, sensitivities and national security issues to consider, protections to be put in place, and social licenses to be obtained.  Big-data analysis skills need be taught in science and engineering, and built into research institutions as well as health, agricultural and environmental management enterprises and agencies.