The Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange mission resulted in 60 business meetings and 2,000 pavilion visitors as quantum leaders pursued regional partnerships.
What’s happening: Thirty-five Australian technology companies took part in a business mission to Tech Week in Singapore, led by quantum physicist Professor Michelle Simmons.
Why this matters: The mission marks Australia’s strategic drive to position itself as a trusted technology partner for Southeast Asia, particularly in the areas of quantum computing and artificial intelligence.
Australian quantum and artificial intelligence companies are pursuing partnerships across Southeast Asia, with a recent trade mission to Singapore demonstrating the industry’s focus on regional collaboration and export opportunities.
The Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange mission, held during Tech Week Singapore on October 27, 2025, brought together 35 Australian technology companies for business matching, industry roundtables and speaking engagements at one of the region’s largest technology events, according to Austrade.
Quantum collaboration explored
Professor Michelle Simmons AO, CEO of Silicon Quantum Computing and one of the world’s leading quantum physicists, led the delegation. The mission was co-hosted by Austrade and the Tech Council of Australia.
“Australia’s technology sector is driven by cutting-edge research, broad commercial expertise and a spirit of collaboration,” Professor Simmons said.
“This mission is not about demonstrating our national strength and depth in areas such as quantum, AI and cybersecurity, but also about our willingness to work with Singapore to drive innovation and economic growth across the region.”
The delegation included 12 representatives from Australia’s largest technology companies and 23 scale-up companies. Over two days, participants took part in more than 60 business meetings with Singaporean and regional colleagues, Austrade reported.
Business matching results
Two industry roundtables, hosted by Austrade, opened the programme, focusing on quantum technologies and AI adoption. Professor Simmons moderated the quantum roundtable, which explored practical pathways for bilateral cooperation in quantum computing and the commercialization of quantum devices.
The AI roundtable explored responsible innovation and adoption, including opportunities for collaboration between Australia and Singapore in telecommunications, retail, logistics and the built environment.
The Australian Pavilion acted as a connection point throughout the event, attracting more than 2,000 visitors over two days, including government officials, technology investors and regional business partners.
“Tech Week Singapore is a platform for Australia to demonstrate its role as a global innovation partner,” said Catherine Gallagher, General Manager for Austrade South East 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.”
Focus on regional cooperation
Speaking engagements brought Australian technology capabilities to the Tech Week Singapore keynote stage. Professor Simmons gave a presentation on Australia’s leadership in the quantum economy, as the Tech Council of Australia outlined the country’s rise as a global technology powerhouse.
Austrade participated in a panel discussion on how Australian AI solutions are accelerating productivity in healthcare and logistics, with Karl Miklis, Chief Revenue Officer at Harrison.ai, and Talea Bader, co-founder and CEO of SKUTOPIA.
The mission coincided with the signing of an agreement between SGTech and the Tech Council of Australia, which established a framework for strengthening connections between Australia and Singapore’s technology ecosystems.
Delegates also visited the National Quantum Federated Foundry in Singapore, where they toured nanofabrication facilities and interacted with researchers whose work was influenced by Professor Simmons’ research.
Austrade hosted its first live Go Global Toolkit webinar at the event, with former Tech Council of Australia CEO Damian Kassabgi and Belinda Dennett, Senior Director of Government Relations at AirTrunk, sharing insights into the opportunities of Singapore’s tech sector.
The mission reflects Australia’s strategic positioning as a technology partner for Southeast Asia, with quantum computing and AI representing key areas where Australian research capabilities and commercial expertise are focused on regional collaboration and export opportunities.
Information for this article comes from Austrade here.
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