Individual Protection Experts Meet In Melbourne
News Item
- Date:
- 17 October, 2007
- Media Release Number:
- CPA 381/07
Leading researchers in individual protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats converged on Melbourne today for the inaugural Individual Protective Equipment Conference (IPE 2007).
Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is hosting IPE 2007 in conjunction with the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The conference provides participants with direct access to the world’s leading researchers as well as offering them a unique opportunity to receive an overview of individual protection programs from countries around the world.
Dr Ian Sare, DSTO’s Deputy Chief Defence Scientist for Platform and Human Systems, officially opened the conference this morning, delivering the keynote address.
He extended a warm welcome to more than 117 delegates from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States who are attending the conference over the next three days.
Dr Sare said, “This conference is a great opportunity to consolidate and investigate new IPE concepts under development to meet constantly evolving threats.”
He also noted, “Australia is uniquely placed to put an Asia-Pacific perspective on issues faced by professionals and practitioners dealing with protection against CBRN threats.”
With delegates from the scientific community, emergency service personnel and policy makers in the civil defence community, the conference provides an opportunity to exchange ideas on common issues.
Dr Sare opened the conference with an historical overview of unconventional weapons. He then looked at recent trends in changing threats and environments for the Australian Defence Force, before introducing future technology and research concepts to be discussed during the conference.
The conference is designed to act as a springboard for greater collaboration between privately-funded research organisations and DSTO, leading to developments in the IPE arena that could provide the Australian Defence Force and emergency services with the knowledge and equipment required to reduce CBRN threats more effectively.
Media contact:
Helen Ward (DSTO) (03) 9626 7130 or 0418 103 691
Defence Media Liaison (02) 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
Issued by Coordination and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6265 3343, Fax: 02 6265 6946
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is part of Australia's Department of Defence. DSTO's role is to ensure the expert, impartial and innovative application of science and technology to the defence of Australia and its national interests.