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 participated in a business mission to Singapore’s Tech Week, led by quantum physicist Professor Michelle Simmons.
Why this matters: The mission signals Australia’s strategic push to position itself as a trusted technology partner for Southeast Asia, particularly in 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 sector’s focus on regional collaboration and export opportunities.
The Australia-Southeast Asia Business Exchange mission, held during Tech Week Singapore on 27 October 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-organised by Austrade and the Tech Council of Australia.
“Australia’s tech sector is powered by cutting-edge research, broad commercial expertise, and a spirit of collaboration,” Professor Simmons said.
“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.”
The delegation included 12 representatives from Australia’s largest tech companies and 23 scale-up companies. Over two days, participants took part in more than 60 business-matching meetings with Singaporean and regional counterparts, Austrade reported.
Business matching results
Two industry roundtables hosted by Austrade opened the programme, focusing on quantum technologies and AI adoption. Professor Simmons led the quantum roundtable, which explored practical pathways for bilateral collaboration in quantum computing and commercialisation of quantum devices.
The AI roundtable examined responsible innovation and adoption, including opportunities for Australia-Singapore collaboration across telecommunications, retail, logistics and the built environment.
The Australia Pavilion served as a connection point throughout the event, attracting more than 2,000 visitors across 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 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.”
Regional partnership focus
Speaking engagements placed Australian technology capabilities on the Tech Week Singapore keynote stage. Professor Simmons presented on Australia’s leadership in the quantum economy, whilst the Tech Council of Australia outlined the country’s emergence as a global tech powerhouse.
Austrade participated in a panel discussion on how Australian AI solutions are accelerating productivity in health and logistics, featuring 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, establishing a framework for strengthening connections between Australia and Singapore’s technology ecosystems.
Delegates also visited Singapore’s National Quantum Federated Foundry, where they viewed nanofabrication facilities and engaged with researchers whose work was influenced by Professor Simmons’ research.
Austrade hosted its first live Go Global Toolkit webinar during the event, featuring former Tech Council of Australia CEO Damian Kassabgi and Belinda Dennett, Senior Director of Government Relations at AirTrunk, who shared insights into Singapore’s tech sector opportunities.
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 being directed towards regional collaboration and export opportunities.
Information for this article was sourced from Austrade here.
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