Expert insights into space, cyber security

SPACE and cyber security expert Brett Biddington is returning to the city he grew up in, to present at a meeting hosted by the Rotary Club of Ballarat.

The Biddington Research founder, and Australian Defence Information and Electronic Systems Association director, is based in Canberra where he works to influence national space, astronomy, and cyber policy, development, and education.

Mr Biddington has links to local Rotarians as he was the first-ever male student from Ballarat to be part of the Rotary exchange program in in 1967, travelling to Georgia in the United States.

He said he’s looking forward to his visit and is seeking to reconnect with locals and boost their understanding of Australia’s “topical” space story.

“I’ll acknowledge my Rotary exchange, my family connections in Ballarat where I grew up and where my parents grew up, and have a friendly conversation,” he said.

“I’ll also talk a bit about Australia’s journey in space. After I went to uni, I joined the air force, got involved in space, and have been doing that for a long time.”

The former director of the Institute for Regional Security is and has been a member of many advisory boards and committees relating to national space and astronomy initiatives.

Mr Biddington worked with the CSIRO, calling for Australian involvement in the SKA radio telescope project, and contributed to the 2021 Defence Space Domain Review.

He was also on the Cisco Systems global space team for seven years, organised the 68th International Astronautical Congress in South Australia in 2017, and has an ongoing relationship with Melbourne’s Victorian Space Science Education Centre that aims to boost science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Mr Biddington gained a PhD in 2019 in space security in the 21st century, and Australia’s involvement in that, and was a member of the Royal Australian Air Force for more than 20 years.

In 2012 he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian space sector.

The Rotary Club of Ballarat will host Mr Biddington at the Ballarat Golf Club on Thursday 19 October at 1pm, and guests are welcome to attend the lunch by contacting 5339 9754.