Keynote Speakers

Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM became Australia’s ninth Chief Scientist in January 2021 after an extensive career at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, including as the agency’s Chief Scientist.

Dr Foley is an internationally recognised physicist with major research achievements in superconductors and sensors which lead to the development...

Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM became Australia’s ninth Chief Scientist in January 2021 after an extensive career at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, including as the agency’s Chief Scientist.

Dr Foley is an internationally recognised physicist with major research achievements in superconductors and sensors which lead to the development of the LANDTEM sensor system to locate valuable deposits of minerals deep underground.

Dr Foley’s scientific excellence and influential leadership have been recognised with numerous awards and fellowships, including election to the Australian Academy of Science in 2020, and an Order of Australia for service to research science and to the advancement of women in physics. She received the Australian Institute of Physics Medal for Outstanding Service to Physics in 2016. She is a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (2008) and an honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics (2019).
Dr Foley is an inspiration to women in STEM across the globe and focused strongly on equality and diversity in the science sector.

If anyone can has a claim to the title of “Father of quantum technology”, Gerard Milburn does. As an esteemed physicist, researcher, and thought leader, he has played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of quantum physics and its potential applications in the energy sector. Professor Milburn's research interests are in the fields of qu...

If anyone can has a claim to the title of “Father of quantum technology”, Gerard Milburn does. As an esteemed physicist, researcher, and thought leader, he has played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of quantum physics and its potential applications in the energy sector. Professor Milburn's research interests are in the fields of quantum information theory, quantum foundations, quantum optics, quantum control and measurement theory. He obtained a PhD in theoretical Physics from the University of Waikato in 1982 for work on squeezed states of light and quantum nondemolition measurements. He is also an accomplished author, having penned five influential books and many research papers that have shaped the development of quantum technologies. His seminal book, Quantum Technology, provided the foundation for many ongoing research projects and has been cited by thousands of researchers around the world. Professor Milburn is currently a Professor at the University of Queensland. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, The Royal Society of London and The American Physical Society.

Emeritus Professor Sir Peter Knight is renowned for his profound contributions to the fields of quantum optics, strong field physics and quantum information science. Currently, he is Senior Research Investigator in the Physics Department at Imperial College and Senior Fellow in Residence at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre after reti...

Emeritus Professor Sir Peter Knight is renowned for his profound contributions to the fields of quantum optics, strong field physics and quantum information science. Currently, he is Senior Research Investigator in the Physics Department at Imperial College and Senior Fellow in Residence at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre after retiring from his role as Deputy Rector (Research) at Imperial College in 2010. Throughout his career, he has held many distinguished positions, including serving as the President of the Institute of Physics and President of the Optical Society of America and Chief Scientific Advisor at the UK National Physical Laboratory. He is also a Thomson-ISI “Highly Cited Author” and current editor of Contemporary Physics. Professor Knight’s distinguished work has resulted in numerous accolades, including a knighthood for services to optical physics. He has also been awarded the Royal Medal of the Royal Society and is the recipient of the Thomas Young Medal and the Glazebrook Medal of the Institute of Physics. Professor Knight’s outstanding contribution has influenced a generation of researchers, marking him as a leading figure in his field.

Dr. Auffèves is a world-renowned quantum physicist, innovator, and educator who has made significant contributions to the advancement of quantum energy and related technologies. As an esteemed researcher, Dr. Auffèves has published numerous high-impact papers in top-tier scientific journals. Her pioneering work on the fundamental understanding ...

Dr. Auffèves is a world-renowned quantum physicist, innovator, and educator who has made significant contributions to the advancement of quantum energy and related technologies. As an esteemed researcher, Dr. Auffèves has published numerous high-impact papers in top-tier scientific journals. Her pioneering work on the fundamental understanding of energy and entropy in quantum systems has garnered widespread recognition and inspired further breakthroughs in the field. As a current CNRS research director, she also runs the International Research Lab MajuLab in Singapore. After an experimental thesis under the supervision of S. Haroche, she was hired by CNRS in 2005 in Grenoble, where she developed a theoretical research line around quantum optics and quantum thermodynamics. She promoted the physics-philosophy interface within the Grenoble ecosystem for quantum technologies, which she coordinated between 2017 and 2022 through the local initiatives Quantum Engineering Grenoble and QuantAlps.

Amanda is Victoria's Lead Scientist, a role that aligns and connects Victoria’s science, technology and innovation capability with business needs and with government’s economic development activities. Amanda is Chair of the Victorian Quantum Technology Network which aims to advance teaching, research and industry engagement in quantum technologi...

Amanda is Victoria's Lead Scientist, a role that aligns and connects Victoria’s science, technology and innovation capability with business needs and with government’s economic development activities. Amanda is Chair of the Victorian Quantum Technology Network which aims to advance teaching, research and industry engagement in quantum technologies. She is a founding Non Executive Director of Breakthrough Victoria Pty Ltd, a $2 billion commitment to invest in science, technology and innovation with investments to date including the Infleqtion-Swinburne Quantum Technology Centre and Quantum Brilliance.

Professor Fox joined CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency and innovation catalyst, in October 2021, becoming the agency’s fourth female Chief Scientist. She is known globally as a leader in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and industry 4.0 technologies, and is passionate about bringing together multidisciplinary teams for collabo...

Professor Fox joined CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency and innovation catalyst, in October 2021, becoming the agency’s fourth female Chief Scientist. She is known globally as a leader in advanced manufacturing, materials science, and industry 4.0 technologies, and is passionate about bringing together multidisciplinary teams for collaborative research. Professor Fox was formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) at Swinburne University of Technology and founding Director of Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute. During that time, she established of a world first Industry 4.0 Testlab for additive manufacturing of carbon fibre composites, in collaboration with CSIRO.

Dr Tourbier is the Director of the Energy Business Unit at CSIRO. He is leading a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, economists and business professionals in solving current and future energy challenges to enable the transition to lower emissions energy future.

Prior to this role Dr Tourbier served as the Science Director an...

Dr Tourbier is the Director of the Energy Business Unit at CSIRO. He is leading a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, economists and business professionals in solving current and future energy challenges to enable the transition to lower emissions energy future.

Prior to this role Dr Tourbier served as the Science Director and Deputy Director of the Energy Business Unit and as the Director of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute (ASTRI) providing the vision, direction and strategic oversight for the delivery, adoption and impact of the ASTRI objectives.

Prior to joining CSIRO, Dr Tourbier worked at General Electric (GE) for over 20 years and held various leading positions in corporate research including the leadership roles of GE’s solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) division in California, the global power electronics technology research group and, most recently, GE’s European research division.

Dr Tourbier received his masters in aerospace engineering from the University of Stuttgart and his PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona. He also received his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Peter Turner is CEO of the Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA) and holds an Honorary Professorship in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University. At SQA Peter works closely with academic, government and industry partners to deliver programs supporting the development of quantum technology leaders, specialists, and entrepr...

Peter Turner is CEO of the Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA) and holds an Honorary Professorship in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University. At SQA Peter works closely with academic, government and industry partners to deliver programs supporting the development of quantum technology leaders, specialists, and entrepreneurs, building Australia's quantum economy. Peter has been active in quantum information research for nearly 20 years in Canada, Japan, and the UK. Prior to his move to Australia, he was Director of the Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Bristol, where in 2014 he established one of the world's first programs aimed specifically at preparing graduates for the growing quantum technology industry.