Len Sciacca

Pelos Group Pty Ltd

Len Sciacca has 40 years experience in government, industry and research sectors. Throughout his career he has been forming collaborations and partnerships in scientific and engineering environments leading to outcomes with impact. He has led several large research and development programs with large teams of scientists and engineers in partnerships between universities, industry and international government agencies primarily in the defence sector. Len is a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) for his contributions to defence industry and engineering. Len is CEO of Australian Systems Research Pty Ltd, a defence company with a deep tech focus on Electronic Warfare, missile seekers and battlespace control. He is working with Pelos Group to develop a new laser power beaming technology.

He established the Centre of Expertise in Network Decision and Sensor Systems with DSTG and the University of Melbourne in the 1990s. In DST Group, he held several Senior Executive Service (SES) positions as Chief of research divisions before becoming DSTG Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Science Partnerships in Canberra. While Chief of Electronic Warfare and Radar Division he led large US-Australian research programs ($120m) in electronic warfare and countermeasures (with US Army CERDEC) and international cooperation programs in Electronic Warfare Systems. He has twice been an invited reviewer of the 6.1/6.2 electromagnetic combat research programs at US Naval Research Laboratory and was the first international reviewer invited to be part of the review team. 

Len is also an Enterprise Professor – Defence Technologies at The University of Melbourne leading the university’s defence research portfolio including AUKUS Pillar 1 and Pillar 2, and partnerships with SMEs and major defence companies.