The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), part of the Department of Defence, has opened display showcasing Australian defence technology achievements at the Wollongong, NSW Science Centre and Planetarium.

Technologies on display include the Jindalee over-the-horizon radar network for coastal surveillance, smart patches used to repair cracks on aircraft frames, and the black box flight recorder.

In announcing the display, the parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Defence, Peter Lindsay, said the Australian Defence Force has always recognized that science and technology is key to building capability and 2007 marks 100 years since the first scientist was appointed to provide support to defence.

"The story is told through a holographic display which features a narrator interacting with various DSTO inventions in a three-dimensional space," Lindsay said, adding it highlights innovative DSTO technologies that have enhanced defence capability but also have a civilian application.

Lindsay said the display has wowed visitors to the CSIRO Discovery Centre and Questacon interactive science and technology centre in Canberra and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

The Wollongong Science Centre and Planetarium manager Glenn Moore said the centre houses one of the largest collections of hands-on science and technology displays in NSW, so it is proud to showcase Australian defence science innovations.

The Wollongong Science Centre and Planetarium is located in the new innovation campus at the University of Wollongong.

DSTO provides scientific and technical support to defence operations, investigates future technologies, and develops new defence and national security capabilities.

Defence scientists and University of Wollongong researchers are now researching better use of technology to improve team performance.

This work includes the design of better systems to support collaboration within and across teams and to facilitate the generation of knowledge.