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Research and development (R&D) in advanced materials technology is being driven within the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) by requirements to enhance safety and survivability of platforms and personnel, along with requirements for enhanced maintainability and operability of platforms. The R&D in advanced materials is aimed at program delivery across the capability life-cycle. This paper focuses on advanced materials research in the forward-looking enabling R&D domain where the intersection of key technologies in areas such as nano and microtechnology, biotechnology, stealth materials, smart materials and structures, and energy generation and storage is being explored. The paper presents three innovative projects which illustrate the range of technologies being addressed under the leading-edge DSTO Corporate Enabling Research Program (CERP) on Signatures, Materials and Energy. The enabling R&D projects outlined in this paper range between technology readiness levels from a program in smart sensors for structural health monitoring which is currently transitioning to field application, to longer-term, leading-edge development based on electromaterials for biomimetic actuation. A feature of each of the projects is strong external leveraging beyond DSTO to deliver challenging interdisciplinary S&T