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Australian defence industry leader Travis Reddy has challenged the Department of Defence to find domestic rather than international solutions during a charged call to arms public address.
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The chief executive officer of Australian defence technology developer DefendTex recently accepted the prestigious “Defence Innovator of the Year – Company” award at the 2024 Australian Defence Industry Awards in Canberra last month.
The awards night was attended by Australian defence industry representatives, Australian Defence Force personnel, and Department of Defence staff as well as international dignitaries.
“It’s an honour to receive this award and on behalf of all the Australian companies that work on innovation for defence, I want to take this opportunity to say that innovation is a mindset and it applies to everything we do,” Reddy said during a speech acknowledging the award.
“There’s no point coming up with innovative solutions if the processes around us aren’t innovative, and I’m referring specifically to acquisitions. There’s no point operating at a rate that’s relative to the problem if we don’t acquire at the same rate.
“My appeal to (the Department of) Defence is that while you’re looking for defence innovation, look to the many Australian companies and many universities that are innovative in what they do before you look overseas.
“The answers to most of your problems are probably here in this room (of defence industry).
“To the men and women of the Australian Defence Force who are the reason we are all here, thank you and we continue to serve you in our own way.”
Earlier this year, the company announced it is seeking a $70 million loan from Export Finance Australia for the acquisition of advanced missile manufacturing capability from Brazil, enabling a vital knowledge transfer to Australia, according to a corporate statement released on 13 June.
The Victorian defence company, Australian-owned and based in Dandenong South, had previously entered into negotiations to acquire Brazil’s largest defence company Avibras and secure knowledge on how to manufacture long-range strike missiles and cruise missiles in Australia.
