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As Queensland’s defence industry continues to boom, it’s never been a better time for businesses to get involved.
If the excitement created by catalytic defence opportunities – such as Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s decision to base production of their LAND 400 Phase 2-winning Boxer CRV in Queensland – has you wondering how your business can benefit, there’s good news.
The Queensland Defence Summit: Ipswich 2018 will bring some of the sector’s big names to Queensland to give local businesses their insights into how to get more involved in the defence industry.
Delivered in partnership between the Queensland Government, Ipswich City Council and the Australian Industry Defence Network (AIDN), the Summit – to be held on 20 November at the University of Southern Queensland’s Springfield campus – comes at an opportune time for the state.
Defence contract payments secured by Queensland businesses more than doubled between 2016-17 and 2018-19, rising to an impressive $9.55 billion. At the same time, the state has had some project wins in the past year: alongside Rheinmetall’s facility, the state will also be home to the Defence Cooperative Research Centre on Trusted Autonomous Systems; the $950 million digital strategic communication system Project Currawong; and major components of LAND 121 Phase 5b.
Recently the Queensland Government released the Defence Industries 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan and the Aerospace 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan, its blueprints for supporting and growing these sectors.
And Ipswich, as host city for the Summit, is a defence industries success story in the heart of South East Queensland.
The city is home to one of Australia’s largest Defence bases, RAAF Base Amberley. The base, its 7,400-strong population and the aircraft flying over the region every day are a visual reminder of the enduring relationship between Ipswich and our nation’s Defence Force.
To complement the strong defence presence, Ipswich is supported by a cluster of manufacturers located in the region, with almost 1,000 businesses positioned to contribute to defence needs and global supply chains.
Rheinmetall’s choice of the Ipswich suburb of Redbank to base their Asia-Pacific Headquarters and Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) – with the support of the Queensland Government – establishes the city as a new hub for manufacturing the next generation of vehicles for the Australia Army.
The City of Ipswich Defence Industry Advisory Committee (CIDIAC) has been working closely with the local business community and Defence industry stakeholders to ensure they are positioned for the opportunities that the RDA deal presents.
Officials will be launching the City of Ipswich Defence Industry Strategy 2018-2023 at the Summit.
The Strategy, which aligns with and complements the state-wide strategy, is a first for a local government in Australia, establishing the conditions for increased participation in the defence industry through strategic collaboration and enhancing capabilities of multi-disciplinary businesses in the region.
Ipswich is seizing the opportunities by creating an enduring plan which will guide how the state, local government, defence, industry and academia can collaborate to achieve a national vision of creating a sovereign defence industry for Australia.
The 2016 Defence White Paper, related policy documents and a rapid technological uplift in Defence have all created a unique opportunity for defence industries across Australia, and for Queensland specifically to position itself as Australia’s next-generation Defence suppliers. The Queensland Government and Ipswich City Council’s partnership is about ensuring our state’s businesses are able to take advantage of that opportunity in order to contribute to building an economy that is sustainable, diverse and inclusive for all Queenslanders.
The Queensland Defence Summit: Ipswich 2018 will drive collaboration and engagement between defence primes, research organisations and SMEs to facilitate understanding of the respective roles and requirements each party will play in the delivery of optimal defence outcomes. To register for this event and to become part of the future of Defence in Queensland, visit www.defenceipswich.com.au
