Minister for Trade and Industry Niall Blair welcomed guests to the inaugural Defence NSW Network of Networks Forum in Sydney this week.
According to Minister Blair, the event is an important step in the government’s efforts to enhance defence industry collaboration across the state.
“The defence industry in NSW is fortunate to have strong defence network operating and helping to drive a cohesive defence industry,” Blair said.
“This forum is designed, not only to enhance collaboration, but ensure that we’re all getting the ‘best bang for our buck’ from each network.”
The forum brought together local, state-wide and national networks operating in NSW with the aim of better understanding their goals and methods, the challenges they faced and the opportunities for collaboration.
Some of the networks currently operating in NSW include AIDN, HunterNet Defence, the Shoalhaven Defence Interest Group, the Defence Murray Riverina Alliance and Advantage Wollongong.
NSW Defence Advocate John Harvey said the strength of NSW defence industry networks is not always fully appreciated at the national level.
“A major goal is to explore how we increase the visibility of the networks so that NSW can better contribute to a national approach to defence capability challenges,” Harvey said.
“While there are significant challenges for industry networks in NSW, leveraging the different strengths of each network should deliver a better outcome for the defence industry in NSW, and ultimately for the ADF.
“The NSW Government, through its Defence and Industry Strategy, is committed to providing a centralised platform to support more effective leadership, advocacy and engagement with defence and collaboration with NSW defence industry.”
Other issues such as changing operating environments, resourcing methods and sustainability of networks were also addressed at the forum.