SA is establishing the Defence Innovation Partnership, a new organisation that will generate defence-related research and development activity for the state.
State Defence Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith said the new partnership allows SA to continue putting its best foot forward as the Defence State in support of the naval shipbuilding program and other key upcoming defence programs.
The new Defence Innovation Partnership will connect federal and state governments, the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group), which will contribute up to $150,000 a year, universities, local and international defence industry. The new organisation is a partnership between the SA Government, DST Group and the three local universities – Adelaide University, Flinders University and the University of South Australia.
The key aims of the program are to:
- provide a focal point to form defence related research partnerships across government, industry
- and academia;
- increase South Australia’s involvement in providing future technologies to Defence;
- increase our competitiveness for securing greater workshare in large Defence projects by;
- developing a strong and collaborative South Australian R&D ecosystem;
- provide a route to market for industry commercialisation of future technology;
- attract new funding from the Australian Government, corporates, universities and overseas; and
- research entities by raising the defence R&D profile of South Australia.
The Defence Innovation Partnership is co-funded by DST Group, the universities and the SA Government. SA contribution of $3.67 million in funding will be allocated across five years.
It will complement the State Government’s efforts in northern Adelaide, providing new opportunities for companies and workers from other industries.
“We need to continue building the momentum gained from securing such a large portion of the naval shipbuilding program,” Hamilton-Smith said. “The Defence Innovation Partnership will maximise South Australia’s ability to benefit from future defence research.”
A similar initiative has already been implemented in Victoria, and discussions with other interested states are underway.
Federal Defence Industry Minister and member for the Adelaide federal seat of Sturt Christopher Pyne said the benefits of this partnership, included better communication of Defence’s science and technology priorities to industry.
“This partnership will help to grow a future talent pool of defence researchers and fund joint projects to enhance industry capability and transition research into innovation,” the Minister, who is also the federal member for the Adelaide seat of Sturt, said.