Defence Issues
Minister Paul Papalia has launched the inaugural Western Australia Defence
Industry Capability Directory (WADICD)
to promote Western Australia’s defence industry and boost exports to create
jobs and support economic diversification.
According to a press
release by the Western Australia state government on 7 June, the directory is
the outcome of TCF Services’ Defence Industry Capability Assessment, undertaken
on behalf of Defence West.
Defence West is a
government office under the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and
Innovation. According to the offices’ official website, Defence West supports
“the interests of (Western Australia’s) defence industry” and “deliver
capability requirements of the Australian Defence Force”.
The WADICD includes
an inaugural list of more than 100 companies in the local defence industry.
These companies were selected based on analysis in the Western Australia
Defence Industry Capability Assessment,
which assessed companies against the six capability streams of the
Defence Integrated Investment Program. Most of these companies are small-medium
enterprises whose products and services have been identified to most closely
meet the requirements of the Defence Integrated Investment Program.
The Defence
Integrated Investment Program (DIIP) , according to a 2016
report by Australia’s Department of Defence , constitutes “an
affordable and balanced plan for a highly capable, agile and potent Australian
Defence Force (ADF) and Defence capability more broadly, to meet [Australia’s] future requirements”. It incorporates
formerly separate investment programs catering to various military equipment,
facility, info-comm technology types. The 6 defence capability streams
highlighted in the DIIP include: intelligence, surveillance, reconnaisance,
electronic warfare space and cyber, Key Enablers, Air and Sea Lift, Maritime
and Anti-submarine Warfare, Strike and Air Combat, and Land combat and
Amphibious Warfare.
In addition to relevant companies in the
local defence industry, the directory also possesses information on the
capabilities of all Team WA universities. These universities refer to the
University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Murdoch University, Edith
Cowan University as well as South Metropolitan Technical and Further Education
(TAFE).
Team WA, or University Team West
Australia, is a collaborative research partnership between the 4 universities
and Defence West focusing on defence-related technologies such as cyber warfare
and autonomous transport systems.
Information present in the WADICD will is
open to public access, and will provide information to key policymakers as well
as the Western Australia State Government’s overseas to promote local defence
exports to international markets. The WA Defence Industry Capability Directory
can be accessed at http://www.jtsi.wa.gov.au.
"I am proud to launch the inaugural
WA Defence Industry Capability Directory, which will be a powerful tool in
promoting the State's extensive defence capabilities,” said Defence Issues
Minister Paul Papalia."The directory will also be provided to the WA
Government international offices for promotion to a range of international
markets with a view to increasing the State's defence exports.”
The Western Australia State Government
currently operates 8 international offices across the world. These offices
facilitate and promote the the state government’s trade and investment
interests abroad; with the inaugural launch of the WADICD, the Western
Australia State Government expects to leverage on this network of international
offices to boost local defence exports.
As of January this year, Australia is the world’s 20th biggest defence
exporter, with the country reaching within 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion AUD worth
of defence exports on an annual basis. The Federal Government has recently
announced a defence exports strategy that “aims to make Australia one
of the top 10 global defence exporters within a decade”,
and companies in Western Australia’s defence industry are expected to reap the
bulk of benefits.
