Four South Australian companies are set to receive up to $300,000 each as part of a Federal Government grant aiming to solve some of the defence sector’s biggest capability challenges. Announced today by Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price, a total of 10 Australian companies will share in almost $3 million of funding as part of Defence’s Industry Competitive Evaluation Research Agreement (iCERA) under the Next Generation Technology Fund (NGTF) initiative. With a focus on delivering game-changing capability for Defence, the South Australian recipients will use the funds to develop technology in the following areas: Operational Systems - cyber Daronmont ...

A leading South Australian industrial refrigeration specialist that supplies equipment to the Australian Navy has been awarded key safety and quality certification, further supporting the company’s growth in the defence sector. Cold Logic recently secured accreditation for its quality management systems (ISO 9001) and OH&S management systems (45001) from certification body TQCSI. The industrial refrigeration and controlled environment sector supplier is now the only wholly Australian-owned company providing Australian designed and built equipment to Defence to receive the certification. Cold Logic’s manager for Defence Business & RnD, Dr Michael Riese said the company’s accreditation success demonstrates the company’s commitment to ...

Defence SA has received an Employer Support Award (SA) for outstanding support of Australian Defence Force reservists within the Public Sector. Nominated by ADF reservists, the awards are presented to organisations who are committed to supporting Navy, Army and Air Force reservists over a sustained period or through special efforts. As a Government agency, Defence SA has a long history of employing ex-full time Defence members, many of whom continue Reserve careers while pursuing their civilian careers. This is achieved through various pathways including Reserve Leave, advertising to the veteran community and encouraging other staff members to participate in activities ...

Following the announcements regarding the expansion of naval shipbuilding programs in South Australia, ASC has launched the Sovereign Shipbuilding Talent Pool for skilled workers impacted by the industry changes. ASC says options to re-deploy displaced workers throughout South Australia’s current and planned shipbuilding programs are being explored, as well as plans to build the skills crucial for the nuclear-powered submarines program announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week. This talent pool will provide affected employees with the opportunity to transition into positions within ASC, ensuring the shipbuilding workforce is maintained whilst developing new skills necessary. “ASC is committed to ...

MEDIA RELEASE South Australia has today been cemented as the shipbuilding capital of the country with thousands of jobs for today, tomorrow and decades to come. The new nuclear-powered submarines will be built in South Australia as announced by the Prime Minister early this morning. And in another momentous declaration that South Australia is the home of defence – the Collins class full-cycle docking will remain at Osborne. The Collins life-of-type extension will now continue beyond 2026 as all six boats undergo capability extensions in South Australia. In another huge win for local jobs, the Navy’s three Hobart class destroyers ...

Kongsberg Defence Australia has announced their team has achieved a critical production milestone for the LAND 19 Phase 7B program, passing Factory Acceptance Tests of the first two Fire Distribution Centres (FDC) for the National Advanced Surface to Air Missiles Systems (NASAMS). As part of the program — which sees the FDCs being assembled at the Raytheon Centre for Joint Integration at Mawson Lakes — Kongsberg Defence Australia is supporting Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace and prime contractor Raytheon Australia to deliver the new Short-Range Ground-Based Air Defence capability to the Australian Army. The NASAMS system will enable the Army to ...

As the Australian defence industry prepares for the Naval Shipbuilding Plan, having a workforce that is well trained and informed is critical to defence industry capability. No matter if you are just starting out in the industry or would like to upskill and refresh your knowledge around maritime assets and systems, international engineering, science and technology consultancy BMT offers a wide range of courses for individuals taught by experts. With experience as both operators and designers of defence systems, BMT’s experts provide detailed insights into the process for design and management of warships and submarines. Keen to find out more? ...

A $1.2 million grant for Australia's defence sector has been announced by Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price, this morning. The grant has been designed to support the growth and export opportunities of six Australian businesses within the industry, including two South Australian companies: JTM Gaskets and ElectroCad Australia. JTM Gaskets are set to receive $211,260 which will be put towards purchasing new equipment in order to increase production volumes. Electro Cad will receive $240,000 to install a clean room and purchase equipment allowing them to manufacture complex defence components. Read the full story here.   Image Credit: ElectroCad Australia

SA-based high speed welding technology manufacturer K-TIG is expanding its international presence thanks to a new distribution agreement with leading automation supplier Key Plant Automation to sell K-TIG products in the UK. The agreement will provide a strong platform for future growth in the UK and wider EU markets and follows a previous agreement with Key Plant’s USA subsidiary earlier this year to sell K-TIG products in North America. To support the expansion, K-TIG are set to establish a UK based direct sales force to work closely with distribution partners, and will also work with Key Plant to establish an ...

The University of South Australia has partnered with the Australian Government to offer small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to upskill employees with in-demand engineering capabilities at no cost. The 100% online Associate Degree in Engineering commences in late September, with course fees fully funded by the Australian Government for eligible companies. To be eligible, employers must have no more than 200 staff and demonstrate a need for engineering skills. Employers will need to nominate their employee(s) to participate in the program and employees are required to remain with the nominating employer for the duration of the two-year program. This is ...

South Australian companies Novafast and Abstec Calibrations have secured their share of $8 million in Federal Government funding to boost local defence manufacturing capability. The Adelaide businesses are among 11 innovative Australian companies to receive funding through the latest round of the Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority (SICP) grants, which help build Australia’s sovereign industrial capacity to support the Australian Defence Force. Recently diversifying into the defence sector, Novafast was awarded over $1.3 million to support the creation of a new state-of-the-art production line. The factory is set to include new robotics equipment for manufacturing technologies in composite products. Novafast Business Manager David ...