Download the AIDN Newsletter for the 1st Quarter 2020 now!

Released on the 18th of March 2020. Click on the link below to open.

20200318 Newsletter_A4_v0.4.pdf

The Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN), Australia’s peak national industry body representing primarily Australian small and medium businesses operating in Australia’s defence and national security industry, has called for an urgent review of the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) Program to ensure it meets its objectives of:

• providing opportunities for Australian companies to compete on merit for defence work within Australia and overseas; and
• encouraging investment and intellectual property development in Australian industry.

“The current AIC policy framework, established by the Government through the Department of Defence, is well intentioned and has been warmly received by Australian industry. However, the AIC Program as implemented is not facilitating development of sovereign industry capability or business opportunities for the local Australian defence supply chain to the extent envisioned.” said Lester Sutton, National Board Chair of AIDN.

“Australian industry, particularly small and medium business, is now at risk of losing out on sovereign industry capability, billions of dollars of work, and thousands of local jobs,” he added.

AIDN members across Australia are reporting significant frustration in getting Australian industry involved to the extent envisioned across major new defence programs including the Future Submarine, Future Frigate, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle and Joint Strike Fighter programs – Australia’s largest ever defence acquisitions. If AIC implementation continues ‘as is’, the outcome will be to lock-in more overseas suppliers and exclude Australian industry from participating in these acquisitions, including through-life-support.

AIDN is recommending a number of changes to improve the AIC Program’s effectiveness and to ensure Australian industry, particularly small and medium businesses, are not further excluded from such opportunities:

• Creation of an AIC Program assurance regime to transparently monitor and review AIC quantum and quality contained within actual Purchase Orders placed, against contractual commitments and any pre-contract assurances made by prime contractors, and be subject to external audit;
• Enhancement of the mechanisms for enforcement of AIC Program commitments, including material penalties, such as liquidated damages and make-good obligations;
• Introduction of incentives for overseas suppliers to team with Australian companies rather than establishing new subsidiaries in Australia, if the genesis of a required capability already exists within Australia industry; and
• Immediate application of expert defence resources to the two largest acquisitions (Future Submarine and Future Frigates) to integrate extant Australian industry into the detailed designs, supply chains and production details for these vessels prior to first-of-class vessel construction.

“These are relatively straightforward changes, which we believe can and need to be implemented without delay.” Chairman Lester Sutton went on to add.

“AIDN members are grateful for the significant reform achieved in defence industry policy by the government over the last five years and fully support the drive to generate more local capability and corresponding jobs through the transfer of overseas technology. But we need to ensure the intent and extent of these good policy settings, particularly around AIC, are actually achieved.”

“Australian industry is not after a hand out, but it wants the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, for the first-of-class of Australian military platforms, otherwise there is a high likelihood Australian industry will be excluded for the life of the platforms – and sovereign industry capability will not be achieved.”

“With these major programs across all of defence, including SEA1000 Future Submarine, SEA5000 Future Frigate, SEA1180 Offshore Patrol Vessels, LAND400 Phase 2 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, LAND400 Phase 3 Mounted Close Combat Vehicle, LAND4503 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter and LAND2097 Phase 4 Special Operations Helicopter, now is the time, without detracting from delivering the defence capability our defence forces need, to focus defence acquisition on supporting sovereign industry capability, local jobs and the significant economic benefit this brings to the country.”

What a fantastic Event!!  

The Ipswich City Council has gone above and beyond to attract Defence Primes and Industry to a Symposium which was one of a kind

The facts and figures:

The Ipswich City Council event, organised by AIDN-Qld is part of the continued effort by the Ipswich City council to deliver the "City of Ipswich Defence Ipswich Action Plan 2018-2023".  This action plan is supported by the City of Ipswich Defence Industry Development and Attraction Committee (CIDIDIAC).  Local Government has a direct level opportunity to identify businesses that have the potential to become the next generation Defence Ready suppliers.  Industry Associations like AIDN can provide the network for these businesses to find opportunities to collaborate and complement each other.

Judy Denison who spoke at the event on behalf of the CDIC said:  "It's really unique for a City Council to be putting on an event like this bringing Industry together to promote, develop, and assist with looking for opportunities in Defence. I commend Ipswich City Council on the format and I believe everyone will have gained something from the event."

With regards to the B2B sessions, one Business Development Manager at the event was overheard saying to Tamanna Monem from the Ipswich City Council, "it would take me 4 months on the road to meet with the number of businesses I've met in this one afternoon".  Others were heard to have benefited from the B2B session with Primes as its something that can take months to get access to a Face to Face meeting.

Carl Quarterman AIDN-Queensland President said "The presenters were all great, the passionate speakers could easily spend hours talking about the topics discussed so to have them all on point with the limited time available was excellent.  It was also great to get so many of these businesses networking together and looking for collaboration opportunities."

Nick Green from PFI a business which is actively chasing work in the Space Sector and promoting STEM Activities and skilling was quoted as saying "By far the best conferencing event globally that I've been to the B2B sessions were excellent."  Others also echoed this sentiment agreeing that it was well run, and the Primes were happy with the way the B2B sessions ran.

The event was followed up on Saturday by a facility Tour of Frontline Manufacturing who have recently opened their new high tech CNC metal cutting and welding facility in Meadowbrook.

AIDN National Invites you to attend a panel discussion “National Suppliers – Are you Defence Ready?” as part of the Pacific 2019 International Maritime Exposition on Tuesday, 8 October 2019 . The panel session will provide SME’s with: 

• Practical guidance on entry points for SME’s into the Defence Industry, whether direct to defence, through Primes or their supply chains.
• Key concepts of opportunity assessment, tender preparation, contract negotiation and transition to deliver and sustainment modes.
• Analysis and insight into unsuccessful tenders. Why it is important to receive and reflect on Prime feedback.

Panellists include: 

Kerryn Smith – CEO AIDN-NT
Dr. Rodger Manning – Managing Consultant, BidWrite
Joseph Cardillo – BAE Major Contracts Manager SEA 5000 
Michelle Richard - Thales Procurement Director

See the AIDN National LinkedIn page for further details.

Ipswich City Council, proudly supported by the City of Ipswich Defence Industry Development & Attraction Committee, will host its second consecutive defence industry event after a highly successful Queensland Defence Summit held within the city last November.

The Defence Ipswich Supply Chain Opportunities Symposium 2019 is scheduled for 8 November 2019 and will continue to position the city as one of the hotspots for defence within not only Queensland, but Australia.

The Symposium will attract 150 to 180 industry participants including defence contractors, policy, academia and SMEs to participate and exchange information on project opportunities and attend formal B2B sessions in the heart of Ipswich.

In 2018, council endorsed the Defence Ipswich Action Plan 2018 to 2023, which was developed in consultation with the City of Ipswich Defence Industry Development and Attraction Committee (CIDIDAC). Ipswich is the only local government in Australia to have a dedicated and adopted the Defence Industry action plan. Link: Defence Ipswich Action Plan.

In November 2018, council delivered the Queensland Defence Summit: Ipswich, which brought together over 300 delegates from defence, all levels of government, defence industry, academia and manufacturers.

As a result of the Defence Ipswich Action Plan, council is planning to deliver the Defence Ipswich Supply Chain Opportunities Symposium 2019 to provide opportunities for SMEs to understand and access defence opportunities.

AIDN QLD is the official event coordinator of the Symposium.

Follow the updates on the Defence Ipswich Supply Chain Opportunities Symposium 2019 on our official LinkedIn page here.

Register for the Symposium here.

We look forward to seeing you at the Defence Ipswich Supply Chain Opportunities Symposium 2019!

The International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM) and AIDN have signed a MOU outlining their commitment to jointly

• Promote a connected and skilled Australian defence sector
• Conduct thought leadership in the areas of project leadership and the development of a skilled workforce
• Advocate the importance of a skilled workforce to government
• Build industry capacity in project leadership

The ICCPM support complex project delivery and strive to equip project professionals and organisations across all industry and government sectors with the specialised skills, knowledge and ability to effectively deal with complexity in project environments.

The International Roundtable Series is a biennial thought leadership activity conducted by the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM) to keep companies at the forefront of complex project management and improve project success. 

The 2018 report Project Leadership: The Game Changer in Large Scale Complex Projects, was launched in Canberra on the 13 June with a follow up event in Sydney with our series partner, The John Grill Centre for Project Leadership.

The report is available in hard copy from ICCPM and can be downloaded free for a limited time from the ICCPM website (https://iccpm.com/project-leadership/) 

ICCPM was established by the Australian Government to build organisational capability in the leadership of complex projects.