On Monday the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC), which will support Australian industry by offering the practical advice and assistance needed to work with Defence, was opened in Adelaide. The Defence Innovation Hub, to foster an agile and transparent approach to innovation investment, was also launched.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, who opened the CDIC headquarters, said that companies across the country will now have direct access to tailored support and advice to meet defence capability needs.
“The opening of the CDIC is a significant step in resetting the Defence and Industry relationship and driving jobs and growth across the country,” Minister Pyne said.
Delivered through AusIndustry, the CDIC will perform an important role as the service delivery arm for Defence. It will be staffed by business advisers who are able to leverage the ‘whole of government’ support available to businesses and provide expert advice in the following areas:
- Business improvement
- Skills development
- Export and supply chains
- Supplier continuous improvement
- Defence market preparedness
- Defence innovation proposal submission
“I encourage all Australian businesses who want to work with Defence to visit the CDIC website at business.gov.au/cdic to seek advice from a business adviser” Minister Pyne said.
“The CDIC will provide new forums for Defence and industry to work together, ensuring closer alignment between industry’s investment in future skills and Defence’s capability needs.
The Defence Innovation Hub will invest around $640 million over the decade into maturing and further developing technologies that have moved from the early science stages into the engineering and development stages.
“The Hub is all about an agile and transparent approach to innovation investment with the introduction of new business practices, including refreshed contracting frameworks and innovative intellectual property policies,” Minister Pyne said.
Industry is invited to work with the Hub’s business advisers by submitting proposals through the innovation portal at business.gov.au/cdic; once received, Defence will assess proposals submitted through the portal for ongoing management by the Hub.
In this week's ADM Defence Week Premium newsletter, there will be details of the development the Defence Industry Capability Plan, specifically, the concept of Sovereign Industrial Capabilities (SICs) which are central to the plan.