Defence Industry Summit places Ipswich at the front line
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20 August 2018
Ipswich will host the inaugural Defence Industry Summit on Tuesday, 20 November, 2018.
The one day summit, to be hosted by council at the USQ Springfield Central campus, will bring together all levels of government and industry to engage on defence industry strategies, projects and opportunities.
Economic Development and Digital City Committee chairman Cr Paul Tully said the summit is of national significance and will strengthen Ipswich’s position as a preferred location for defence industry support and manufacturing.
Cr Tully said the morning sessions will include discussion on procurement process, sustainment practices, and building a regional Defence industry, while the afternoon would feature innovation and technology in Defence, SME interactions with Defence contractors and major service providers and strategic insight on Defence export.
“The day will also feature a keynote address, presentations, and panel discussions from experts in their respective fields,” Cr Tully said.
Defence industries in Ipswich are worth about $800 million in sales, $600 million in exports and accounts for 20 per cent of Queensland’s total defence employment.
Acting Mayor Wayne Wendt said it is one of the key initiatives under the city’s Defence Industry Strategy supported by the City of Ipswich Defence Industry Attraction Committee (CIDIAC), an advisory body with representatives from Ipswich City Council, Queensland Government, Australian Defence Force, universities and industry.
“This is a unique opportunity to network with key decision makers in the defence industry, gain insight on capability development to access integrated logistics and sustainment projects,” Cr Wendt said.
The summit – supported by council and the Australia Industry and Defence Network (AIDN) – is expected to attract between 250 and 300 delegates.
The full program for the Defence Ipswich 2018 – Integrated Logistics and Sustainment Summit will be released in the coming weeks.
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