Australia will launch later this year a new organisation to lead national defence industry development, Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price has disclosed.
Price said in comments recently published in a newsletter by the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN) that the body will replace the government's Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC).
According to Price, the new industry organisation will act as a “one-stop shop for defence industry support and guidance”.
“It will work with industry associations, state and territory officials, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), and primes to deliver the capability” the Australian Defence Force (ADF) requires, she said.
Price also told members of the AIDN – an association that represents Australia's defence SMEs – that local firms will be supported through the government's commitment to ensure that foreign contractors deliver on their industrial co-operation obligations.
She said this effort is framed by a “new contracting system” that requires foreign contractors to outline “specific and measurable” engagements with local firms.
The changes in the contracting system represent a shift towards what the government calls a “scalable approach” to engagement through the local co-operation policy, known as the Australian Industrial Capability (AIC) programme.
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