Page 32 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2021

32 DEFENCE BUSINESS PARTNERING
JUNE 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
premium for these goods and services to be accessed and con- trolled within Australia – in fact, it is strategically imperative, as outlined in the Defence Industrial Capability Plan.
Australia must have access to and control over the skills, technology, intellectual property, financial resources and in- frastructure that Defence relies on to deliver its core objectives.
So if a business doesn’t understand how the Defence needs, and Sovereign Industrial Capability Priorities match, and its underlying resources and infrastructure enable that, then the ability to succeed in Defence is sig- nificantly diminished.
Understanding Sovereign Industrial Capabilities, and being able to articulate it to potential partners, is a game- changer for accessing Defence opportunities, whilst sup- porting Defence in achieving its high-level strategic agenda.
4. R&D AGENDA
The R&D agenda is the final piece of the puzzle, and in some instances it’s the hardest piece to identify for a business.
However, unlocking capability to participate in the De- fence R&D space, offers businesses the opportunity to off- set the cost of investing in cutting-edge research to solve future Defence problems – and at the same time evolve their own business offering.
The Defence agenda is clear when it comes to the R&D priorities, and was laid out in the More, Together: De-
fence Science and Technology Strategy 2030, which was designed to align with the 2020 Force Structure Plan. It sets up an environment in which partnering for R&D is ac- cessible – whether with other industry participates on an Innovation hub grant, or partnering with academia within a Defence Cooperative Research Centre (CRC – such as the Trusted Autonomous Systems or SmartSAT bodies).
PARTNERING TO UNLOCK POTENTIAL
It’s clear that fast-tracking success across Defence in the rapidly changing strategic environment can only occur through partnerships – but collaboration is just the start.
Partnership implies so much more than ‘working to- gether to achieve an outcome’ – it requires mutual respect and recognition of skills and capability, implicit trust, a relationship of necessary equals, and a focus on solutions.
Not only do businesses open doors to different revenue streams within the Defence sector (contracts vs grants), but they open the door to future proofing their entire busi- ness, whilst supporting Defence to future proof Australia’s sovereign interests.
Hence, it’s a win-win for all. ■
Sarah Pavillard is a weapons engineer and the CEO of ADROI- TA, a defence professional services, engineering and advisory firm servicing the Department of Defence, and Australian SMEs.
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