Building Australia's defence industry to support AUKUS

In this episode, Grant McHerron talks with Peter Anusas, the General Manager for Empower Advisory AUS/UK, Gary Meaney, Lendlease’s Defence Construction Director, and Scott Olsen, the Chief Executive Officer of Fredon Group. The topic for the episode is building Australia's defence future with a focus on AUKUS.

We begin our discussion by exploring the foundations required for AUKUS success, including political alignment and workforce training needs. The guests then delve into the challenges surrounding security clearances and ensuring Australia has the skilled personnel to sustain nuclear submarines. They also discuss the importance of early prime contractor involvement (ECI) in streamlining processes and fostering collaboration.

Furthermore, they assess how Australia can develop sovereign capability without relying on continual foreign involvement, highlighting the need for efficient procurement models and strengthening local industry capacity.

Finally, we consider the long-term legacy of AUKUS, focusing on creating sustainable defence jobs within Australia. The episode concludes by reinforcing that government and industry must prioritize these tasks to ensure a successful outcome.

Links:

Empower Advisory powered by BMD

https://www.empowergroup.global/advisory and https://www.bmdgroup.global

Lendlease Defence and National Security

https://www.lendlease.com/construction/defence

Fredon Group

https://www.fredon.com.au

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