The Navantia SAGE Automation Group (NSAG) and Flinders University will establish an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Adelaide if Navantia Australia secures the contract to build the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigates.
According to Navantia’s press release, the company has committed an early investment of $3 million towards the IPMS CoE, which will offer formal training, scholarships, work experience, graduate programs, and staff secondment opportunities in order to build on-ground defence skills and technology in Australia,
The proposed 200 square metre facility – to be located at Tonsley Innovation District – will house simulation rooms for NSAG’s naval platform control system that allows the remote control and monitoring of platform systems on board Navantia designed naval vessels.
It will also include a Land Base Test Site for testing of sustainment analysis tools such as ARGOS 21, providing RAN crews with access to training on the IPMS system.
SAGE Automation CEO Mr Adrian Fahey said CoE will strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability through training and research collaboration.
“This partnership is about bringing together the best minds in industry and research to grow Australia’s sovereign defence capability,” Mr Fahey stated.
“SAGE, and the NSAG, has strong ties with Flinders University through our engineering graduate program and a number of R&D projects.”
Navantia Australia’s managing director, Mr Donato Martinez said the IPMS CoE will draw on Flinders University’s strong maritime, automation and robotics research capabilities and the NSAG’s shipbuilding and automation industry experience to actively identify topics for collaborative R&D that will enable the RAN to better adapt their control systems to innovative future technologies.
“Navantia’s IPMS system is already on board the RAN’s Canberra Class amphibious ships, Hobart Class destroyers, and the Supply Class replenishment ships currently being constructed by Navantia. By 2020, almost 2,000 RAN servicemen and women will be trained and operate in the NSAG IPMS environment,” Mr Martinez continued.
“The benefits resulting from the collaboration at this Centre will enable the continued development of smart ship technologies which in turn will provide the RAN with greater cost efficiencies and operational availability of these ships.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said Flinders was committed to advancing research and industry collaborations that contribute to the nation’s economic growth and development.
“I am delighted that Flinders University is partnering with the Navantia SAGE Automation Group in the establishment of a Centre of Excellence that that will help to develop national defence capabilities and create jobs here in South Australia,” Mr Stirling said.
“This agreement demonstrates Flinders University’s commitment to collaboration with industry in ways that will catalyse economic growth through our world-class research, our expertise in advanced manufacturing, robotics and autonomous systems, and the Industry 4.0 capability at our Tonsley Manufacturing Innovation Hub.”
