The Victorian government has unveiled the Round 2 recipients of the Victorian Land Systems Fund– Supply Chain Uplift Program, an initiative aimed at helping local businesses compete for and win major manufacturing defence contracts and boost the state’s local defence capabilities.
Minister for Manufacturing Sovereignty Ben Carroll visited Amiga Engineering, where he announced the latest recipients of the funding program, which seeks to enable Victorian companies to become part of Hanwha Defence Australia’s LAND 8116 supply chain.
The latest round offers a total of more than $275,000 to four local companies specialising in land systems defence, allowing them to scale their business competitiveness and capabilities and supporting them to become part of Hanwha’s $1 billion LAND 8116 Self-Propelled Howitzer program.
“We’re backing local companies up for success and to win supply contracts – securing local jobs and driving innovation in our defence industry,” said Minister Carroll. “Victoria is the home of armoured vehicle manufacturing in Australia, boasting one of the strongest defence supply chains in the country and we want to see more Victorian-made components used by global defence firms.”
Among the Round 2 recipients is Tullamarine-based Amiga Engineering, which will pursue the first Australian certification for its 3D-printing machine to use Scalmalloy, a lightweight, highly durable material used in aerospace and defence manufacturing.
Meanwhile, Integra Systems from Broadmeadows will use its share of the grant funding to equip its manufacturing facility with new equipment.
“This grant from the Supply Chain Uplift Program will be greatly beneficial to our competitiveness as supply chain partner and is giving us the chance to pursue the first Australian certification for our 3D-printing machine to use Scalmalloy, which is a huge achievement,” said Michael Bourchier, managing director of Amiga Engineering.
Hanwha recently secured the contract for the multi-billion LAND 400 Phase 3 program, the largest land defence contract ever awarded in Victoria. Approximately 600 direct jobs are expected to be created from delivering the defence projects and hundreds more indirect jobs across the supply chain.
Hanwha is establishing a $170 million Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence at the Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct and will require a strong local supply chain to deliver its defence programs in Victoria.
