Adelaide’s three universities uniting for defence jobs and research push

ADELAIDE’S three universities are launching an unprecedented alliance to push into the multi-billion dollar defence sector in a bid to grow jobs, skills and research.

16/3/16 - Three chancellors of Adelaide, Flinders and University of SA launching unprecedented bid to push into defence industry. Pictured at Adelaide University are (L-R) Flinders University chancellor Stephen Gerlach, Adelaide University Chancellor Kevin Scarce's and University of SA chancellor Jim McDowell. Photo Naomi Jellicoe

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ADELAIDE’S three universities are launching an unprecedented alliance to push into the multi-billion dollar defence sector in a bid to grow jobs, skills and research.

In a move spearheaded by their three high-powered chancellors, the universities will jointly pitch for a share of the $730 million earmarked in the Defence White Paper for research into game-changing technology.

The three chancellors, in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, said they wanted to start collaborating now to prepare to train highly skilled workers and help develop technology for the $89 billion naval shipbuilding program to be “centred” on Adelaide.

Adelaide University chancellor Kevin Scarce — a former head of the Defence Material Organisation’s maritime systems — said the universities wanted to work with industry and government to tackle the state’s challenges. South Australia’s jobless rate is now 7.7 per cent — up from 6.8 per cent last month.

“The first significant issue and the thing that entices the three universities to come together is the shipbuilding and the submarine building,” Rear Admiral Scarce said.

TOP BRASS: Flinders Uni chancellor Stephen Gerlach, Adelaide Uni Chancellor Kevin Scarce and Uni of SA chancellor Jim McDowell. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“It’s the integration of the systems and their sustainment over the life that brings value — not just value to the defence sector but value to other sectors in the economy.

“If there is a need, it’s a need now to spill over new technologies to new industries, because our traditional industries have gone.”

The White Paper, released last month, says construction of nine frigates, costing more than $30 billion, will start in Adelaide in 2020.

German and French bidders for the $50 billion future submarine project are promising world-leading facilities for Adelaide, including a Shipbuilding Centre of Excellence involving industry, academics and engineers.

University of South Australia chancellor Jim McDowell, a former Australian chief of global defence giant BAE Systems, said the universities’ defence collaboration was in early days but would likely continue over 30 to 40 years.

“Someone needs to train the engineers, the metallurgists, the naval architects, the systems engineers and so on,” said Mr McDowell, also a member of an influential Defence Department review team.

“ ... This is a journey. If you look at both the submarine and the frigate, these are still developmental items and the technology has such short refresh times now.

“The Apple iPhone updates every 18 months or so. Those are the sort of technology refresh times, so this can be a bit of a self-licking ice cream.”

Flinders University chancellor Stephen Gerlach, a former Santos and Elders chairman, said the universities wanted to forge closer links with government and industry.

“If the frigates are built here and if the submarines are built here, with all the other initiatives that are going on, it is going to draw other international companies into this state,” Mr Gerlach said.

“So we need to actually stand up and be able to be counted against those people.”

All three chancellors insisted collaboration on defence did not signal any move on mergers, a long-running debate which all have discounted.

“There are strengths in the universities and each of us will continue to operate in the same manner but where there is benefit for collaboration, we’ll take it,” Rear Admiral Scarce said.

Mr Gerlach said three universities had operated in SA extremely successfully for 25 years, at world-class levels.