United States Consul General Michael Kleine talks up South Australian space, defence and small business

South Australians have great cause for optimism about economic opportunities with America in space, defence and small business sectors, says United States Consul General Michael Kleine.

South Australians have great cause for optimism about economic opportunities with America in the space, defence and small business sectors, says US Consul General Michael Kleine.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Kleine said many of the promising sectors that young Australians were interested in related to work between the US and Australia.

This included the potential for co-operation between the US space agency, NASA, and the Adelaide-based Australian Space Agency, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison last December announced would be based at Lot Fourteen, the former Royal Adelaide Hospital site. Mr Kleine emphasised the long history of space co-operation between the US and Australia, stretching back to relaying images of the first lunar landing, of which this year is the 50th anniversary.

“I think with President (Donald) Trump’s new focus on manned space flight, returning to the moon as a platform for reaching further into the solar system, that’s very exciting,” he said.

United States Consul General Mike Kleine. In Adelaide 5 March 2019. Picture Dean Martin

“That’s going on at the same time as Australia announces the development of a space agency. The placement of it here in Adelaide means that there's going to be more co-operation between the United States and Australia (related to) space. And because it’s in Adelaide, I think a lot of it's going to be focused right here at Lot Fourteen and elsewhere in Adelaide, so I’m real excited about that.”

America’s new astronaut capsule, launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, last weekend successfully docked with the International Space Station as part of a demonstration mission. Another of Mr Musk’s companies, Tesla, started operating the world’s largest lithium ion battery in SA in December 2017.

“Energy, of course, is relevant, and with Tesla’s footprint here in South Australia, I think there’s reason for optimism in that sector as well,” Mr Kleine said.

The state’s defence sector also created opportunities beyond the $90 billion of naval shipbuilding centred on Adelaide, he said, citing observations from this month’s inter-national aerospace and defence expo in Victoria.

“What really struck me there was that so many of the supply chains ... lead right through South Australia,” Mr Kleine said.

“A lot of these companies that are making parts for aircraft, such as the Joint Strike Fighter, are making those parts right here in South Australia.

“That drove home for me also that that relationship is going great and will continue. I’m very, very optimistic about the possibilities and opportunities between the US and Australia, here in South Australia.”

Mr Kleine is based in Melbourne and has spent almost 20 years in the US State Department.