Industry needs to identify capability in a time of crisis

Australia needs to better understand the breadth of our local industrial base and identify our core capability needs in order to defend our country in a time of crisis.

Picture for NOVA SYstems oped for May Defence Report

Australia needs to better understand the breadth of our local industrial base and identify our core capability needs in order to defend our country in a time of crisis.

The ability for government and industry to work collaboratively has never been more important. Industry needs to be at the table for open discussions around policy settings to enable agile changes that deliver the desired effect of increasing the speed of capability realisation.

As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg adeptly put to a European summit last year; “Without industry, there is no defence, no deterrence and no security.”

What I’ve learned in 20-plus years in industry in Australia and Europe is to prepare for the unexpected.

Dean Rosenfield.

The illegal invasion of Ukraine is a wake-up call. When Ukraine looked for support, there was a realisation that many nations were unable to provide them with what they really needed in an expedient manner because governments had not yet analysed their own industrial capability to meet the emerging global needs.

When we consider sovereignty, it is about capabilities and people and how we utilise those skills to safeguard the nation.

Earlier this year I returned to Australia to lead Nova Systems – an Australian-owned and veteran-owned engineering services and technology solutions company. My vision is to ensure Nova is well positioned to help meet Australia’s security priorities and support the realisation of the critically important AUKUS partnership, working with government, industry and academia.

Our diverse expertise includes complex engineering services, digital engineering, geospatial and situational awareness, cyber, C4ISREW and autonomous systems. Our core capability in Test & Evaluation, Certification and Systems Assurance is one of Defence’s seven Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities. It’s an area where we have made significant investments, including establishing a national Test and Evaluation (T&E) Centre of Excellence. We have already successfully exported to the global market through the delivery of T&E solutions via our UK, Norway, Singapore and New Zealand businesses.

Nova Systems has played a role in most major complex defence programs of national significance in the past two decades through our professional services and partnerships, which has led to far-reaching connections and relationships with SMEs.

Being a leading uniquely positioned mid-tier company and a trusted partner of Defence, Nova Systems is eager to play an active role in helping the Commonwealth to match Australia’s defence needs with our industrial manufacturing capability.

Australia has a significantly large number of specialist SMEs – of which more than 500 of those are part of Nova’s supply chain. SMEs are seeking greater direction and intel on the government’s future capability needs, particularly as it relates to AUKUS Pillar II.

As part of the AUKUS agreement it is imperative that each country specialise in different fields to avoid industrial duplication. Australia needs to bring unique capabilities and intellectual property to the partnership to add value. There’s an opportunity to support our SMEs to develop this specialist capability in Australia, and then export to our AUKUS partners and others.

The clear challenge that Defence and industry now have is the “how” and “when” of integrating that broad spectrum into a coherent, long term, roadmap. Recently released Defence reviews and reports have started this process and Nova is keen to assist government and industry to bring all elements together.

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Dean Rosenfield is CEO of Nova Systems.