New Zealand open for business at Pacific 2019

With $200 billion allocated for new capabilities, the Australian defence upgrade programme presents significant opportunity for New Zealand companies with niche, innovative technologies and solutions, says NZTE.

As many of you will know the annual Pacific International Maritime Exposition (Pacific 2019) was held in Sydney held in the International Convention Centre in Sydney from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 10 October 2019.

Pacific 2019 is the biennial and is billed as the most significant international naval exhibition of its kind in the region. It presents an opportunity for commercial maritime and naval defence industries to promote their capabilities to decision-makers from around the world.

It’s a dynamic and energetic time for the defence industry in Australia with the defence upgrade programme well underway. The major defence spend has seen $200 billion allocated for new frigates, submarines, military vehicles, aircraft and many other defence assets. Each dollar of acquisition means $3-4 of sustainment (maintenance and operations) over the course of the life of the platform, presenting an opportunity to secure ongoing work that can be the basis of a sustainable business footprint in Australia.

The presents a significant opportunity for New Zealand companies, because not only is our content invited it is needed to deliver the investment. Under Australian defence procurement rules, Prime contractors must maximise the use of the Australian and New Zealand industry as part of their tendering.

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) hosted a New Zealand Pavilion, in partnership with the New Zealand Defence Industry Association, New Zealand Defence Force and Ministry of Defence. Six innovative New Zealand companies invested in a presence on the stand – Hamilton Jet, CZone, DiverDcad, SPIND, Cirrus Materials Science, Shamrock Industries and Navicom Dynamics – and several other Kiwi firms came by while they visited the show including Boxfish Research.

The pavilion was in a great spot with high footfall throughout the show, and NZTE organised meetings and visits from some of the major defence Prime contractors.

On the Thursday of the exhibition, a New Zealand Breakfast was held co-hosted by New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Australia, Dame Annette King and New Zealand Chief of the Navy, Rear Admiral David Proctor. Australian Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan attended, demonstrating the longstanding and tight bonds between New Zealand and our key ally Australia.

Graeme Solloway, Defence Programme Leader at NZTE said the activity is part of an ongoing programme that NZTE is running to help New Zealand exporters make the most of the opportunity in Australia. “By supporting New Zealand companies to engage in Australia, we build capacity that will also support the needs of New Zealand’s Defence Force, to provide technology and sustain operations,” he said. “To maximise this opportunity for New Zealand, we will be working with companies that have niche, innovative technologies and solutions, such as robotics, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, internet-ofthings, cyber-security, electronic and metallurgical sciences and fabrication technologies.

“Working in the Australian defence market offers long-term, scalable opportunities that fund growth in companies and jobs in regions, where many of our specialised manufacturing, technology and services companies are based,’ said Solloway.

Working in defence markets requires patience, tenacity and a capability to work with a demanding buyer. The rewards can be significant, with Primes especially interested in long-term partnerships to embed innovation into their global supply chains. But lead times are long, and projects may be cyclical. NZTE will be offering its capability workshops to identified customers in its portfolio from early next year.