Australian Defence Alliance is providing strategic guidance, business development and industry connections as part of the partnership.

The partnership was launched on 21 January 2019, with a three day program in the Valley comprised of a defence industry overview briefing; individual site visits to the small to medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in the program and the development of quad charts that formed the Latrobe Valley Defence Capability Profile. The Profile was promoted at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace and Defence Exposition in February 2019, where Latrobe City Council led a delegation of specialised businesses that participated in the program over the four-day trade event.

Latrobe Valley’s widely recognised capability combined with a highly skilled workforce available to work with defence supply chains strongly aligns with the requirements of the defence sector. Technical competency and capacity, coupled with a community accustomed to heavy industry and a city council consciously focused on supporting the conversion of development interest into active outcomes, provides industry in Latrobe City with a significant advantage.

Given this opportunity, Latrobe City Council is continuing to advocate on behalf of the SME community to ensure our region is best placed to take advantage of future opportunities in the Defence supply chain.

For more information go to; www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/defence