09/09/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/08/2024 19:41
The WA Government is returning to the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition for a third year to highlight Western Australia's local defence industry on a global stage.
The Defence West stand will host 18 co-exhibitors, showing their skills, services and expertise to the most significant defence, government and senior industrial decision makers of land defence markets in Australia.
Eighteen Western Australian small and medium-sized businesses will also attend the conference - which runs between 11-13 September 2024 - and be allowed to access business amenities in the booth.
Team WA includes a hovercraft manufacturer, a producer of body and vehicle armour, and the maker of rapidly deployed shelters.
In the last three years, the WA Government has helped promote 60 co-exhibitors at Land Forces - including 46 specific Western Australian defence industry businesses - leading to over $500 million in new defence contracts.
Austal, based in Western Australia, inked a pivotal Heads of Agreement last year to construct Birdon-designed landing craft for the Australian Army at the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) in Henderson, which highlights the significant opportunities for the local defence industry.
Comments attributed to Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia:
"The Defence West booth at Land Forces has gone from strength to strength since its first iteration in 2020.
"This is the third time the State has brought a delegation to the event, and we are pleased to say we now have 36 WA exhibitors that will be able to demonstrate what they can do directly to the decision-makers in defence likely to purchase from them.
"Supporting the WA defence industry's attendance at Land Forces is a clear example of how the WA Government supports our economy's growth and diversification, fostering significant investment and job creation across the State."