Technology Park, Mawson Lakes is now home to another of the nation’s leading contractors following the official opening of the new Australian manufacturing headquarters of Kongsberg Defence Australia.
The $25 million facility was officially opened on Thursday 5 September at an event attended by the Federal Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy MP, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Eirik Lie, Norway’s Minister of Defence Bjørn Arild Gram and South Australian Minister for Trade and Investment Joe Szakacs MP.
Konsberg has had a presence in Technology Park, Mawson Lakes since 2014, when the company established an initial presence in South Australia, with Kongsberg Defence Australia occupying a serviced office in Renewal SA’s Innovation House in the early 2020s.
The new purpose-built 2,500m2 manufacturing and office facility was constructed on a 6.000m2 secured from Renewal SA, who has, on behalf of the South Australian Government, been responsible for the development and management of the park, and the provision of serviced and leased office spaces to support emerging businesses.
The facility will allow Kongsberg Defence Australia to support key Australian defence projects, including the Anzac Class Frigates program and the Hobart Class Destroyer program, together with other missile and weapons systems operated by the Australian Defence Force.
The Technology Park building is aiming to become the first defence facility in Australia to achieve LEED Platinum status, the highest level of sustainability under the international Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design principles.
This has been achieved through initiatives including using a lower-carbon concrete, the installation of a 99kW solar system, the maximising of natural light and the reduction of reliance on air conditioning through heated flooring and reticulated environmental controls.
The facility will initially house 30 local team members but has capacity for as many as 150 people in coming years in roles including systems engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering.
Kongsberg Defence Australia managing director John Fry described this as a significant moment for the organisation.
“Over the past few years, we have have built a great local workforce, a network of partners and have invested significantly in infrastructure all while working diligently to deliver world-leading capabilities for the Australian Defence Force,” he said.
“Now, moving into our new headquarters at Technology Park is a major milestone for our operations. This facility will allow us to both consolidate our current operations and position ourselves for future growth in line with Australia’s rapidly evolving sovereign defence capabilities.”
Kongsberg Defence Australia’s new facility, including the built-in expansion capacity, will continue to strengthen South Australia’s defence industry ecosystem, particularly at Technology Park which is also home to the some of the largest Defence contractors in the world.
South Australia’s defence sector employs more than 14,000 workers with another 10,000 jobs expected to be added to the defence industry pipeline, plus thousands more in associated industries over the next 20 years. The state is home to major projects including construction of the Hunter Class Frigate and SSN-AUKUS submarines.