2015 Defence White Paper & First Principles review
ATSE welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the 2015 Defence White Paper and First Principles Review.
ATSE strongly believes that innovation is fundamental to Australia’s future social, economic and environmental wellbeing. Innovation linked with collaboration and good management has been shown to directly enhance business productivity and hence competitiveness.
The historical ability of the Australian Defence Force to maintain technological superiority over other countries in our region, along with our ability to operate effectively with our key allies, primarily the United States, has been founded on a robust capability in science, technology and engineering. If these strategic advantages are to be maintained, it is critical that a strong focus be given to science, technology and engineering, both specific to defence and security and in a broader sense.
ATSE’s response to these two reviews is focussed on two main aspects:
- the importance of science and technological innovation for competitiveness and comparative advantage, and the pivotal role of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO); and
- the critical need to enhance Australia’s capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to provide the workforce capable of designing, building and maintaining Australia’s defence materiel.
ATSE’s submission makes the following key points:
- The Defence Science and Technology Organisation is an effective model for conducting defence research, responding to the ‘market-pull’ needs of the Australian Defence Force.
- Australia needs a strong indigenous defence innovation capability.
- Defence is increasingly technological. Whether Australia buys or builds, we need the ability to test, modify and deploy.
- Some of Australia’s defence needs are, and always will be, unique. DSTO enables the analysis of these needs and the specification of requirements for proposed solutions.
- Adapting our evolving defence needs in response to deployments such as Afghanistan is crucially important. DSTO is the first-choice evaluator, providing an integrated, embedded capability.
- Foreign governments (especially our close allies such as the United States) observe trusted relationships with government-owned defence technology organizations, but not with private equivalents.
- Privatisation of DSTO would be counter productive.
- An Australian equivalent to the US Defence Advanced Research and Projects Agency would be worthwhile, but it should be a funding agency for high-risk transformational technology, not an alternative to existing structures.
- Other mechanisms that encourage, where appropriate, the commercialisation of defence research and greater Defence-business collaboration should be explored.
- A smart science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce is essential and cannot be built overnight.
