New defence centre to create hundreds of jobs in Victoria

Published: 2 June 2021

A state-of-the-art defence centre is set to be established in Melbourne’s Fishermans Bend precinct, creating 280 new high-value jobs in Victoria’s defence industry.

Leading engineering company SYPAQ Systems will expand its Victorian operations in a new Defence Autonomy Centre of Excellence, guiding Victoria’s competitive advantage within the defence sector.

The SYPAQ Centre of Excellence will develop innovative technologies and intellectual property related to autonomous systems and cyber security.

SYPAQ specialises in defence, national security and information technology and has become a leading industry participant since its establishment in Melbourne almost 30 years ago.

Its mini drone, with a diagonal span of 18cm and weighing just 280 grams, can be used for purposes including natural disaster response and monitoring  event crowds.

This announcement follows recent deals with defence companies Moog Australia, Segula Technologies and Hanwha Defense Australia, reflecting Victoria’s capacity to attract major investment and strengthening the state’s reputation as a location of choice for supply chain opportunities.

Victoria’s defence sector is critical to Australia’s national defence capability and contributes up to $8.4 billion to the state’s economy each year, employing around 24,000 people in 6,300 businesses.

SYPAQ Systems also joins global companies including Boeing, Leonardo and Siemens in calling the Fishermans Bend precinct home.

Fishermans Bend is Australia’s largest urban renewal project, covering around 480 hectares that will be home to around 80,000 people and 80,000 jobs by 2050.

To find out more about how the Victorian Government can support businesses, visit the Business Victoria website.