Tasmania is the only state in Australia to have appointed a full-time Defence Advocate, a position created and appointed by the state government. Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore took the position in 2017.

Education reporter CAITLIN JARVIS sat down with Rear Admiral Gilmore to talk about how the AMC would fit into Australia's defence push as part of the Under the Surface investigative series.

CAITLIN JARVIS: What is a Defence Advocate?

STEVE GILMORE: I took on the position in August 2017 as part of a national response to defence capability in Australia. I had left the Navy a few months before and was approached by the government to take it on. Basically, there are two elements to the role: the first being for me to advocate for our small defence businesses and also to connect those businesses to the defence sector.

Part of my role is also to engage with defence companies, the large ones being called Defence Primes, to bring them to Tasmania and connect them with the businesses that could assist them.

CJ: How does the AMC fit into the defence plan?

SG: We are an island state; we rely on the sea so much more than other parts of the world. As such, we have a very good and broad maritime industry base, thanks largely to the AMC. The AMC is the absolute centre for excellence for maritime education in Australia, not just Tasmania. 

It is also a centre for excellence in terms of the research that is done at the AMC. It has already contributed to the Australian Navy and other defence departments.

About 50 per cent of the AMC's student base are international students, so that is demonstrative of its standing throughout the world.

Want more from the Under the Surface series?

CJ: What is Tasmania's potential for defence?

SG: It's enormous. When I was appointed the Defence Advocate in August 2017, I did one quick lap around the state and soon found that there were so many businesses who were already doing incredible things. We don't make submarines, but where we have the opportunity is to further adapt and provide other special watercraft, like tugs and cargo ships. Tasmanian businesses are already innovating to provide goods that relate to those industries, like manufacturing parts, or providing technology to maintain them. We just need to connect closer with that industry.

CJ: What can Tasmania do that no other state can?

SG: There is a lot of potential in the land sector. While it's highly unlikely that Tasmania businesses will be building tanks, we could provide components through advanced manufacturing for other land-based  vehicles. We are already seeing that in the North-West, through the manufacturing of heavy support vehicles such as buses, ambulances, people movers, graders and, more specifically, mining machinery. If we can somehow apply that to the military it would give us another revenue stream for advanced manufacturing and engineering that we didn't have before.

Another way that we can contribute is through the food and science and human factor area. We already have a world class food rations Defence facility at Scottsdale. It does amazing work there and is a remarkable place that is investigating how to create nutritionally perfect meals in ration packs for soldiers. There is potential there to seek to further progress the facility but it's already a great regional success story.

Finally, there is an opportunity in technology and advanced systems. A common thread that I've found through my visits to business is that they all have people embedded in them who have great ideas. There is great potential for Tasmanian businesses to create products that are unique to the rest of the world that will have defence applications. A company at Kingston, for example, has created a drive train for UAV (unmanned autonomous vehicles). So, what they've done is taken an already existing drive train and made it into something special. 

CJ: Why  is Tasmania a good option?

SG: From an old military bloke, there is one thing that stands out to me about Tasmanian businesses - it's the sense of teamwork. People are proud of what their little company is achieving. We also have access to a terrific university, the AMC is part of UTAS. Tasmania also has lower production costs than other states and is characterised by dedicated employees.  Tasmania also has a cohesive defence strategy that is being spearheaded by the government to help ensure out state is recognised as a national contribute to the defence industry.  The government's focus in on assisting businesses to be part of that space. 

Sign up for our newsletters here: