South Australia and the State of Maryland will collaborate on developing the skilled workforce required for the AUKUS program, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Premier Peter Malinauskas.
The Premier signed the MoU with the Governor of the State of Maryland, Wes Moore, in Annapolis, Maryland, on Thursday.
Maryland is a national leader in defence, space and cyber, meaning there is strong scope for collaboration with South Australia. Fifteen of the world’s top 20 aerospace and defence companies have a presence in Maryland.
As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, both states have agreed to:
- Connect local companies with shared areas of expertise, including in defence, space, cyber and autonomous technologies
- Exchange knowledge and expertise at a government and commercial level regarding defence workforce development and skills capability
- Undertake trade and business missions between the two jurisdictions
- Explore common research and development projects
- Share access to public research infrastructure and information
The Maryland MoU represents an opportunity for South Australia to further enhance its skills capability and workforce development ahead of the construction of the AUKUS submarines.
Representatives from Maryland’s Office of International Trade and Investment have already visited South Australia to meet with Defence SA officials and participate in the Defence SA Business Mission, held in November last year, exploring collaborations in the nuclear submarine industry.
The University of Maryland has a long-standing partnership with the University of Adelaide on defence, intelligence and security.
The agreement signed in Annapolis builds upon an MoU signed between the two states in 2019 – which pre-dates the AUKUS agreement.
While in Maryland, the Premier also visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, which is NASA’s premiere space flight complex and boasts America’s largest organisation of scientists, engineers and technologists who build spacecraft, instruments and technology.
Maryland is the leading state in the United States for median household income (US$98,461) research and development capabilities and STEM jobs concentration.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
South Australia and Maryland share a common interest in defence, space and cyber.
We are both national leaders in these fields and it is in our mutual interests that we collaborate together.
My core focus of this trip to the United States is to strengthen our state’s preparations for the AUKUS submarine project, with a particular focus on developing the skilled workforce required.
This partnership with Maryland will ensure our government and our local businesses have greater access to the expertise in this state.
In addition, we can build upon the long-standing partnership between the University of Maryland and University of Adelaide, particularly on defence, intelligence and security matters.
As the home of the Australian Space Agency, it is important for South Australia to forge close links with NASA, the world’s leading aeronautical and space agency.
As put by Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland
South Australia’s dedication to innovation and technology, particularly the space and defence industries, make it a natural partner for Maryland.
We believe this expanded partnership with South Australia will keep both regions working towards the greater good, while boosting business in Maryland and abroad.
