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27 Jan 15. Lockheed Martin establishes Asia-Pacific ICT engineering hub in Melbourne. The hub is being set up in close partnership with the Victorian Government and Lockheed Martin says it is expected that 150 new ICT jobs will be generated over five years within the facility. It will be equipped to provide a range of capabilities and facilitate regional research and development programs and a program delivery service. The hub will be operated by Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems and Global Solutions (IS&GS) business, which is investing $8m into its establishment. “This investment adds to our existing footprint in Dandenong and Glen Waverley, and will accommodate 190 staff primarily servicing ICT systems development,” Anne Mullins, vice president global solutions for Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS, said. “At least 150 of these will be new personnel, doubling our presence in Melbourne and providing high technology jobs to service local customers and capability to expand export opportunities,” The Victorian Government has provided a financial support package, which will focus on infrastructure enhancements and upskilling of the workforce, which Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Raydon Gates described as ‘instrumental’ in the building of a business case for a Victorian location. Speaking at a ceremony in Clayton on September 29 to announce the establishment of the hub, Dr Denis Napthine, the Victorian Premier, said that his government was working closely with Lockheed Martin Australia to up skill the Victorian ICT workforce. “As well as creating more high-skilled jobs, this project will increase our defence industry’s global competitiveness and open up opportunities for Victorian companies in the global supply chain programs of a major defence and aerospace company,” he added. “The Victorian government worked closely with Lockheed Martin to secure this project, the latest in a string of major investments by international technology companies in Victoria. “Since November 2010, we have facilitated over $1.1bn in technology-related investment, which is creating 5,000 new jobs.” (Source: Google/Defense Week)
27 Jan 15. UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced that three companies have been shortlisted to make use of the ship halls at Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth. BAE Systems, Burgess Marine, and Magma Structures and have been selected as potential future occupants of the site in the heart of the city’s Naval base. Negotiations will be taken forward over the coming weeks to determine which company or companies will occupy the facilities. BAE Systems’ proposal would see its Maritime Services business use the facility, under the recently signed Maritime Support Delivery Framework contract, to improve the maintenance programme of the Royal Navy’s Hunt Class Mine Countermeasures Vessels. This would sustain around 200 jobs in Portsmouth and free capacity elsewhere on the base to develop commercial ship repair work. Burgess Marine proposes to use the facilities to construct and fit luxury yachts. It estimates it could create around 200 jobs in the region. Magma Structures is a specialist in the design and manufacture of large, complex composite structures, currently working in the marine, oil and gas, defence and construction sectors. It is looking to re-locate from its current base in Portsmouth to a larger waterside location. A new manufacturing base would secure Magma’s workforce of around 180 in the city with the potential for future employment growth. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said, “The short-listing of three companies is a significant step forward in getting the ship halls back to work. It offers the opportunity to open up the shipyard to more firms providing high skilled jobs. This is an exciting time of regeneration for Portsmouth Naval Base, with the MOD investing £98m over the past year. This will help ensure that Portsmouth retains its maritime engineering expertise and tra