$60 million for new SA defence academy

A $60 million joint investment between the Federal and State governments will fund a new defence academy at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen.

The Australian Defence Technologies Academy is expected to open in 2026, providing digital training, education and research crucial for the defence industry in South Australia, says the SA government.

The new Adelaide University will operate the academy under an agreement signed between the Government of South Australia, University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.

South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas said the academy required “a lot of collaboration” between the state and federal government and Adelaide universities.

“That collaboration is essential to us being able to develop the workforce, the thousands of young people that are going to work on the AUKUS submarines, but also work on other defence opportunities within our state,” he said.

“The Defence Training Academy has at its core a research capability to train the workforce that we know the state is desperately in need of.”

Co-vice chancellors of Adelaide University Peter Høj and David Lloyd said the academy signalled the role of the new university as a “national leader for defence and national security research and education”.

“The Advanced Defence Technologies Training Academy will be unique in Australia. It will offer new fit-for-purpose premises which universities do not currently have access to,” they said.

“South Australia’s role as a trusted partner in a dynamic world is underpinned by a commitment to research in partnership with industry, ensuring that students at all levels experience the latest thinking and technology innovations.”

The academy is funded through the Adelaide City Deal, a ten-year deal signed in 2019 to create “jobs of the future”, boost the population and enhance cultural experiences “by generating greater opportunities in Adelaide’s robust visitor economy”, says the South Australian government.

The deal planned to deliver $551 million to South Australia through joint investment, with $174 million to come from the federal government, $364 million from the state government and $12.6 million from the City of Adelaide.