South Australia and Maryland Sign MoU to Enhance AUKUS Workforce Skills
17 May 2024
South Australia and the US continue to forge closer ties through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Annapolis, Maryland on 16 May 2024.
The MoU, signed by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and the Governor of the State of Maryland, Wes Moore aims to enhance skills capability and workforce development ahead of the construction of the SSN-AUKUS submarines.
South Australia and Maryland are both highly regarded national leaders in the defence, space and cyber industries, with mutual interest in the success of AUKUS. Maryland is home to 15of the world’s top 20 aerospace and defence companies while seven of the world’s top 10 defence companies have their headquarters or significant operations in the South Australia alongside more than 400 SMEs.
The MoU builds upon an agreement previously signed by the two states in 2019, underpinned by a long-standing partnership between the University of Adelaide and the University of Maryland.
Premier Malinauskas acknowledged the importance of the strategic alignment in fulfilling the state’s commitment to AUKUS.
“This partnership with Maryland will ensure our government and our local businesses have greater access to expertise in this state.”
Through the MoU, 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
Governor Moore commended South Australia’s commitment to innovation and technology in the space and defence industries, making 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.
