A leading supplier of mission-critical valves to naval submarines worldwide, IMI Truflo Marine Australia, has established a new production facility in South Australia – its first manufacturing site outside the UK.

Located at Edinburgh North, the facility will support the design, assembly and testing of specialist naval valves used in submarines and surface combatants operated by allied navies, strengthening South Australia’s role in global naval supply chains linked to the AUKUS submarine program.

The new Edinburgh North site will initially operate as an engineering and production hub for the Asia-Pacific region, incorporating component storage, assembly capability and pressure testing facilities.

The first contract to be delivered from the site will be export work for the UK Ministry of Defence in support of the UK submarine program.

IMI Truflo Marine Australia General Manager Spencer Jenner said the establishment of the facility represents a shift toward sovereign manufacturing capability in Australia, supporting both domestic sustainment and allied production requirements.

“Establishing Truflo Marine’s first production facility outside the UK here in South Australia is a significant moment for our company,” he said. “Adelaide is becoming one of the world’s leading centres for submarine and advanced defence manufacturing, and it was the natural choice for us, as we expand Truflo Marines’s global capacity.

“Our investment is about contributing to Australia’s growing sovereign industrial capability. By bringing our specialist design, manufacturing and testing capabilities onshore, we can support local IP generation, shorten supply chains and ensure critical systems for future submarines can be produced, maintained and upgraded within Australia.”

As a long-established supplier to global naval programmes, IMI Truflo Marine’s systems are already deployed across multiple fleets, including in Australia, with its equipment installed on the Collins class submarines, ANZAC class frigates and Hobart class air warfare destroyers.

The new facility is intended to expand manufacturing capacity and enable greater localisation of production for future submarine programs and sustainment activities. Over time, the company’s local workforce is expected to grow from an initial two employees to up to 20, with roles spanning engineering, machining, fitting, technical trades and drafting.

“This facility is also about creating opportunities. We’re building a team in South Australia that will grow over time, supporting high-value engineering and technical roles,” Spencer said.

“The advanced manufacturing skills we develop here support not only AUKUS but the wider industrial ecosystem that surrounds it. This is already playing out in collaborations in additive manufacturing development in which we have been deeply involved for a number of years.”

The company also plans to develop training pathways for South Australian engineering graduates, including rotations between Adelaide and its UK headquarters in Birmingham.

photo: Brad Colter (left) from AML3D and Spencer Jenner from IMI Truflo Marine.