Defence giant BAE Systems Australia will establish its head office at Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen as the company continues to expand its local presence through work on the Hunter Class Frigate and AUKUS submarine programs.
Bringing its headquarters – and approximately 500 employees – to the CBD location will position BAE Systems at the centre of South Australia’s defence and critical technologies innovation and provide greater connectivity to their operations and partnerships at Osborne Naval Shipyard and Edinburgh Defence Precinct, Tonsley Innovation District and Findon Technical College.
The company has signed on as a cornerstone tenant in Lot Fourteen’s new Innovation Centre and will be a significant industry contributor to South Australia’s connected Innovation Places network aimed to accelerate the state’s innovation capability.
BAE Systems joins three State and Federal government projects tenanting the Innovation Centre – the $60 million Australian Defence Technologies Academy, the $20 million Innovation Hub and the $20 million Space Assembly Integration and Testing facility.
BAE Systems is poised to create a generation of work for South Australians and tens of billions of dollars for SA's economy as it progresses the build of the Hunter Class Frigates and future sovereign nuclear-powered submarines.
The BAE Systems commitment and the release of the Lot Fourteen updated master plan and delivery strategy this week are key actions arising from the SA Innovation Places Leadership Framework, a new 10-year roadmap to connect and elevate the $9.5 billion investment from consecutive state and federal governments across South Australia’s 22 innovation places.
Positioning South Australia as an innovation state, Innovation Places are expected to unlock state-wide employment for more than 42,000 people while supporting essential economic growth, investment attraction and regional connectivity along with linking state-wide education, skills and workforce programs.
BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Craig Lockhart said the announcement marked “an exciting new chapter in our company as we announce plans to establish our head office at Lot Fourteen in Adelaide”.
“This will complement our existing South Australian footprint where we are delivering our major programs and gives us the flexibility to be co-located with our customers, academia and industry.
”Mr Lockhart said BAE Australia expected to recruit 800 new employees across its operations over the next 12 months, and that Lot Fourteen was a key enabler to the company achieving its growth ambitions.
“As we continue to grow in South Australia and find ways to enhance employee attraction and retention, it’s important we offer a workspace that inspires our teams, fosters creativity and creates spaces for our employees to thrive,” he said.
“Our decision to become an anchor tenant in Lot Fourteen’s new Innovation Centre reflects our enduring commitment to a strong partnership with the Government of South Australia and continuing journey for economic development and sustainability.”
