$12m boost for Canberra manufacturer

Joint Media Release: 

• Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Senator for the ACT, Senator the Hon Zed Seselja

The Morrison Government will invest $12 million in Canberra manufacturer Datapod to ensure Defence has access to modular data centres that it can deploy at short notice.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price today toured the company’s facility and said Datapod was an excellent example of an innovative Australian company providing rapid solutions to Defence’s changing capability needs.

“Investment in Australia’s sovereign industrial capability is essential to ensure Defence can effectively respond at short notice to whatever challenges or threats it faces,” Minister Price said.

“Our Defence Force needs to be agile and responsive at all times.

“This funding recognises the need to have assets on-hand that can be deployed and re-deployed to meet operational needs, without unnecessary delays caused by constructing facilities with a long lead time.

“This investment also secures local jobs and assists with expanding sovereign manufacturing capacity so that it may assist Defence capability needs in the future.”

Senator for the ACT Zed Seselja said Datapod was a prime example of Canberra’s thriving defence industry community.

“The Liberal-National Government’s continuing investment in Canberra’s defence industry will not only support local jobs and skills in Canberra, but will also ensure members of the Canberra defence industry community continue to be engaged in developing cutting-edge technologies for Australia’s Defence Force,” Senator Seselja said.

Datapod is an Australian-owned company that has previously supplied data centres that integrate with Defence’s existing and planned operational platforms and Information and Communications Technology equipment.

The data centres can be scaled for different needs, and can operate effectively with many potential and emerging technologies and platforms.