Darrell Giles October 6, 2021
Local businesses will benefit from a range of supply chain opportunities following an announcement that Boeing Australia will establish an uncrewed aircraft production facility in the Toowoomba
Boeing will construct the facility at the Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct to produce and assemble the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, also known as the Loyal Wingman.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the announcement signalled significant potential for the Ipswich business community. “South East Queensland, and in particular our western corridor, is Queensland’s defence epicentre,” Mayor Harding said.
“Ipswich has a strong defence and aerospace ecosystem, supported by Council programs such as Operation Scale-Up and the City of Ipswich Industry Development and Attraction Committee (CIDIDAC).
“From our discussions with Boeing, we know that 70 percent of the content on each Loyal Wingman aircraft will be Australian. Our businesses are well positioned to take advantage of that.
“Ipswich is the home of Australia’s largest Air Force base at Amberley, which provides more than 5,000 jobs, and our broader defence sector generates $1.4 billion in annual export value,” Mayor Harding said.
The program, a first of its kind in Australia, offered 24 regional businesses the opportunity to become defence industry ready by developing an action plan and working with leading defence industry partners over a three-month period.
https://www.ipswichfirst.com.au/boeing-announcement-to-scale-up-supply-chain-opportunities-for-local-businesses/