From the Desk of the CEO

DTC’s New Industry Development Framework

Audra McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer

Since the DTC’s inception in 1996, our core objectives remain unchanged:

• Promote collaboration between members

• Facilitate industry growth; and

• Assist members to do business in the defence industry sector.

Whilst the industry policy landscape has seen significant change and improvements, our objectives remain the same.

Our vision is to be a world-leading defence industry association that is professional, relevant and responsive to its members and stakeholders. This means we must continually evolve to meet the needs of our members and we are doing exactly that.

To achieve this, the DTC employs a team of professionals with experience in the defence sector. We make sure our team is just as passionate about defence industry and our members, as our members are passionate about their businesses

Industry Development

To realise our ambition to be a world-leading defence industry association, we have shifted our focus towards industry development. We are developing cost effective programs and material that fast-track industry’s navigation of the defence industry sector; as well as working with academia and primes to develop programs that meet the future needs of the sector.

Whilst COVID-19 restrictions were problematic for the DTC to continue its valuable networking and connecting activities, COVID-19 provided the opportunity for the business to establish an industry development framework that will guide members towards defence business maturity.

Members now have access to a continuum of businessand individual development packages that focus ondeveloping SMEs and individuals on the needs of thedefence industry sector.

We are also very proud of our Defence Prime Supporters who worked with the DTC to produce the Quad Chart Development Guide. Our collaboration with defence primes means Australian industry now has free access to a high-quality reference document that guides industry step by step on how to construct a good quality quad chart.

COVID-19 made it difficult for DTC to connect members,but in many respects it enabled us to challenge the way we do business. We have embraced technology and are now delivering more services online. For the very first time our interstate members can now participate in our valuable industry development activities without having to incur the additional travel costs.