How one Adelaide firm expanded into defence

| July 11, 2018

Adelaide business Norseld has made a strategic decision to grow its business by entering the Australian defence industry.

Traditionally a medical laser company, Norseld has been operating for 31 years and exports to over 30 countries. Now the company is applying its unique Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) technology, CoolDiamond DLC®, to military use, to benefit the Australian Defence Force.

“We’ve taken a strategic decision to pick defence as our first opportunity for further growth, using our industrial laser” said Managing Director Peter Shute.

“We’re unique in our capabilities – other carbon processes have to operate at high temperatures but we operate at room temperature. This gives us unique opportunities to coat plastics and metal alloys. There’s a lot of interest in what we can do for Air Force’s F/A-18 aircraft canopies and moulds for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, laser range finders for the Army, and we’re in discussion about potential applications for coatings for space technologies,” Mr Shute said.

Entering the Australian defence industry can be competitive and takes investment by businesses. Mr Shute said having the right advice is important.

“We recognise we’ve been faster to these markets than others, which is great. This is partly because we have something truly unique that is differentiated, and because we got good advice from the outset.

“The assistance of hiring a dedicated defence consultant and the Centre for Defence Industry Capability has helped us navigate our way. We engaged early with a very capable defence business consultant from the CDIC, who was able to set up the pathway and make introductions, and outline the assistance that’s available to us from all sorts of organisations.

“The value of the CDIC is very broad. They made introductions to larger Defence primes that I probably wouldn’t have been able to get in front of without the CDIC. Being at a conference and being introduced by someone who is well regarded and respected to initiate those discussions and pave the way has been important,” Mr Shute said.

Norseld is also taking advantage of the CDIC’s Global Supply Chain Program, which introduces smaller companies with a relevant product, service or capability into defence global supply chains with Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rheinmetall, BAE and Thales.

“We’re now well on our way to entering the defence industry, already undertaking trials with BAE, Boeing, Thales and L-3,” Mr Shute said.

“The CDIC has also helped us through Team Defence Australia, supporting us to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International conference in London to make connections with European contacts.

“We’ve only entered the defence market in the last three years, but already we have lots of potential opportunities. The application for DLC is very broad, and we’re very excited about the potential.”

Read more about Norseld’s technology and if your business is eligible for assistance from the CDIC.

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