Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) Case Study

Glyde Metal Industries’ reputation and manufacturing within the defence industry is growing. Producing parts and assemblies for LAND 121 3B since 2016 and supplying LAND 121 5B through to 2024 provided a platform to expand but we couldn’t have realised significant defence supply opportunities without the CDIC.

Our CDIC Business Advisor has supercharged our SME defence offering and we’ve moved from a stroller to a front runner in just eighteen months. We also received a Sovereign Industry Capability Grant for over $200,000, but how did we do this? Read on (3 minutes) and learn what works!

CDIC – working with Australian Defence Industries

Our CDIC journey commenced in 2019 after attending a defence-focused South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) seminar at The Synchrotron where a CDIC representative gave a compelling presentation. Contacting the CDIC directly after this seminar was the first step we took.

Engaging the CDIC was straightforward, and in no time at all, a CDIC representative visited our premises and assessed our Defence readiness and capability. This was when we met Stephen Harvey who has been our trusted CDIC advisor ever since.

For Glyde Metal Industries (GMI), this type of engagement was terrific. On-premises advice meant we could work on issues specific to our manufacturing capability, but it’s not for the complacent – it’s an amazing and challenging process!

Even though we were already part of the defence industry supply chain, there were several areas we needed to focus on so we could enhance our opportunities. Here are just a few:

• Cyber Security hardening
• Identifying customer/market segment
• Quad Chart development (shown here)

By working with the CDIC, we better understood what we could achieve in addition to having greater access to Australian defence contractors . Leveraging off Stephen’s knowledge, we began to see new technology could bring us new opportunities that weren’t previously available to us.

Stephen introduced us to a wide array of information, support, tours, presentations and seminars, to name a few. GMI has since undertaken several key activities along the CDIC journey, including joining Defence-focused alliances such as the Australian Defence Alliance and Victorian Defence Alliance.

We have also attended a plethora of Defence Industry events, including:

• CASG AIC presentations tailored to SMEs
• Pacific 2019 Maritime Expo
• Private tours of industry leading Australian defence contractors
• Event preparation seminars

See our post on how we got the most out of a Defence Industry Conference

There have been significant measurable outcomes in working with the CDIC, including greatly helping us to refocus our defence business plan.

We’ve come a long way in a short time.

Here are just some of the benefits we’ve seen by working closely on a regular basis with Australian defence industries, a direct result of our partnership with CDIC: 

• We now aim our capability in the right direction at the right programs
• We offer our capability at major defenceindustry events
• We applied for and successfully received a Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority Grant–GMI’s Project Primo Power
• With our partner Bluescope Plate Supplies, GMI presented at an invitation-only defence assessment for Land 400 Phase3

Shortlisted Tenderers

Hanwha Australia and Rheinmetall Australia

CDIC & Glyde Metal Industries – connecting Australian defence companies

Our experience working with the CDIC has been strongly valued, useful and helpful. Not only is this a free service, the CDIC offers a completely different advisory service for SME manufacturers that we’ve not seen elsewhere. Their staff have an extensive mix of Defence and industry experience, so they really know what they’re talking about.

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