Defence manufacturer Arkeus has announced it will relocate to Queensland from Victoria.
The company develops AI-powered sensing systems that help drones to detect, track and respond to threats in complex environments.
It currently supplies its technology to the Australian Department of Defence and the US Department of Defense.
The Queensland Government says it was instrumental in luring the company to Queensland from Victoria by driving a $25 million global investment round through Queensland Investment Corporation.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the deal demonstrated that Queensland was on the on the world stage as an attractive place to do business.
“The global landscape is evolving and it’s imperative that we back Australia’s sovereign capability, especially when it comes to defence,” Ms Bates said.
Arkeus CEO Simon Olsen said the investment and presence in Queensland provided a clear runway to get capability into the field faster.
“Building our manufacturing capability on the Gold Coast is about more than scale, it’s about access to world-class engineering talent and a growing ecosystem of advanced manufacturing and research,” Mr Olsen said.
“Queensland gives us the ability to attract and retain the people we need to build globally competitive technology here in Australia, and the support from QIC and the Queensland Government has been an important part of this decision.”
