Henderson Research and Innovation Hub: WA's new powerhouse of defence and maritime innovation
The City of Cockburn is helping bring to life a bold new concept for Western Australia's defence and maritime sectors — the Henderson Research and Innovation Hub (HRIH).
Envisioned as a dynamic home for innovators, researchers, training organisations and investors working in ocean sustainability and defence, HRIH is designed to bring these groups together in one place to research, collaborate and commercialise new ideas, products and services. The concept has been shaped with strong industry input and is facilitated by the City of Cockburn to support jobs, skills and economic growth in the region.
Collaborative ecosystem
Located within the Australian Marine Complex at Henderson, about 30 minutes from Perth's CBD, the Hub concept has been shaped with input from major research institutions, alongside established industry players and emerging businesses.
At full capacity, the HRIH is envisaged to support more than 40 businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators.
What it's designed to offer
The HRIH concept centres on giving businesses and researchers the tools to grow, including:
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Upskilling: access to specialised skills development and multidisciplinary educational programs through partners such as Business Station and Business Foundations
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Investment attraction: connections to equity investors, university research funds, the Department of Defence and other funding sources
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Collaboration: space to work alongside scale-ups, educational institutions and established businesses to develop and commercialise ideas
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Market access: streamlined pathways into the defence supply chain, including through the Defence Industry Vendor Qualification Program, with potential access to international markets
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Scale: support to grow local defence supply chain capacity and Australia's sovereign manufacturing capability.
Focus areas
The HRIH is being designed around four key areas of opportunity:
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Ocean Sustainability: offshore renewable energy, climate change mitigation, marine biodiversity, biosecurity, coastal management and blue carbon.
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The Blue Economy: subsea technology, autonomous systems and marine robotics for industries including oil and gas and aquaculture.
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Defence: advanced technologies supporting national shipbuilding and sustainment priorities, along with cybersecurity, data analytics, machine learning, quantum technology, autonomous systems, and systems testing and evaluation, aligned with Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIP) 2 Shipbuilding, 5 Autonomous systems and 7 Test and evaluation.
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AI: strengthening the intersection of the blue economy and defence sectors through machine learning, algorithmic optimisation and automation.
The HRIH is intended to align with the Australian Government's Defence Industry Development Strategy, and to support projects contributing to the growing blue economy or promoting ocean sustainability.
A boost for the local economy and community
Beyond supporting industry, the HRIH concept is designed to create local jobs, build training and career pathways for the Cockburn community, and grow local supply chains — helping the region benefit directly from the growth of the defence and maritime sectors on its doorstep.
Backed by industry
The concept has attracted support from a wide range of organisations across research, industry and the defence and maritime sectors — reflecting strong sector-wide interest in seeing a facility like this established in Western Australia.
More information and contact
If you would like to know more about the Henderson Innovation and Research Hub, contact the City of Cockburn's Business and Economic Development team at (08) 9411 3444 or [email protected].