Led by Defence and Space Industries Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith, this week’s mission focused on other opportunities for SA business, including defence and advanced manufacturing.

SA is looking at investment and partnership opportunities with Seoul-based Hanwha Group, which is bidding for the LAND 400 Phase 3 project for the acquisition of an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and a mobility support vehicle (MSV) – due for government consideration in early 2018. The global company also plans to establish a manufacturing hub in Australia to build a global supply chain to fill their off-shore orders. 

The minister said that creating new partnerships with key Japanese and Korean space players was high on the agenda. The mission also included a tour of the National Space Organisation (NSPO) and its cyber centre, in Taiwan, on Thursday, aimed at further developing collaboration opportunities in space and cyber.

"This mission is a perfect opportunity to build on the momentum from the International Astronautical Congress in strengthening South Australia’s key relationships and international collaboration in the space sector," Minister Hamilton-Smith said.

"As an industry, space is growing at more than three times the world annual GDP – there is so much growth potential here in South Australia. We’ve done the hard yards nurturing South Australia’s space ecosystem and we’re now well positioned to play a leading role as the Commonwealth establishes a national space agency.

"Japan, Korea and Taiwan have advanced space industries, and we are keen to build relationships with these key countries as we look to develop our own space ecosystem."

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South Australia has previously worked with JAXA, having supported its mission to land the unmanned Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa at Woomera test range in 2010.

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