Canberra defence and cybersecurity sector employs 24,000 as AUKUS drives growth

Canberra's defence and national security sector employs approximately 24,000 people across the Australian Defence Force, defence intelligence agencies, and the private sector defence industry — making it the single largest employment sector in the ACT economy and one of the most significant concentrations of defence and security expertise of any city in the Indo-Pacific.

The private sector component — encompassing defence contractors, cybersecurity firms, intelligence services providers, and technology companies whose primary customers are Commonwealth defence and security agencies — has grown substantially over the past decade as the ADF's technology investment and the expansion of Australia's cyber and intelligence capabilities have driven sustained demand for private sector capability. Companies including Lockheed Martin, Boeing Defence, Raytheon, BAE Systems, and dozens of Australian-owned specialist firms have significant Canberra operations.

The AUKUS partnership is the most significant driver of current defence industry growth in Canberra, as the nuclear-powered submarine program, the advanced capabilities pillar covering hypersonics, AI, quantum, and cyber, and the expansion of Australia's defence science and technology programs all generate procurement, research, and management activity concentrated in the ACT. Defence industry bodies estimate that AUKUS will sustain Canberra's defence industry employment growth at above 5 per cent annually for the next decade.

The cybersecurity sector within the broader defence cluster has developed into a significant industry in its own right, with several Canberra-headquartered cybersecurity companies having grown to national and international scale by developing capability initially for government customers and then translating it to commercial enterprise markets. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's location in Canberra creates both a customer and a talent source for the private sector cluster.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.