WA DEFENCE REVIEW is pleased to announce its new affiliate partnership with the Centre for Entrepreneurial Research & Innovation (CERI). This collaboration comes hot on the heels of the highly successful “How to Enter the Defence Supply Chain” workshop, held by the two parties in December last year at CERI.
In its capacity as a defence sector advisor and facilitator, WA DEFENCE REVIEW will aim to leverage its extensive networks and specialist knowledge to assist CERI start-ups to better appreciate opportunities in the defence sector. This is line with CERI’s broad interest in fostering a dynamic start-up ecosystem in Perth, and specifically connecting innovators to industry and experts.
As a charitable enterprise for local tech start-ups, CERI focuses on developing the people behind innovation, by way of entrepreneurial mindset boot camps and peer mentoring programs. These events are designed to educate and empower early-stage entrepreneurs, PhD students and visionaries within the WA community.
Since opening in 2016, CERI initiatives have facilitated over 500 program graduates and hosted 31 resident and non-resident enterprises which raised over $4m in combined capital. In addition, 96 companies received mentorships and six companies successfully acquired seed funding.
Acknowledging the significance of the partnership, CERI Founder and Executive Chairman, Charlie Bass said, “The Australian defence industry is large and diverse, and given the general ‘deep-tech’ that CERI fosters, there are definite synergies between the various participants of the defence industry and the CERI start-ups”. Expanding on the partnership he added, “CERI’s affiliation with WA DEFENCE REVIEW will provide the platform for which the start-ups can in turn build relations with the defence businesses.”
CERI’s recently appointed Chief Impact Officer, Dr Jennifer Halton, who is also on representing CERI on the WA DEFNECE REVIEW Editorial Advisory Group, supported this view saying, “As CERI scales its impact in training the next generation of entrepreneurs in WA, our partnership with WA DEFENCE REVIEW will add considerable expertise across this broad and diverse sector and help us elevate our strategic plan”. She elaborated, “The potential for technology transfer in, and beyond, the defence sector will be essential to catalysing economic growth in WA. CERI, WA DEFENCE REVIEW, and our partners across the start-up ecosystem are primed to accelerate this growth”.
WA DEFENCE REVIEW Founder & Managing Editor, Serge DeSilva-Ranasinghe was equally upbeat about the affiliation. He commented, “As a high-profile communications and events platform, WA DEFENCE REVIEW is delighted to partner with CERI to enhance potential for outcomes in innovation and collaboration between local start-ups and the defence sector. We look forward to exploring new opportunities to collaborate as we strengthen our rapport, with a view to bringing value to CERI start-ups and programs”.