complementarities, and spillovers in technology, skills, information, marketing and customer needs that cut across firms and industries”. When firms are geographically concentrated, they compete but also collaborate, creating an ecosystem where knowledge flows faster, supply chain are denser, and innovation accelerates.
This dynamic is clear in Cockburn. Companies like Hyperion Systems are pioneering large-scale 3D printing of drones and vessels, a capability with applications in both defence and blue economy. Their work illustrates how advanced manufacturing can shift from experimental technology to a transformative enabler across multiple sectors. Similarly, Franmarine is developing biofouling management systems that reduce environmental impacts for defence fleets while simultaneously supporting sustainability in commercial shipping and aquaculture. These firms exemplify how cross-sectoral innovation creates dual benefits for industry and environment.
The City of Cockburn’ s role is to facilitate these interactions. By creating platforms for SMEs to collaborate with primes, research institutions, and one another, the City ensures that investments in capability and workforce spill over across industries. This approach not only builds more resilient supply chains but also diversifies the industrial base, ensuring that local innovation contributes to both economic growth and environmental sustainability.
Cockburn shows that the most powerful innovation occurs not in silos but at the point where industries meet, reinforcing its role as a place-based innovation powerhouse.
FUTURE-READY REGIONS NEED LOCAL-LED INNOVATION The City of Cockburn is proving that local governments can lead national priorities, not by competing with private firms or universities, but by acting as connectors, facilitators, and enablers of capacity. Through aligning its strategy with the strengths of Cockburn Sound, the Henderson Defence Precinct and the AMC, it is demonstrating how local governments can activate innovation on the ground, translating global opportunities into local participation and prosperity.
The convergence of defence, artificial intelligence, oil and gas, and the blue economy illustrates how clusters of industries can create spillovers in technology, skills, and knowledge that benefit the broader economy. Initiatives such as the Henderson Research and Innovation Hub show how collaboration between industry, academia and government can become a catalyst for cross-sector innovation. At the same time, programs to upskill the supply chain ensure that opportunities are not lost to larger players elsewhere but remain accessible to local SMEs who are willing to invest in their own growth.
Equally, Cockburn’ s focus on capacity and capability for the future is about more than immediate outcomes. It is about preventing stagnation, ensuring that businesses grow in technology and competitiveness rather than standing still while the rest of the world advances. By embedding innovation, education, and collaboration into its development approach, the City is laying the foundation for generational employment, sustainable growth, and measurable value for residents and businesses alike.
This is the essence of Cockburn’ s quiet revolution: turning an industrial legacy into an innovation powerhouse by building the conditions for industries, businesses, and people to thrive. It reminds us that the most profound economic change does not always come with noise or fanfare. It happens in the steady work of building networks, enabling businesses, and preparing communities for the future. In doing so, Cockburn is showing how local government can play a decisive role in shaping industries of national importance while ensuring that prosperity is anchored firmly in place. The lesson is clear: the future of economic development will be written in places like Henderson, where innovation is not just imagined, but built.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
CHARISSE SANTIAGO Charisse Santiago is an economic development professional with expertise in industry growth, defence readiness, and the blue economy. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce( Economics and Finance) and a Master of Public Policy with an economics specialisation from The University of Western Australia. She began her career in logistics with Toll, where she specialised in financial reporting, revenue analysis, and process improvement, leading initiatives that improved operational efficiency and strengthened stakeholder engagement. At the City of Cockburn, Charisse leads strategic initiatives to build local industry capability in advanced manufacturing, defence, and the blue economy. Her work includes delivering the Henderson Research and Innovation Hub, conducting economic and financial analysis for major projects, supporting business capacity-building programs, and fostering partnerships across government, industry, and academia.
MICHAEL FAULKNER Michael’ s expertise and experience encompass building Government-to- Government strategic relationships and economic exchange opportunities within a global context. His international experience includes over 25 years within the corporate banking and financial services sector in the Southeast Asian region, across multiple business sectors. He has led delegations to China, Indonesia, and Singapore, securing significant economic exchange agreements with international governments in China and Indonesia, while developing strategic relationships and networks for local businesses. Michael holds a Master of International Business and has lectured in International Negotiation at Edith Cowan University. He also holds further qualifications in business, marketing, and training within the RTO sector. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a board member of the Henderson Alliance, and a member of the Western Trade Coast Industry Reference Group.
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