Underwater technology company Blue Ocean Monitoring has cited success in a recent seismic testing trial at its joint venture with major petroleum players as a big step towards an IPO next year.
Former London-based Western Australia agent general Mike Deeks has been appointed group managing director of unmanned underwater technologies company Blue Ocean Monitoring.
Civmec has begun constructing what it says will be Australia's biggest undercover shipbuilding facility in Henderson, confident it will have enough work even before offshore patrol vessel contracts are awarded by the federal government later this year.
SPECIAL REPORT: Henderson shipbuilders have plans to put on hundreds of apprentices as billions of dollars in naval investment is expected in the next few years.
The federal government's future submarine project will be assembled in South Australia under French company DCNS, although there's still hope for Western Australian industry to win contracts.
Opposition leader Mark McGowan has committed a future state Labor government to aggressively seek more defence related work for Western Australia to help compensate for the loss of construction job
Local manufacturer Civmec has announced plans to further diversify its services, with the formation of a new defence business unit and a $30 million spend to expand its Henderson facilities.