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Defence industry representatives have met with Babcock Australasia leadership during a “Meet the Primes” forum.
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Nearly 100 small and medium enterprises attended the Australian Industry & Defence Network event in Sydney last month.
Representatives discussed empowerment and support for working on Defence programs, with advice from an expert panel.
The panel included Director General Major Surface Ships, Commodore Brad Smith; AIDN National chief executive officer Brent Clark; Babcock executive director – AUKUS Andy Davis; and Babcock chief technologist Karen Trezise.
Babcock’s executive director – AUKUS, Andy Davis, said the event provided the chance for SMEs to hear firsthand about current and future opportunities available with Babcock, as well as broader defence industry insights and trends.
“Australian industry and SMEs, in particular, play a critical role in the delivery of Babcock’s Defence programs,” he said.
“Babcock is committed to minimising the barriers to entry for SMEs wanting to break into the Defence industry and events such as this help us understand their offering and establish connections.
“Ensuring Australia continues to grow its sovereign capability through SMEs, with Babcock’s support, provides the resilience our Defence industry needs, a huge shot in the arm for our economy and jobs and ultimately, supports our service men and women keep the nation safe and secure.”
AIDN chief executive officer Brent Clark said SMEs were interested in understanding how to navigate the information in the Defence Strategic Review and how to prepare and be visible to Primes for defence-related opportunities.
“AIDN appreciates all the effort that the team at Babcock did to ensure that a large number of our members were given a detailed briefing on both the opportunities and obligations they have to become part of the Babcock supply chain,” he said.
“The team at Babcock provided an informative and important session, the SME community needs to develop strong close relationships with companies such as Babcock and it also serves as a way for Babcock to further understand the capabilities of the SME community.”
