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The inaugural Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit has confirmed two major additions to its speaker line-up, with Australian Border Force Inspector Sam Bowden and Department of Defence First Assistant Secretary Michael Howell set to headline critical sessions.
These two speakers will provide sessions on export compliance and supply chain integration when the event lands at the National Convention Centre Canberra, on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
Inspector Bowden will join Defence Export Controls for a session unpacking the compliance obligations every defence-sector business needs to understand before they attempt to export.
The session will offer a practical overview of the border requirements and processes that allow Australian businesses to move goods, technology and services across international lines with confidence, cutting through the regulatory complexity that so often trips up newcomers to the sector.
The full agenda is available here. Buy tickets here.
Following that, Michael Howell, First Assistant Secretary, Industry Engagement, Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, Department of Defence, will deliver a keynote on engaging with defence enterprises. Howell’s session will bring together procurement and supply chain leaders to give small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) an unvarnished look at how defence primes assess, select and support their industry partners.
Defence & Aerospace Lead at Momentum Markets, Steve Kuper, said the calibre of speakers confirmed for the inaugural summit reflects the urgency SMEs feel as defence spending ramps up: “These two sessions go to the absolute heart of what’s holding SMEs back from breaking into the defence sector.”
Discussion will cover what enterprises look for in SME partners, how to navigate pre-qualification, tendering and onboarding, and how smaller players can plug capability gaps while maintaining the visibility and performance needed to stay embedded in the supply chain long-term.
“Getting the compliance and export settings right and understanding exactly what prime contractors and defence enterprises expect from their partners is the difference between a business that scales into the industrial base and one that stalls at the starting line,” Kuper said.
Kuper added that the summit’s Canberra location, timed alongside key defence industry engagement, made it an unmissable opportunity.
“Bringing regulators, Defence and industry leaders under one roof gives SMEs a direct line of sight into exactly how the system works, straight from the people who run it,” Kuper said.
The Australian Defence Industry Accelerator Summit will be held at the National Convention Centre Canberra, on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
The full agenda is available here. Buy tickets here.
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