CONTESTED GROUND: Australian resilience during a crisis and sovereign industrial capability

They discuss the lack of a clear, shared definition of sovereign capability, and how misunderstandings persist even within defence and national security circles.

The conversation highlights the need for Australia to identify and secure critical capabilities domestically, ranging from fuel and logistics to data and cyber resilience.

The episode also reflects on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and questions whether Australia has made meaningful progress in strengthening self-reliance, or if it remains vulnerable to external shocks.

With rising geopolitical tensions and shifting global dynamics, the speakers consider whether the era of globalisation is reaching its limits.

These topics include engaging discussion across:

• The meaning (and ambiguity) of sovereign industrial capability in modern Australia.
• Lessons from COVID-19 and ongoing reliance on fragile global supply chains.
• The impact of geopolitical conflict on fuel security, logistics and economic stability.
• The challenge of building true national resilience versus shifting dependence.
• The role of political leadership and decision making in shaping sovereign capability.
• The effects of political fragmentation and polarisation on national security planning.
• Whether globalisation has reached its limits and the rise of nationalism.
• The practical components of sovereignty, including fuel, munitions, cyber resilience and industrial capacity.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team

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