The state government has partnered with the Perth USAsia Centre to deliver the conference which will convene strategic thinkers from the military, industry, academic and government sectors from across the Indo-Pacific region.

It follows the inaugural conference held in Perth last year and is a direct action from the state government’s WA Defence and Defence Industries Strategic Plan.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘An era of new and renewed partnerships’ with a focus on topics including a new role for Indonesia in the region, a growing role for Japan, an aspirational role for India, a renewed role for the United Kingdom and France, and a continued role for the United States.

West Australian Defence Issues Minister, Paul Papalia said, "Perth is home to Australia’s largest naval base, an advanced manufacturing sector and has an internationally recognised reputation for innovation and expertise."

Keynote speakers and panel discussions will explore themes around industry support for the changing operational environment, new frontiers in defence technology, WA’s STEM agenda, and defence industry applications for WA’s battery minerals and resources expertise.

Five hundred delegates from across the region are expected to attend the conference. Keynote speakers include:

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• Major General (Ret.) Seo Young, Professor of Korea National Defense University;
• Mark Lippert, former US Ambassador to South Korea and now vice president at Boeing International; and
• Lieutenant General (Ret.) Agus Widjojo, former vice chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia and Tentara Nasional Indonesia’s chief of territorial affairs. 

"It is the ideal location to discuss the critical defence and security issues impacting the region and highlight our competitive advantages and strategic global position to our Indo-Pacific neighbour. I am strongly committed to promoting our defence capabilities and harnessing WA’s competitive edge to maximise defence business opportunities and increase jobs in the sector," Minister Papalia added. 

Stephen Kuper

Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.