Last week in St Helens, RTC North partnered with Make UK Defence and the Growth Platform to deliver a high-profile event for Liverpool City Region companies interested in entering the defence sector.

The event, which followed a series of events last year with leading defence organisations, sold out within two weeks, welcoming over 100 delegates who heard from industry leaders such as Cammell Laird, Make UK Defence, JOSCAR and more.

With a fantastic mix of speakers, all offering unique and valuable insights, the event provided a well-rounded and comprehensive look at current opportunities within the defence sector, as well as the tendering and procurement process from the perspective of both suppliers and primes.

Keynote speaker Andrew Kinnibugh from Make UK Defence first delivered a detailed sector overview, addressing ‘Why Defence’ and offering a candid look at the realities of working within the industry.

Next among the speakers was Kelvine Tomlinson, Director of Procurement at Cammell Laird. Over the past five years, Cammell Laird has spent £675m across the UK, forming long-term partnerships with suppliers.

Kelvine emphasised, “It’s absolutely vital, as far as I’m concerned, to operate within the community and build a resilient local supply chain.”

He also discussed the vast opportunities within the shipbuilding industry, highlighting the importance of investing in local partnerships.

Following Kelvine, Richard Craddock, owner of A&G Precision, an SME well-established within the defence industry, shared his journey and experience as a supplier, offering valuable advice for other businesses looking to break into the sector.

The North West Regional Defence Cluster was also in attendance, providing a thorough overview of current trends and opportunities within the defence landscape.

“We want to be the leading defence and security region within the UK, and we’re primed to do just that,” noted Andrew Schofield from the cluster.

“We’re one of the UK’s only regions to host all major defence domains,” he continued.

“And the mission of the cluster is to link and support all companies within the defence sector via our free membership, which encourages collaboration across the landscape.”

Didde Bjerglund-Martin from JOSCAR then took to the stage to talk about preparing your business to be ‘Defence Ready’. She outlined what’s required to meet the expectations of major defence buyers, and how being part of the JOSCAR accreditation system helps businesses demonstrate their compliance and suitability to work in the sector.

After the lunch, and a very lively networking break, attendees heard from Glass Futures, who gave a background and overview of their state-of-the-art facility, which also hosted the day’s event.

Duncan Sime from DASA then outlined the MOD’s innovation support and funding opportunities available to businesses, encouraging companies to explore how their existing capabilities might translate into the defence space.

Following a final round of teas, coffees and biscuits, Giles Jones of Liverpool Freeport spoke about the benefits and opportunities of operating within the Freeport zone, shedding light on the incentives and advantages available for defence-related businesses in the region.

Finally, James Davies from Liverpool MTC wrapped up the speaker sessions by highlighting the defence programmes and support available through their organisation, offering insight into how MTC is helping to drive innovation, skills, and collaboration in the sector.

Steve Wilkinson, Programme Manager at RTC North, commented upon reflection of the event:

“This was a brilliant milestone for RTC North and a proud continuation of our ongoing work within the defence sector here in the North West.”

“For all places at this event to go so quickly and to have welcomed such a strong line-up of speakers, who delivered real value to all in attendance, is something the team and I are incredibly proud of.”

“There’s a clear appetite from local businesses to get involved in defence, so this is just the beginning. There’s definitely more to come from us.” Steve finished.