03 Feb 21. Wide number of international speakers set to participate at International Defence Conference.
- The conference will take place on 20 February 2021 at ADNOC Business Center
- The conference theme will be the ‘Prosperity and Development of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology and the Protection in the Era of the 4IR
Over 26 global industry leaders, specialists, and experts will attend the International Defence Conference 2021, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, on 20 February. The event, held as hybrid event for the first time in its history, will be held both at the ADNOC Business Center, as well as virtually through global platforms. Participants will discuss the Prosperity and Development of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology and the Protection in the Era of the 4IR.
The Conference is organised by the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) and the Tawazun Economic Council (Tawazun), in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the General Command of the Armed Forces of the UAE. The conference will run on 20 February from 8:00am to 14:00pm. The globally leading defence exhibitions, IDEX 2021 and NAVDEX 2021, will open the following day and run from 21 – 25 February at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
The Conference will open with a speech by His Excellency Mohammed Bin Ahmad Al Bawardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs in the UAE. His Excellency will highlight how the UAE plays a key role in advancing the global defence sector. Four main sessions will follow, which both local and international experts will participate in. Prominent speakers include His Excellency Suhail Bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, His Excellency Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al Ohali, Governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first session, held under the title ‘Exploring innovative opportunities in supply-chain ecosystem management beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic’, will welcome His Excellency Suhail Bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz Al Ohali, Helmut Rauch, CEO & President of Diehl Defence, and Tim Cahill, Senior Vice President at Lockheed Martin International. This session will be moderated by Badr Al-Olama, Executive Director – Aerospace, Mubadala Investment Company.
The second session, held under the title ‘Protecting AI and other 4IR technologies in the age of collaboration and diffusion’, will be attended by His Excellency Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama; Micael Johansson, Chief Executive Officer at Saab Group; Heidi Grant, Director of the Defence Security Cooperation Agency in the United States of America, and Eric Papin, Executive VP Technical and Innovation Officer, Naval Group.
As for the third session, it will be held under the title ‘Strengthening the Defence industries R&D in an increasingly dynamic global context’. Participants on this session will include: His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE; His Excellency Tareq Abdulraheem Al Hosani, CEO of the Tawazun Economic Council; Dr. Uzi Rubin, Senior Researcher at the Jerusalem Institute of Strategy and Security; Kim, Yoon Seok, Deputy Minister Office of Military Force and Resource Management in South Korea; and Lieutenant General (rtd) Theodoros LAGIOS HAF, General Director of General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA). This session will be moderated by Dr. Noah Raford, Chief of Global Affairs, Dubai Future Foundation.
The Conference concludes with the fourth session entitled ‘A holistic view on Cyber Security Resiliency during the era of Digital Transformation.’ Speaking at the session will be: His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security for the UAE Government, and Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, AVSM, NM, Director General Naval Operations. This session will be moderated by Dr. Bushra Al Blooshi, Head of Research and Innovation at the Dubai Electronic Security Centre. The closing remarks of the International Defence Conference will be delivered by Dr. Yehya Al Marzouqi, Vice Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee, and Advisor to the CEO’s Office at Tawazun Economic Council.
Commenting on the upcoming edition of the Conference, Brigadier General Eng. Khalifa Ali Al Kaabi, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the International Defence Conference 2021, said: “We are proud to welcome global leaders in the defence industry to Abu Dhabi. They will take part in this pioneering event that will emphasise how co-operation and collaboration are critical in facing ongoing technological challenges. Through these sessions, participants will be able to discuss developments across defence, security, and technology, looking to strengthen defence systems and infrastructure. In short, this conference enables the global sector to adopt the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Al Kaabi added: “This conference will be organised during the recovery phase from COVID-19. It shall mark the beginning of new growth opportunities for the wider sector, as we look to the future. Through discussing these pressing global issues and challenges, companies and entities can develop new opportunities, take critical decisions to support governments, and promote the national economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Saeed Bin Khadim Al Mansoori, Executive Director at Capital Events, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company, commented: “At ADNEC, we look to transfer and localise knowledge in the UAE through attracting global expertise. The International Defence Conference brings together participants and experts from these vital sectors, enabling them to meet and do business. Such events demonstrate why Abu Dhabi is the regional capital of the business tourism sector.
“Our nation has earned the confidence of the international community as a safe global destination. We have proactively handled the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to contain the risk of its spread. Now, the UAE is ready to host the world, once again. As we look to welcome delegates from across the globe, ADNEC will implement a wide range of measures which ensure that conference participants and delegates remain safe, following leading international standards.”
Both ADNEC and the organising committees of IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitions and the International Defence Conference continue to coordinate with the UAE’s authorities in implementing the highest standard of safety measures for all. All attending IDEX, NAVDEX, and the IDC will be required to have a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test before entering either the conference or the exhibitions. In addition, social distancing measures and the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) is being mandated across exhibitions and conference facilities.
02 Feb 21. TEAM DEFENCE Information Bulletin. News digest and look ahead to TD-Info Events.
Please note all links provided are to our website at www.teamdefence.info and many are accessible to registered members only. To register please go to the top right-hand side of the home page, click on Register, complete the form and you will receive a Sign-In code in a welcome email, along with guidance on using the website. You may have to wait briefly for TD-Info staff to manually verify your application is bona fide. We avoid images in this bulletin as many defence-related organisations apply email filters that reject emails containing them.
2021 started with a flourish and saw TD-Info hosting several key online events. Dr Tim King, our Delivery Continuity Executive, was also given the Standards Maker Award by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in recognition of the significant role he played in the development of guidelines for Safe Working in the COVID-19 pandemic (BSI Flex 45005). Congratulations Tim!
SupportNet 2021 (SupportNET21) Conference
23 March 2021
Team Defence Information is pleased to support the MOD with hosting SupportNET21.
SupportNET21 is the opportunity for Senior speakers from Defence Equipment and Support, Front Line Commands, industry, academia and international partners to give perspectives on how the Defence Support (DefSp) Strategy and Support Advantage will be delivered.
Strategic Outcomes:
- A capable & resilient Defence Support Enterprise.
- Enhanced decision making across the Defence Support Enterprise.
- Effective delivery of Defence Support, integrated and secured across the Military-4. Industrial complex.
- A step change in Support Force Development and experimentation.
- Defence Support people enable future performance.
SupportNET21 will be fully virtual and free to attend; registration details will be released shortly. An excellent range of speakers will give their views on the challenges; those who have confirmed are:
- Lt Gen Richard Wardlaw OBE, MOD Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS)
- Cdre David Matthews RN, UK Submarine Delivery Agency
- Norman Bone, Industry Co-Chair of Defence Suppliers Forum (DSF) Executive
- Professor Janet Godsell, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Strategy, University of Warwick
- Roger West, DE&S Director Logistics Delivery
The speakers list will be added to with Senior UK Military speakers from the LAND and AIR environments, we also anticipate a Senior Military speaker from one of our key Partner Nations. It is promising to be an informative and insightful day outlining the high-level roadmap to how the DefSp Strategy will be delivered, and we look forward to your attendance.
Registration for SupportNET21 will open shortly and is free to any organisation involved in the Defence community. Please follow the TD-Info event page for updates on this event and how to register. For further information please email Kevin Atkins.
New TD-Info Members – We are pleased to welcome new Members to TD-Info: Adarga develops AI solutions that allow customers to analyse vast volumes of data quickly and accurately; Ansys is a global leader in engineering simulation; Aspire Consulting specializes in support system optimisation, fleet planning and training development; KC4Business offers an outsourced business development service; and Whitetree Group is a consultancy offering professional business management, decision support and training Solutions.
Recent Events – A number of key Working Groups (WG) and notable events have recently taken place:
Defence Sustainability Conference – 19 and 20 January – Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Defence Sustainability Conference. Over 850 people registered for the event and enjoyed a packed two days with a fantastic array of speakers covering a variety of topics. Lieutenant General Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE, Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy Lead, and Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE, Chief Defence Logistics and Support, provided keynote presentations on the recent Defence Sustainability Review and the extensive work currently underway across the MOD and Industry to support the target of Net Zero 50 (NZ50).
Recordings of the conference will be available shortly for Day One here and Day Two here; for further details please contact Luca Leone.
Digital Twin Development Framework – White Paper and Webinars – A great collaborative effort across Team Defence resulted in the latest Digital Twin White Paper being published on 22 Jan 2021. This was followed by a series of 10 webinars allowing valuable experience to be shared across industry sectors and continents with speakers from High Speed 2 (HS2), Australia and USA. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed; the webinars have created some great links enabling TD-Info to continue the excellent collaboration and momentum around this topic.
The Digital Twin White Paper and recent webinar slides are now available to download here. For further details please contact Steve Green.
The first 1 Star chaired Defence Support Force Development Board (DSFDB) was held on 26 Jan; the role of the TD-Info SupportNET Sub-Working Group (SupNET SWG) was discussed and endorsed as the mechanism for industry engagement with the Defence Support Community focused around the key priority areas for Innovation, Research and Experimentation. The SupNET SWG will look to share experience, process and practice exploring potential solutions to create Support Advantage. The SupNET SWG will refocus the existing AdM (Supply Chain), AI (Data), RAS (Distribution), and Sustainable Defence Support SWGs; TD-Info is working with MOD Chairs from the Commands to develop a forecast of events over next 12 months.
Following recent departures we now have 2 vacancies for Industry co-Chairs on the AdM (Supply Chain) SWG and AI (Data) SWG; if you are interested in either role please contact Steve Green.
Over the last period the Sustainable Defence Support SWG has been providing input to inform the Sustainable Support Concept primer, strategy and future programme of work. This SWG is developing and maintaining a hopper of ideas that will be prioritised and sequenced to create the programme of work. Tasks will be governed by the DSFDB and progressed once commercial funding is confirmed. The community is very well supported with close to 100 sustainability professionals from across MOD Industry and Academia. If you would like to be involved and have ideas for the hopper please contact Steve Green.
The Trading Forum met in January providing TD-Info Members with an update and demonstration of the new MOD Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP) which is due to go-live on 15 Feb 2021. A communication from Andrew Forzani, MOD Chief Commercial Officer, is available here along with details of the new DSP portal. Organizations must register for the DSP in order to browse the homepage and view new opportunities. ADS is offering TD-Info members the opportunity to join a DSP one-hour webinar by MOD on 5 Feb via the link here.
TD-Info recently held the first UK Simplified Technical English Working Group (UKSTEWG) meeting of 2021. The main topics of conversation were the new issue of the STE specification, Issue 8, which is due in April 2021, and how we can create a UK hub of STE expertise through the UKSTEWG. We are always looking for new UK members who use STE and wish to contribute to our work. Please contact Ciaran Dodd if you wish to join.
TD-Info also supported the on-line NATO Life Cycle Management Group (LCMG) Workshop in January. Chaired by Paul Belcher, MOD DE&S, the two-day event focussed on Innovation and Emerging and Disruptive Technologies. NATO countries and organisations presented on a variety of through life support topics; TD-Info member Mike Ingledew, Tech Data World, spoke of the role of Technical Publications within the connected platform environment and Andy Watkin-Child, PARAVA Security Solutions, introduced Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. For more details of the workshop and presentations contact Phil Williams.
Future Events
A number of notable events are coming up in the next few months:
Warehouse Distribution Optimisation (WDO) Project – Industry Update – 11 Feb 21 – Brig Lee Daley will be providing an update to industry on the LDOC WDO Project. Details of the event and agenda will be distributed following registration here. For further details please contact Steve Green.
Head of Capability (HoC) for DefSp – INFORM Industry Briefing – 23 Feb – Recent organisational and governance changes in UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom) has provided the opportunity for Defence Support to be managed as a capability under the Head of Capability (HoC) for Defence Support (DefSp) which will now cohere activities across three Capability Planning Groups (CPGs). One of these new CPGs, INFORM, will provide Direction and Governance (D&G) to the Business Modernisation for Support (BMfS) programme.
Recognising that many aspects of Defence Support cuts across the MOD and industry boundary, there is a need for Industry engagement with the HoC Branch. On 23 Feb, Lt Col Chris Eyre will provide an online about the new branch, describe INFORM, and explain how they will use the TD-Info Defence Continuity Executive (DCE) as their mechanism for Cap Dev industry engagement. Register for the event here or contact Steve Green.
Simplified Technical English (STE) Training Courses – 10 to 13 May – TD-Info will be running virtual STE Training Courses in May; the training will be delivered in 4 sessions and is mandatory for engineers responsible for the preparation of company technical publications. For further information on STE and how to get register for the training please contact Ciaran Dodd.
Defence Information 2021 (DI21) – 16 to 17 June – Book a slot in your diary for DI21 which is jointly organised by MOD Defence Digital and Team Defence Information. DI21 provides a highly informative forum for the ‘Team Defence’ community to discuss MOD strategic initiatives, exchange information, and become engaged in collaborative MOD/Industry Working Groups. Charlie Forte, MOD CIO, will join other senior MOD and Industry keynote speakers in discussing this year’s theme “Exploiting the Defence Digital Backbone”. This year’s prime sponsor is Fujitsu. Registration will open shortly; for more details contact Steve Shepherd.
Recent Presentations, Publications and Surveys
On 10 December 2020, Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE, Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS), recently launched the MOD Defence Support Strategy which is now published on the Gov website here. A recording of the virtual launch event is now available here along with presentations by keynote speakers from MOD Strategic Command, MOD DE&S, event sponsors Leidos, and the UK Defence Industry Allan Webb, Babcock, BAE Systems, Fujitsu all available here. Our thanks to these speakers and to all who attended the event. For further details please contact Leyton Lark.
The latest Digital Twin White Paper and slides from the series of recent webinars are now available to download here. For further details please contact Steve Green.
The South West Regional Defence & Security Cluster (SWRDSC) recently issued its first monthly newsletter which is available here. If you would like more information on the SWRDSC contact Edward Raggett or Leyton Lark.
Industry Customer Engagement Forum (ICEF) Defence Intranet Survey – The TD-Info ICEF community has issued a survey that has been designed to provide a more detailed understanding of the impact caused by the lack of reliable data for Industry-based users of the MOD’s obsolescent Defence Intranet service. This data will be used to inform Defence Digital planning by identifying appropriate priorities based on experience from businesses supplying products and services to a MOD customer.
Please complete the anonymous survey here which should take about 20 to 30 mins to complete. The final report will be available at the DI21 conference in June 2021. For more details contact Tony Butler.
Request for Panel Members – NATEP – The National Aerospace Technology Exploitation Programme (NATEP) supports small/medium sized suppliers with funding and mentoring to develop their own innovative technologies, enhance their capabilities, strengthen the UK supply chain, and increase their ability to win new business. NATEP has funded over 200 projects since 2013. NATEP is now looking for new panel members to join its regional Project Review Panels (PRPs) and provide industry feedback to applicants. For more information contact Nancy Jardine.
Key Dates for February and March 2021 – Please check the TD-Info website Calendar here to confirm details and how to join as these are subject to change:
- 1 Feb – Industry Customer Engagement Forum (ICEF)
- 5 Feb – ADS Event – Webinar on the Defence Sourcing Portal (DSP)
- 9 – 11 Feb – Defence iQ Event – Disruptive Technology for Defence Transformation
- 10 Feb – JISCOT
- 11 Feb – Warehouse Distribution Optimisation (WDO) Project – Industry Update
- 17 Feb – Asset Management Community of Practice Meeting
- 18 Feb – MODCloud Industry PoV Working Group
- 23 Feb – Head of Capability (HoC) for DefSp – INFORM Industry Briefing
- 23-25 Feb – Defence iQ Event – Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Space (AMAS)
- 24 Feb – Team Defence Executive Meeting
- 2 Mar – Trading Forum meeting
- 4 Mar – Supply Chain and Support Engineering Working Group (SCSEWG)
- 15 Mar – Industry Customer Engagement Forum (ICEF)
- 17 Mar – Team Defence Information Council Meeting and AGM
- 23 Mar – SupportNet 2021
- 23 Mar – Packaging for Equipment and Support
- 25 Mar – Joint Obsolescence Management Working Group
- 31 Mar – Team Defence Executive Meeting
Forthcoming Events – Non Team Defence-Info
- Disruptive Technology for Defence Transformation (9 – 11 Feb 2021). TD-Info members can obtain 15% discount for this event organised by Defence iQ via the TD-Info website here (login required)
- Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Space (AMAS) (23 – 25 Feb 2021). TD-Info members can obtain 15% discount for this event organised by Defence iQ via the TD-Info website here (login required)
COVID-19 – TD-Info Remote Working
Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the TD-Info administrative staff continue to work remotely; postal mail is only collected periodically. With this in mind, please use email as primary form of correspondence should you need to contact our admin or finance department.
Accessing documents and publications To find these documents use the Search function (located at the top right of the TD-Info website Home screen) which will appear after you have signed-in to the TD-Info website.
To find all the documents published on our website from, say, March 1st, 2020 to now, edit the search parameters to your needs. In this case, edit the date Added On/After to 1 March 2020 and the Added On/Before to today’s date.
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01 Feb 21. NDI Events Update. NDI offers an extensive calendar of virtual events providing you with the opportunity to meet with prime contractors, discover real business opportunities, gain market knowledge and provide a platform to promote products and services to potential buyers.
I am delighted to welcome you to our latest NDI events calendar. We are committed to offering our members as wide a range of hands-on events that will help you to navigate the increasingly competitive but growing UK defence supply chain. Our first two events are focusing on your strategy and your productivity and bring together experts in both disciplines to offer practical advice and ways to give your businesses a competitive advantage.
Following our successful webinar with the DIO’s Supply Chain Director, our Land Meet the Buyer offers an unrivalled opportunity to meet many of the leading Category Managers and buyers in the £3bn p.a. UK Defence Infrastructure market. We also have literally a handful of spaces left for the MOD sponsored DPRTE tradeshow and for the world’s pre-eminent Defence Tradeshow, DSEi. Being part of the NDI Pavilion at both events will ensure that you will get noticed at these large shows. By exhibiting with us, you get NDI’s experienced team helping to drive up footfall and contacts to your stand, ensuring maximum return on your investment.
Improving Your Business Strategy Process – 10th February 2021
Hear from Yeo Consultancy’s Steve Hill about developing a successful business strategy. Steve has run numerous successful businesses including his recent tenure at SEA Ltd, and is an expert in the defence industry.
How to Improve Manufacturing Productivity – 3rd March 2021
This event will feature Make UK & NDI’s Productivity Improvement Lead, Patrick Lee. Patrick works with manufacturers across the UK to assist them with becoming leaner and more efficient, and has helped companies reduce waste, cost and speed up production.
Meet the Buyer – Infrastructure in Defence – 24th February
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK
Our Meet the Buyer event enables companies to meet with some of the major players in defence infrastructure, from facilities management to engineering to construction. This event will take place on February 24th, utilising the Swapcard platform and features the following buyers:
- AECOM
- Amey Defence Services
- Aqula Air Traffic
- Defence Infrastructure
- Galliford Try
- Interserve
- Kier
- Skanska (Construction & Facilities Management)
- Vivo Defence Services (Serco-Engie joint venture)
NDI Land Webinar – 17th March 2021
Speakers to be confirmed soon!
Meet the Buyer – Land – 28th April 2021
NDI are excited to launch our second Meet the Buyer of 2021. This event is a great opportunity to meet, connect with and present to a vast array of decision makers in the defence and security sectors featuring the following buyers:
- General Dynamics Land Systems
- Lockheed Martin
- Parker Hannifin
- Pearson Engineering
- Raytheon
- Supacat
With more to be announced very soon.
DPRTE – 23 June 2021, Farnborough
Officially supported by the MOD, DPRTE 2021 is a fantastic opportunity to engage with the defence market, worth over £20bn annually. With an increased investment of £16.5bn expected in defence spending over the next four years, now is the time to maximise your defence sector business. DPRTE 2021 offers a unique opportunity to connect with 1500+ key buyers and decision makers from across defence procurement and the supply chain. Join us on the NDI exhibitor pavilion at the show. We have various options to showcase your products and services from as little as £500. For more information and costs get in touch.
DSEI – 14 – 17 September 2021, London
Only 2 exhibition pods are left on the NDI pavilion!! If you are interested in exhibiting with us at the world’s largest defence expo, please get in touch asap. We have a range of options to suit all budgets from exhibition pods to advertising panels to sponsorship opportunities.
NDI are offering COVID cancellation T’s & C’s to all of our exhibitors along with flexible payments to help with cash flow. (Source: Kathryn Clamp)
04 Feb 21. Cityforum podcast discussion:
Strategy, Operations & Leadership – the view from Strategic Command
… Designing and equipping UK Armed Forces for an uncertain international security environment
A discussion between General Sir Patrick Sanders, Commander UK Strategic Command, and Professor Paul Cornish, Chief Strategist Cityforum, with a comment from Mr Julian Cracknell, Managing Director of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. This podcast concludes Cityforum’s Intelligent Defence and Smart Power series for 2020.
Listen to the podcast on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/WVBb7A0XVc0
Or on our website here: https://www.cityforum.co.uk/strategy-operations-leadership-the-view-from-strategic-command/