The Australian British Defence Catalyst (ABDC) will bring the top tier of defence, industry, policy and research for a unique three days of special briefing and thought leadership, running just ahead of the Farnborough Airshow.

With work on strategic reviews and investment plans in both Australia and the UK, the Catalyst will focus on real traction for industry engagement on AUKUS and beyond, and resilience across defence and national security in these testing geopolitical times.

The Aims and Objectives of ABDC 2026 are:

• Unpack strategic context as maritime disruption, great-power competition push security and resilience to the top of agendas.
• Understand the changing character of conflict.
• Support AUKUS Pillar I through progress on workforce, submarine industrial capacity, infrastructure, and community buy-in.
• Interpret defence investment through Australia’s National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program and the UK Defence Investment Plan.
• Strengthen UK–Australia defence industry collaboration through sovereign capability, allied supply-chain integration, and SME participation.
• Advance cooperation in AUKUS Pillar II technologies including autonomy, cyber, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, space and undersea systems.
• Build understanding of national resilience across defence, space, energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors.

The speakers confirmed so far are:

• Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry; MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport
• General Sir Gwyn Jenkins KCB OBE ADC RM, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
• Jeremy Pocklington CB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
• His Excellency the Hon Jay Weatherill AO, Australian High Commissioner to the UK
• Avril Jolliffe, National Armaments Director - International, Ministry of Defence
• Shimon Fhima MBE, Director – Lethality, Ministry of Defence
• The Hon Ambassador Joe Hockey (Ret.), Former Australian Ambassador to the United States; Founding Partner & President, Bondi Partners
• Dr Brendan Nelson AO, President, Boeing Global
• John Cunningham, Director Innovation, Ministry of Defence
• Major General Hugh Meggitt AM CSC, Head, Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (tbc)
• Kylie Wright, Head Workforce, Industry and Supply Chain, Australian Submarine Agency (tbc)
• Fred Thomas MP, Member for Plymouth Moor View and Defence Committee Member
• Air Vice-Marshal Paul ‘Rosey’ Rose MBE, Director Commissioning, National Armaments Director Group, Ministry of Defence
• Leah Grantham, Acting CEO, Babcock Australasia
• Corry Neale, CEO Australia, QinetiQ
• Matt Opie, CEO, Defence SA
• Mike Kerrigan, Managing Director – Asia Pacific, Cambridge Aerospace
• Kathryn Essex, Head of the Security and Defence Industry ANZ, British High Commission Canberra

To register your interest in attending, please contact Jennifer Cramond at jcramond@britishchamber.com