Defence exporting is a priority for the new British Government and Mr Gerald Howarth MP, the MOD Minister responsible, has kindly agreed to open this significant Cityforum Round Table on how the ambitious aims of the newly formed Coalition can be realised.

The Minister opens the discussion and leads the first Round Table of the day on 'Understanding and Advancing the National Interest'.  Three further Round Tables follow on:

            The capabilities that will count

            Making defence exporting work

            Achieving real success

Each examines what has to be done if the exporting ambition is to be achieved.  The requirements are more complicated than might at first appear.  A sea change in attitudes is essential.  This is described on the day.

The agenda brings together senior officials, serving officers, industry, technologists, academics and advisers to look at exporting and its contribution to successful defence diplomacy, at acquisition and the international dimension of UK capability planning and at the role of the government in general, and of MOD in particular, in encouraging the sale of British equipment, expertise in training and in long term project management.  The international marketplace is increasingly competitive and success will be dependent on innovative collaboration with overseas governments and a much less UK centric focus.  The Government is also keen to encourage the security industry in foreign markets and this is also on the September agenda.

The full programme for this forum is to be announced in late July.  At this stage we can confirm that Mr Tim Banfield of the NAO is to look at the budgetary implications in the light of all the work done by his Office, Lieutenant General Dick Applegate, with his huge acquisition experience, will examine the mindsets that require to change and M. Francois Lureau, for years the successful head of DGA in France, will be among the expert commentators from outside the United Kingdom.  Mr Richard Hooke of RBS takes on the vital subject of defence export finance – a critical subject in the light of increasing competition on overseas markets.

This Round Table is a must for industrialists, primes, sub primes and SMEs with a serious interest in how the new chapter in the defence and security exporting business can be written to the mutual benefit of companies, the taxpayer and the Government.

Costs
Standard Fee: £680 + VAT @ 17.5% £799
Public sector fee: £340 + VAT @17.5% £399.50

Concessionary rates