Defence Minister, Jeremy Quin, underlined the importance of the defence industry to the UK’s prosperity, global position and security at Farnborough International yesterday as the defence community came together for the highly anticipated defence procurement event, DPRTE.
Billed as the UK’s Leading Defence Procurement and Supply Chain Event, DPRTE 2022 provided a unique opportunity to showcase goods and services as well as the chance to engage directly with both the key personnel and organisations responsible for setting strategy and operationally delivering an annual budget of over £20 billion.
It was standing room only at the event’s Keynote Arena as the Minister for Defence Procurement, Mr Quin, spoke of how COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine had shone the light on the often-unsung role of the defence sector.
He said the UK was at the forefront of efforts to support Ukraine, citing the recent announcement of £300m of military aid and praised the role the defence supply chain in helping to deliver this support.
“Delivering and maintaining this equipment has been a huge logistical feat and it wouldn’t have been possible without an agile and resilient supply chain.”
Mr Quin went on to describe the defence sector as “the crown jewel in the country’s economy” – boosting employment, raising skill levels and strengthening the UK’s global influence.
Mr Quin’s comments were a welcome boost to those attending the event, which attracted impressive numbers as over 1300 visitors came to Farnborough to hear from the leading and most influential speakers from across the defence procurement and supply chain marketplace.
The Supply Chain Engagement Zone was a huge draw as attendees heard presentations from some of the MOD’s main prime contractor partners, such as Airbus, GE Aviation, Thales, Babcock International and QinetiQ on current and future projects, and how to work with these organisations. There were also invaluable sessions on winning and understanding contracts from featuring Make UK Defence and Defence Contracts International.
Of course, no DPRTE event would be complete without the Product Showcase. For buyers across the MOD and the wider supply chain, the showcase provided an invaluable opportunity to engage and develop new and existing partnerships with a wealth of leading suppliers who are actively delivering a diverse range of innovative products and services that can support both current and future procurement requirements.
This year was no exception. Exhibitors included the likes of Axima, Ameresco, Softcat, AECOM, Dell Technologies, Tetra Tech and Kongsberg to name but a few. The sheer range of products and services from all the exhibitors really highlighted just how the defence marketplace represents such a significant opportunity for all types of companies.
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