More than 2,000 delegates from across the UK and overseas are expected to attend Wales’ first flagship Defence Security Resilience Cymru (DSRC) event when it takes place at ICC Wales on 3 and 4 September.
The two day event will bring together buyers, suppliers, investors, academics and innovators to create new business opportunities, strengthen partnerships and support the future of the defence, security and resilience sectors.
A programme of keynote speakers will include broadcaster Gordon Corera, Scott Milne of General Dynamics Land Systems and Matt Jukes from The Metropolitan Police.
Around 60 exhibitors from across the UK will also be taking part, including Airbus, the Wales Innovation Network, the University of South Wales and the British Business Bank. Representatives from organisations including NATO HQ Procurement, Ministry of Defence Procurement and UK Export will also attend.
Alongside the speaker programme, delegates will have the opportunity to take part in dedicated one to one Meet the Buyer, Meet the Employer and Investor’s Pitch sessions, designed to connect businesses with major organisations, investors and potential employers.
The event will conclude on the evening of 4 September with an inaugural celebration dinner and awards ceremony. Speakers at the event will include Sir Terry Matthews and General Sir Richard Barrons KCB CBE, who will share insights on defence, resilience, strategic risk and industrial capability.
DSRC is the first event of its kind to be held in Wales and has been organised by Business in Focus in partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems, ADS Group and the Welsh Government, with support from the Wales Regional Defence and Security Cluster.
Organisers say the event will help businesses of all sizes, particularly small and medium sized enterprises, access opportunities within the defence and security sector, which has traditionally been difficult to enter.
With geopolitical uncertainty increasing and defence spending continuing to rise, the event aims to encourage organisations from a wide range of industries to explore how they can contribute to the UK’s defence capability, national resilience, sovereign industrial capacity and supply chains.
The organisers say the event highlights the broad range of sectors that support defence, including aerospace, banking, artificial intelligence, hospitality and academia.
Attendance at Defence Security Resilience Cymru is free, with tickets available now.
