The Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2018 is primed to allow SMEs to discover their place in the UK’s £19 billion defence marketplace.
The exhibition will be held on 27 March 2018 Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena and is considered the UK’s leading annual defence procurement and supply chain event.
Held across a single day, DPRTE 2018 offers 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 £19 billion. The event will host a Buyer Engagement Village, offering delegates the chance to meet buyers and suppliers, network with colleagues and make new contacts and connections.
Speaking about the opportunities for any businesses or organisations wanting to benefit from defence sector, former Commercial Director of the Ministry of Defence and the Chair of DPRTE, Les Mosco, said: “There are real opportunities for companies, developers of innovative products and services in the MOD’s extensive supply chains. It’s important that all businesses understand that, regardless of their size, an opportunity exists to expand into the defence and security marketplaces.”
With MOD spending plans outlining £178 billion of investment in new technology and equipment between 2016 and 2026 and a commitment to meet NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of national income on defence every year until 2020, the majority of DPRTE attendees are SMEs seeking to grow their businesses by tapping into the varied supply chain requirements of the modern defence sector.
Mr Mosco, continued: “It’s vital that any business looking to break into or expand in that market need to ensure their products and services are visible to key audiences. DPRTE gives them an open forum to do that while also discovering how they may need to alter their offering in the future.”
Exhibitors and official event partners this year include MOD Defence and Security Accelerator, Crown Commercial Service, and Cyber Protection Partnership as well as a host of other high-profile organisations in the defence sector supply chain.
The event’s speakers include Andrew Forzani, Chief Commercial Officer of the UK Ministry of Defence; Gary Aitkenhead, Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Labaratory, Les Mosco, Former Commercial Director of the Ministry of Defence, Jaqueline Rock, Commercial Director at DIO and Jeegar Kakkad, Chief Economist and Director of Policy at ADS.
Attendees at the exhibition will be also able to access a series of training sessions at the Technology & Innovation Knowledge Transfer Zone which will provide participants with an insight into the latest developments and opportunities in this crucial area.
By encouraging collaboration across industry, academia and allies the aim is to boost the competitive advantage of UK defence and find swift answers to the most pressing national security questions from across sectors. The zone will also host a techUK session tackling the topic of ‘Defining the True Value of Information and Digital Capabilities in Defence’.
Simon Burges, CEO of BiP Solutions, the organiser of DPRTE, explained: “With over 1500 key decision makers from across the defence sector, DPRTE 2018 is a must-attend event for existing and aspiring defence suppliers of all sizes looking for business growth”.
Last few stands remaining – call 0845 270 7066 or email exhibitions@dprte.co.uk to discuss the remaining opportunities.
For more information visit www.dprte.co.uk
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