We are delighted to announce that the SMI Conference 2025 will take place on 1st April 2025 at the Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel.

The one-day event will bring together key stakeholders within the UK’s maritime defence and security enterprise to discuss future opportunities and build valuable connections. The SMI Conference 2025 will expand on the work of SMI's Strategic Defence Review and AUKUS working groups. In addition to the main conference programme, we will once again host an exhibition. 

Agenda

0800-0900 - Registration and Networking

Session 1 -  The Strategic Context for the Naval Enterprise

• 0900 - 0910 - Opening Remarks- Tom Chant MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Maritime Industries
• 0910 - 0915 - Welcome for Conference Chair - Peter Collinson, Founder, Dendrityca
• 0915 - 0935 - The Strategic Defence Review Outcomes - Cdre Conor O'Neill, Head of Capability Strategy, Ministry of Defence
• 0935 - 0955 - The National Shipbuilding Office - Looking to the Future - Rod Paterson, Chief Executive, National Shipbuilding Office
• 0955 - 1015 - The Strategic Defence Review Outcomes for the Royal Navy - Andy Mitchell, ROYAL NAVY – DEVELOP Deputy Director – Navy Capability Strategy
• 1015 - 1045 - Panel Discussion 
• 1045 - 1115 - Networking Coffee Break

Session 2 - Underpinning Defence and Security – Lessons Learnt from the Civil Maritime Sector

• 1115 -1200 - How the civil maritime sector underpins the defence and security sector through innovation, investment, and strategic collaboration.
• The panel session will highlight best practices, shared challenges and practical insights for UK policymakers and organisations currently or aiming to work across both naval and civil maritime.
• • Steven Lee - Chief Naval Architect, Commercial Vessels, BMT
  • Christophe Tytgat - Secretary General, SEA Europe
  • Mark Downer - Managing Director, Griffon Hoverwork
  • Professor Chris Smith - Deputy Assoc Dean for Research (Industry) for the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at University of Exeter and Director of the Centre for Future Clean Mobility
  • Richard Holland, Principal Engineer, Connected Places Catapult

• 1200 - 1315 - Networking Lunch Break

Session 3 - Opportunities in AUKUS

• 1315 - 1330 - AUKUS Geopolitical Context - Carl Stephen Hunter OBE, Chairman of Council on Geostrategy Forum and Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics
• 1330 - 1345 - AUKUS Pillar 1 - Cdre Paul Carter, UK AUKUS Programme Director, Defence Nuclear Organisation
• 1345 - 1400 - ACIF: What it Means to Industry - Richard Powell, Director for Strategic Engagement (Maritime), Qinetiq and Chairman of the SMI Maritime Defence and Security Group.
• 1400 - 1415 - AUKUS Pillar 2 - David Burton, Director ASW SDI and UK MBP Programme Director.
• 1415 - 1500 - Panel Discussion 

• 1500 - 1530 - Networking Coffee Break

Session 4 - Safeguarding Critical National Infrastructure

• 1530 - 1615

• Mark Burnett - Director, Autonaut
• Michael Dodds - Associate Director, Royal Haskoning DHV
• Robert Courts - Director, Ascalane Partners
• Matt Bowden, General Manager, Red Penguin
• Kirsty Johnson, Head of Maritime Resilience, Department for Transport 
• Michelle Muxworthy, Compliance Leader, Port of Tyne

Session 5 - Investing in UK Shipyards

• 1615 - 1700 - This is a multi-stakeholder panel discussion outlining the ways that investment could/ should be spent to empower the UK's shipbuilding enterprise. The panel comprises representatives from yards of varying sizes, all with engagement in the UK's naval shipbuilding pipeline. 

Session Chair - Ross Elliott, Partner - Defence and Aerospace at PwC.

• Ilgi Kim Chief Commercial Officer - Babcock International - Marine
• Linton Roberts - Group Chief Technology Officer, APCL Group
• Damien Bloor - Director - Royal Haskoning DHV
• Bernardo Hamester - Senior Project Manager - Wight Shipyard
• Stephen Appleby - Commercial and Supply Chain Director Future Business and Technology,
  Naval Ships, BAE Systems 

• 1700 - 1705 - Closing Remarks 
• 1705 - 2130 - Networking Reception with Buffet

SMI Conference 2024

Check out the video below from this year's SMI Conference 2024, held at Millennium Point in Birmingham.