Air Commodore (Ret’d) Tim Owen, chair of the Hunter Defence Task Force joins host Liam Garman to discuss how the Hunter region in NSW is fast becoming one of Australia’s largest defence innovation hubs. The pair begins the podcast discussing how the Hunter Defence Task Force and the Hunter Defence Conference are equipping Australian defence SMEs with the knowledge and expertise to enter the defence supply chain and expand their offerings internationally. The podcast continues by analysing how the Hunter region is playing a critical role in the AIR 6500-Joint Air Battle Management Systems program, and how the SAP at Williamtown and Astra Aerolab are fostering collaboration between primes and SMEs to build a smarter and stronger defence workforce. The pair wraps up by discussing what is next in store for the region, with AIRCDRE (Ret’d) Owen laying out an ambitious plan of expanding the region’s industrial base across space, cyber and maritime sustainment.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team