In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, senior journalist Robert Dougherty is joined by Miles Chambers, senior vice president of international business development at EDGE Group, to discuss how the United Arab Emirates established and manages its own defence prime to work collaboratively with government, provide leadership in industry and coordinate defence exports.

Chambers, with more than two decades of experience in the defence sector, leads EDGE Group's international growth strategy, overseeing export sales and global partnerships.

He holds a bachelor of commerce degree in information systems and a bachelor of commerce (honours) degree in information systems from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

The pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• EDGE Group's recent achievements in defence projects since it's establishment in 2019 and the acquisition of Estonian robotics company Milrem Robotics and Swedish VTOL company Anavia.
• How the company effectively coordinates its separate branches and more than 35 entities across the differing environments of land, sea, air, space and cyber.
• The increasing focus on the importance of domestic manufacturing ability in the UAE, compared to traditional acquisition of externally produced international defence technology and vehicles.
• Initiatives to help UAE citizens enter or work in the defence industry, as a foundation principle of the company.
• EDGE Group's market-leading strategy in prioritising domestic research and manufacturing of drones, artificial intelligence and uncrewed robotic systems.
• Corporate strategy and defence priority projects into the future, such as uncrewed aircraft and automation.

Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect Team