Manufacturers and strategists align at Pacific 2019 International Maritime Exposition in Sydney
Rapid economic growth has elevated the Indian Ocean to one of world’s busiest trade corridors, with strategic implications, says a former navy chief.
For three days from today, the International Convention Centre in Sydney will host the PACIFIC 2019 International Maritime Exposition, continuing a biennial hub of defence and commercial maritime innovation and strategy for the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Collectively the conferences and exposition offer an engaging and thought-provoking program for those with a personal and professional interest in naval and maritime affairs. The 2017 event featured 18 conferences and symposia, attracting more than 540 companies from around the world and 16,765 attendances, including 79 civil and military delegations from 53 nations.
PACIFIC 2019 will include the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Conference 2019, plus the service’s King-Hall Naval History Conference 2019 and the inaugural Senior Enlisted Leadership Conference.
Sea Power Conference 2019 will explore the broad theme ‘‘The Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain in the 21st Century — The Spectrum of Influence’’. It will focus on the use of power versus procurement in the Indo-Pacific, Sea Power and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the importance of cooperative and collaborative regional partnerships in trying to ensure all countries benefit from the 21st century’s Indo-Pacific.
Naval conferences will share the venue with commercial and civil forums staged by organisations such as the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems, Maritime Industry Australia Limited, Engineers Australia, The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. Presentations will span the use of unmanned vehicles in the maritime domain, increasing environmental regulation for shipping, maritime safety, commercial shipbuilding and sustainment, new technologies, and the role of digitisation in vessel management and operation.
As a magnet for industry, PACIFIC 2019 will also feature symposia and presentations from enabling organisations such as the Centre for Defence Industry Capability, industry associations and global supply-chain prime contractors seeking suppliers. For small business, PACIFIC 2019 offers information sessions on how to appeal to prime contractors, working with the Defence Department as a customer and the challenges of entering export markets.
PACIFIC 2019 will also honour Australian companies innovating in the maritime space, with the PACIFIC 2019 Innovation Awards, to be presented by the Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price, today.
The mission of the PACIFIC 2019 International Maritime Exposition is to provide a promotional platform and forum for constructive engagement within the Australian and international industry, defence and civil maritime communities. The event is presented with strong support from the Australian government through the department and particularly the RAN, with the NSW government as a key sponsor.
Board chairman of the not-for-profit foundation organising PACIFIC 2019, former chief of navy Vice Admiral (retired) Chris Ritchie, says PACIFIC 2019 will be a timely platform for national discussion on how the region’s changing political and economic landscape will influence commercial and defence maritime capability.
“PACIFIC 2019 comes at one of the most dynamic periods in the development of the Indo-Pacific region,” he says. “Rapid economic growth has elevated the Indian Ocean to rival the Atlantic and Pacific among the world’s busiest trade corridors, with strategic implications for surrounding nations.
“In home waters, the Royal Australian Navy is executing its largest acquisition program since World War II, renewing major strategic capabilities with new-generation platforms at the leading edge of technology development. Our commercial marine industry is equally engaged with the challenges of environmental responsibility and economy in an era where sea transport is a key enabler of the region’s and indeed the world’s commercial growth.
“Underpinning both communities is the broad and varied network of industries designing, building and maintaining the vessels, equipment and services that will deliver the required capability for decades to come.
“There is no better time to bring these communities together, to encourage the engagement and debate which is fundamental to devising and executing effective strategy for both the civil and defence maritime community.’’
Supplied article, Industry Defence and Security Australia Limited
www.pacificexpo.com.au
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