More than 60 ambitious manufacturers from the West Midlands gathered recently for a special event designed to accelerate SME participation in international defence markets and to strengthen the UK’s sovereign defence capability.

“Breaking into Defence: Enter Overseas Markets with the Ministry of Defence”, which was delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, directly addressed key priorities championed by Make UK Defence – supporting smaller manufacturers to become export-ready, building resilient domestic supply chains and ensuring UK innovation is embedded within global defence programmes.

Delivered in partnership with business support programmes across the West Midlands (including the Investment Readiness Programme), the event provided SMEs with direct access to Ministry of Defence export specialists, global primes and regional growth advisers.

The event focused on five key themes:

  • Navigating international defence procurement processes
  • Understanding export controls and compliance
  • Positioning SME innovation within global supply chains
  • Accessing government-backed export support
  • Building long-term strategic partnerships

David Woodbridge, SME engagement team leader from the UK Ministry of Defence Exports team, commented: “A huge thank you to the team at Oxford Innovation Advice for the help and support in delivering such a successful West Midlands SME Surgery.

“With over 60 SMEs in attendance and some great interaction and feedback, I think we can confidently say we met our joint objective of helping firms in the region with their business growth.

We would be delighted to work with Oxford Innovation Advice again in the future.”

Global aerospace and defence group Safran shared insight into how SMEs can successfully integrate into international programmes and long-term frameworks during the event.

John England, general manager for Safran in the UK, added: “I was really excited to present at the Oxford Innovation Advice forum, sharing insight about how suppliers can access the defence market within the UK and offering advice on that.

“We would not be successful without the small and medium enterprises that supply into Safran, contributing to making the products that we produce and deliver to our customers.  It was a great event and very helpful for SMEs.”

Companies attending the event reported immediate value in the practical guidance and strategic clarity gained.

One example was Birmingham-based advanced engineering firm Rowan Precision. Glenn Aston, chief executive officer, continued: “I attended a roundtable a couple of weeks ago that was organised by Oxford Innovation Advice, and the team sent me an invite to this event, which was very appropriate.

“We don’t currently supply into the MOD, so this latest gathering certainly opened my eyes to see what the options and opportunities could be for us. There were people from the Army who had opened things up for us, and we may investigate looking at their exhibition centre in Larkhill.

“The guys from the government part of the MOD certainly shared what’s involved in getting into that sector. I need to take it a little bit further forward because we’re probably going to be a tier 3 or tier 4 company, and it’s about how we then get into the tier 1s and tier 2s supporting the MoD.

“Overall, I think it’s a big positive for Oxford Innovation Advice and what they’ve done here today.”

By supporting SMEs to scale, innovate and export, the event reinforces the West Midlands’ contribution to national defence resilience, ensuring the region remains a critical component of the UK’s advanced manufacturing and defence ecosystem.

Oxford Innovation Advice continues to work with regional and national partners to ensure high-potential businesses are equipped to compete globally, aligning with the UK’s ambition to grow defence exports while safeguarding domestic industrial strength.

Jane Galsworthy, managing director of Oxford Innovation Advice, concluded: “SMEs play a vital role in strengthening the defence sector’s industrial base in the UK. We are committed to connecting ambitious businesses with the right insight, partners and support to access global defence supply chains and scale.”

For further information, please visit www.oxfordinnovationadvice.co.uk

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