Business leaders appointed to new Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council

Midlands Mayors Richard Parker and Claire Ward have appointed 16 senior defence industry leaders to support the sector’s growth in the region as government prepares to boost national security spending.

Some of the region’s biggest employers and several SMEs will sit on the new Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council.

They are tasked with attracting new investment to create high-quality, well-paid jobs for local people by collectively championing and advocating for the Midlands defence and security industries, amplifying their strengths, capabilities, and potential.

The Mayors will host the council members for their first meeting later this month, alongside their industry chair – Chris Spicer, managing director of Engineering & Systems Integration at Babcock International, which employs more than 300 people in Walsall.

Chris has more than 15 years of experience in the global defence industry.

He said: “I am delighted to accept the role of inaugural chair of the Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council. Babcock has a long-standing relationship with the Midlands, where we have been an employer for more than 100 years in vehicle conversions and I am immensely proud of our highly skilled workforce in Walsall, who continue to deliver and develop vehicles such as our Civilian Armoured Vehicle and General Logistics Vehicle variants - capabilities that are vital to the UK’s national security.

“This collaborative venture, underpinned by the recently launched Defence and Security Blueprint for the Midlands, is excellent news for the region. It not only supports the Government’s wider Defence Industrial Strategy, but also reinforces Babcock’s ongoing commitment to creating employment opportunities and driving growth across the area.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “We’ve got 25,000 people working in defence and related sectors across the West Midlands alone, making us one of the UK’s biggest hubs. But I believe we’re only scratching the surface when it comes to maximising these economic opportunities at the same as keeping our country and way of life safe.

“That’s why we’ve given Chris Spicer and the rest of this council the clear objective to champion our industrial and innovative strengths to make sure we’re the big winner from increased government spending.

“More jobs, higher wages, and stronger businesses is the promise I made in my Growth Plan. This is how we’re creating those real opportunities for local people and futureproofing our economy against times of uncertainty.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands; Chris Spicer, industry chair of the Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council; Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands.

Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands, said: “The East Midlands has substantial strengths in defence and the sectors that support it, but we know that even greater strength and opportunity is generated by the wider Midlands working together. Our supply chains do not stop at administrative boundaries, so we have built a partnership that understands and responds to that.

“This will allow for stronger, inclusive growth. Businesses expect us to ensure that the benefits of increased defence investment accrue to our major global businesses and SMEs alike, and this Council will ensure that we work together to deliver that. It is this shared work that will translate into well-paid jobs for local people whilst opening up new opportunities for graduates and apprentices.”

The Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council has been set up as part of the Midlands Defence and Security Blueprint – a practical plan to secure the Midlands’ place at the heart of the UK’s defence effort.
Defence is already an important component of the Midlands economy with around 1,000 companies in defence or related sectors, employing 50,000 people across the region.

And that’s why both Mayors have placed the sector at the centre of their growth plans and the Compact agreement they signed between the West and East Midlands combined authorities.

The blueprint sets out the need to upskill workers and establish new career pathways for graduates and apprentices, alongside targeted support to help more SMEs win government contracts or break into defence-related supply chains.

Also backed by this plan will be the innovative businesses who are already developing operational and strategic technologies for modern battlefields.

The council will work in parallel with the three Regional Defence and Security Clusters (RDSCs) across the region, including a West Midlands RDSC to be launched later this year and already established RDSCs in the East Midlands and Lincolnshire.

The full list of Midlands Defence and Security Industry Council members:

• Richard Parker, Mayor the West Midlands
• Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands – political co-chair
• Chris Spicer, Babcock – industry co-chair
• Chris Walker, QinetiQ
• Emma Maltby, Rolls Royce
• Ian de Souza, Ricardo
• Julian Free CBE, Lincolnshire Regional Defence and Security Cluster
• Lee Purslow, Unite the Union
• Mark Dumville, GMV
• Matthew Badhams, Safran
• Nicola Melia, ESCO Maritime Solutions
• Rachel Connor, GE Vernova
• Roisin Hopkins, HORIBA MIRA
• Rory Breen, Rheinmetall UK
• Simon Ward, Accrofab
• Stephen Kines, Goldilock
• Tim Richmond, East Midlands Regional Defence and Security Cluster
• West Midlands Regional Defence and Security Cluster (representative to be confirmed)

Read the Defence and Security Blueprint and Security Blueprint for the West Midlands on the WMCA website.