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CITY REGION SMES AT GLASS FUTURES EVENT
Following the success of the sell-out defence event at Glass Futures in St Helens earlier this year, RTC North returned with another packed session helping businesses across the Liverpool City Region uncover their potential in this fast-growing sector.
The event once again welcomed close to 100 delegates from a wide variety of industries. With UK defence spending set to rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, interest in accessing opportunities within the sector has never been stronger.
Opening the session, Cammell Laird provided a keynote on supplier opportunities and outlined requirements for supplying into defence, from standards and accreditations to the range of goods and services they procure.
Didde Bjerglund Martin from JOSCAR outlined supplier compliance, while Morgan
Oakes from the North West Cyber Resilience Centre covered cyber essentials. Delegates also heard from Helen O’Rourke of the North West Regional Defence and Security Cluster, Lynsey Parke from DASA, and Dan Parvaz from Make UK Defence.
There were also presentations by Senior Weston, Summit, and MPE Interiors, offering practical insights into the realities of supplying into the defence sector.
In addition, Cammell Laird’s procurement team hosted exclusive Meet the Buyer appointments, giving businesses the rare chance to sit down with decision makers. Feedback highlighted the value of this engagement for targeted advice and relationship building.
Delivered as part of RTC North’s ongoing partnership with Growth Platform, the event supports local SMEs in accessing high-value markets like defence and realising their growth potential. It also reflects RTC North’s broader commitment to strengthening local supply chains and ensuring that both defence and other industries become more accessible to companies ready to grow and diversify the way they do business.
Reflecting on the day, Steve Wilkinson, Programme Manager at RTC North, said: “Events like this are about more than information sharing, they’re about bolstering the local supply chain and giving businesses the confidence to step into new opportunities.”
Held once again at Glass Futures, the showcase reinforced the message that the time for businesses to explore the defence market is now.
