When geopolitical threats are heightened, the world turns to Hampton Roads for answers. As a result, the Alliance and our partners are focusing on the exponential growth that awaits our defense giants like Huntington Ingalls as the U.S. remilitarizes in the face of an increasingly uncertain world.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with AUKUS – the trilateral security partnership between Australia (AU), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) to enhance cooperation among the three countries in various areas, including defense, technology, and security. One of the key components of AUKUS is the plan for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines with the assistance of the US and the UK. As the partnership kicks off, Australian defense suppliers visited Hampton Roads in mid-April.
On April 15th the Alliance hosted a reception aboard the Battleship Wisconsin alongside the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the Government of South Australia, bringing together key stakeholders from Hampton Roads and Australia, fostering invaluable connections and discussions. The Alliance also unveiled the expanded Offshore Wind Landing, now known as the IDEA Lab, representing Innovation, Defense, Energy, and Aerospace. The IDEA Lab will host companies focused on these industries as it has for the past few years with our Offshore Wind partners. The first defense related company to join the lab came from the Australian delegation: Quality Maritime Surveyors (QMS), a company that specializes in nondestructive testing and inspection of materials used in marine vessels. QMS plans to establish a submarine and shipbuilding training institution in Norfolk and will use the IDEA Lab as a temporary home as they cement those plans. They plan to seek a permanent home in Newport News once established.
When it comes to the defense industry, there is only one Hampton Roads. In the same way that offshore wind represented a generational opportunity for this region, AUKUS and the increasing needs from the defense community are the region’s chance to grow what is the heart of our economy: the maritime industrial base. Stay tuned as we do just that, and we hope you’ll join us.
