The ADS Infrastructure Group will be hosting a panel discussion at DPRTE this week entitled “From ambition to reality: Tackling key issues to delivering sustainability on the Defence Estate”.
The panel will feature two guest speakers who co-chair the Defence Supplies Forum Climate Change & Sustainability Building and Construction Working Group:
- Rebecca Jones FMC Infra Strategy Policy Deputy Head
Rebecca leads Policy and Strategy teams for the Finance and Military Capability Infrastructure team Ministry of Defence. Rebecca has worked across the corporate sector and now spearheads the work MOD does for the built and land estate for Defence, in everything from building standards to climate resilience and Net Zero. - Will Masters, Sales Leadership for Sustainability
Will is part of the Energy, Security and Technology sales team at Jacobs, with a specific role of providing sales leadership for sustainability.
They will look at the barriers to the successful implementation of sustainability on the Defence Estate and will consider the impact on the infrastructure sector. Join the discussion from 15:10-15:30 in the Infrastructure and Estates Knowledge Zone.
Ongoing engagement from the ADS Infrastructure Group
This DPRTE session follows on from a successful day in January 2024 organised by the ADS Infrastructure Group. The Front-Line Command Strategic Update and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) Engagement Day focussed on strategic and commercial priorities, challenges, upcoming pipelines, sustainability on the Defence Estate, as well as working with industry and future engagements.
ADS members and wider industry were joined by:
- Ben Leil, Commercial Director, DIO
- Brigadier Pete Quaite, Head Infrastructure Plans, British Army
- Air Commodore William Dole, Head Infrastructure, Royal Air Force
- Commodore Raymond Lovegrove, Defence Infrastructure, Royal Navy
- Group Captain Neil Smith, Head Infrastructure, Strategic Command.
Members heard about ongoing programmes to deliver modernised and optimised facilities and services to the armed forces. Speakers highlighted the importance of engaging with industry to understand how DIO can be a better delivery agent, coupled with how Front-Line Command can be a better customer, to maintain and deliver operational efficiency of the Defence Estate.
Building resilience on the Defence Estate
A key theme focussed on building resilience on the Defence Estate by improving the infrastructure’s sustainability efficiency and exploitation. As aligned in the DIO Strategy 2020-2030, as well as the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, the Defence Estate must evolve in response to a more contested and volatile world, becoming more resilient against threats including climate change.
Relevant programmes highlighting ongoing efforts in this domain include the funded UK Strategic Command APOLLO – providing seismically compliant schools, blue light services, technical infrastructure, and family homes across the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Episkopi Garrison, RAF Akrotiri, Dhekelia Garrison and Ayios Nikolaos in Cyprus – as well as Programme Hydro, which is a project designed to improve resilience of the heating and hot water provision across the UK Air Estate.
Building on this, the recently agreed New Accommodation Offer aims to modernise accommodation entitlements, update the overseas accommodations offer and improve the standard of Single Living Accommodation, home to servicemen and women during their training or posting to a unit. Assessments are currently underway to understand where investment is needed. Improving the lived experience for all those who live, work and train on the Defence Estate is an enabling factor in supporting the recruitment and retention rate of the UK’s Armed Forces.
Addressing workforce shortages
Workforce shortages was another key topic addressed by speakers, echoing the need to address the skills gap in our sector as well as ensuring a steady supply of skilled workers for the future. The Devonport Dockyard rebuild was stated as one example of the various defence contracts bringing skills, capabilities, and new jobs to the region. However, Government, industry and Front-Line Command need to continue to work together to enhance the workforce capacity and expertise required for the UK’s defence sector.
This Engagement Day reflected our continuous efforts to leverage strong partnerships between Industry, MoD and Front-Line Command to best serve our armed forces customers every day.
Infrastructure Group – ADS Special Interest Group
The Infrastructure Group is a special interest group for organisations with a particular interest or involvement in the Ministry of Defence’s estate. It aims to develop links between the Ministry of Defence’s capability provision and relevant infrastructure business opportunities, including partnering arrangements. The Group has been closely engaged with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Crown Commercial Services Framework.
