Babcock’s Supplier Day Showcases UK Industry Opportunities

[By Babcock]

Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company, has welcomed suppliers, industry partners and Indonesian and UK Government stakeholders to London for a UK-Indonesia Supplier Day, highlighting opportunities for British businesses to support the delivery of Indonesia’s ambitious Maritime Partnership Programme (MPP). The event reinforces Babcock’s commitment to building a strong, collaborative supply chain that delivers economic growth, innovation and long-term maritime capability in both nations.

The UK Supplier Day marks the latest milestone in the growing partnership between the UK and Indonesia. Following Babcock's landmark agreement to provide two Arrowhead 140 frigate licences, the relationship has expanded into a broader programme of industrial collaboration, skills development and technology transfer. The launch of the MPP in Jakarta in April 2026 accelerated that ambition, creating new opportunities for businesses, academia and government to work together in support of Indonesia's maritime modernisation with further momentum following the signing of a series memoranda of understanding, opening new pathways for UK and Indonesian industry and education partners to collaborate and grow.

Featuring a keynote address from Babcock’s CEO Harry Holt alongside representatives from the Indonesian and UK Governments, the Supplier Day demonstrated how UK businesses can contribute to one of the most significant international maritime programmes with opportunities for organisations across areas such as defence, maritime, skills development, engineering and technology.

Through the MPP, Babcock is supporting Indonesia's ambitions to modernise maritime capability, strengthen domestic shipbuilding capacity, develop workforce skills and enhance industrial resilience. Recent agreements under the programme include shipbuilding collaboration, naval technology development, university partnerships and scholarship programmes designed to create sustainable long-term benefits for Indonesia's maritime sector.

Harry Holt, Group CEO, Babcock said: “Strong partnerships are essential to delivering growth, innovation and capability. This Supplier Day demonstrates the momentum behind the Maritime Partnership Programme and our commitment to ensuring UK industry plays a meaningful role in its success.

"The programme is about more than ships. It is about building long-term industrial partnerships, developing skills, supporting technology transfer and creating economic opportunities across both nations. By bringing together suppliers, industry leaders and government stakeholders, we are helping create the foundations for lasting collaboration and sustainable growth."

The Supplier Day builds on Babcock's wider commitment to supporting SMEs and strengthening supply chain participation across its global operations. Recent supplier engagement events in New Zealand, Australia and in the UK have highlighted opportunities for local businesses to access defence and maritime programmes, while Babcock's recently launched SME Engagement Charter commits the company to improving access, simplifying engagement and creating greater opportunities for smaller businesses within the defence sector.

As the lead industrial partner for the MPP, Babcock is leveraging its expertise in complex programme delivery, maritime engineering, supply chain orchestration and skills development to support Indonesia's long-term maritime transformation while creating value for UK industry. The programme further strengthens the UK's strategic partnership with Indonesia and demonstrates the role defence collaboration can play in supporting economic growth, industrial development and regional security.

The UK Supplier Day also forms part of Babcock's long-term ambitions for the Arrowhead 140 programme and its vision of creating a repeatable model for international collaboration that delivers sovereign capability, prosperity and industrial growth.