Recent announcements from the UK Government, including its Strategic Defence Review, signal a shift in how the country intends to respond to a more challenging international environment. For Wales, this is both a call to engage and an opportunity to contribute.

Wales has long played a role in the UK’s defence effort. From industrial participation to recruitment to the Armed Forces, our contribution has been significant. That history matters, but so does our current capability. Wales is seen as having particular strength in unmanned aerial vehicles and associated technologies, and those areas have been recognised at national level. In my view, we are as well placed as any part of the UK to play an active part in what comes next.

Much of that potential sits with our SMEs. They are the backbone of Wales’ economy, and they have a vital contribution to make. What I have learnt in this job over the past four years is that brilliant ideas come out of Wales, brilliant innovation comes out of Wales, and we need to back ourselves and enter this market with ambition. For SMEs, this moment is not only about national need; it is also about diversification and future growth.

Any SME thinking about entering the defence sector needs to start with some basic questions. Why are we considering this now? What capability do we offer that could fill a gap, whether directly in defence or as an enabling component for another company’s specialist work? And how do we take that capability to market? Being able to tell a clear, compelling story about that is essential. Businesses need to understand the route, whether this is engaging with primes, working directly with the Ministry of Defence or the wider defence supply chain at home or abroad.

This is why Business in Focus has developed a defence consultancy service. The aim is simple: to help SMEs in Wales gain the confidence, capability and connections they need to succeed. The defence sector can appear complex, and our role is to make it more navigable so that firms can compete effectively and understand the expectations and opportunities involved. We want Welsh companies to be in a position where they can make the most of this moment.

None of this takes place in isolation. The world we are operating in is difficult, and the context is not of our choosing. But we must work with the reality we face, not the one we might prefer. The businesses that adapt, innovate and respond quickly will be the ones that prosper, and defence is no different from any other sector in that regard. The urgency is real. The work happening today in places like Ukraine shows how fast innovation now moves, and how important agility has become.

Looking ahead, I want to see Wales in a position where the private sector and public sector are working closely together, with a coherent plan that encourages and enables participation. In five to ten years’ time, I would like the Welsh defence sector to be one in which our SMEs are fully integrated, competitive and confident. But to achieve that, we cannot wait five years. We need to build that capability now.

For any SME in Wales – or anyone who knows one – I would encourage a conversation with us. The opportunity is there, and with the right support our businesses can contribute to the UK’s needs while strengthening their own future. It is a chance to sustain jobs, create new ones and demonstrate once again what Wales is capable of when it backs itself.