D’Esposito Delivers Keynote Speech at Roundtable Event
The Corporate Committee of the Long Island Council of the Navy League in conjunction with Retlif Testing Laboratories in Ronkonkoma, recently sponsored a special AUKUS/Industry roundtable program at the Holiday Inn Long Island Conference Center in Holtsville to discuss the relationship and partnerships between Long Island government contract manufacturers and the Australian government in support of its nuclear submarine program. The event, which drew more than 75 attendees, featured a roundtable discussion of government officials, headlined with a keynote address from Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (R-Garden City).
Roundtable panelists included AUKUS Integration and Acquisition (I&A) Executive Director Meganne Atkins; Senior Trade Investment Commissioner/Austrade Paul Burfield; Minister-Counsellor for AUKUS at the Australian Embassy in the U.S., Phoebe Greentree; and SIB (Submarine Industrial-Base) Strategy and Implementation’s Joelle Schmitz. Each panelist gave a 20-minute overview on the significance of the alliance and relationship.
Moderated by Michael Griffin, who handles government affairs for the Navy League Corporate Committee, the objective of the roundtable was to educate the industrial base on Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) and its opportunities, present the pillars of AUKUS, and identify next steps for the industry level partnerships and how Long Island contract manufacturers can become suppliers and provide resources. The AUKUS roundtable and meeting was first developed and facilitated by U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point).
“When companies and our countries come together, we are infinitely stronger and more successful,” said Navy League Corporate Committee Chairman Walter Poggi, who is also president and CEO of Retlif Testing Laboratories, who delivered the opening remarks for the program. “Everyone in this room works in partnership towards a common interest in building our country’s defense.”
D’Esposito delivered the keynote address and mentioned many of the topics that would be expanded on by the panel, as well as its ties to the local area of Long Island. “Long Island will be an important partner in this project,” D’Esposito shared. “Both by receiving substantial benefits from this international collaboration and making significant contributions to AUKUS. This partnership will build lasting relationships between the U.S. and Australian suppliers, which will drive innovation, create efficiencies, and open new markets for Long Island companies.”
“The biggest challenge we face in our mission to protect our waters is the declining workforce supplying the parts and technical skills to build and maintain our submarines,” Atkins said. “In the next 10 years, we expect seventy percent of the current workforce to retire. SIB has created workforce initiatives that pay to train interested individuals to ultimately serve their country in this unique and highly-skilled capacity.”
Greentree commented during the session that one of the critical ongoing efforts is for AUKUS to create agreements that support the necessary industry level sharing of information and technology which is a sustainment requirement of this partnership.
Much of the roundtable discussions centered around the advancement of Australia’s nuclear submarine program and collaborating with Long Island suppliers to meet the country’s goals of compliance, standards and the requirements necessary to power these ships. An industry Q&A session was held at the conclusion of the roundtable discussion.