Australia's submarine enterprise: Resilience must start here

Laying the foundations for a sovereign submarine enterprise 

I've been fortunate to work on some of the UK's most complex defence nuclear programmes, including multi-billion-pound initiatives for the Ministry of Defence. At Devonport Royal Dockyard, for example, my role was to help set up projects that would sustain the UK submarine fleet for decades to come. 

Those experiences taught me that the first six to twelve months of a program often have more impact than any other stage. Get the scope wrong, underestimate the risks, or misjudge the cost baseline, and you carry those flaws through the life of the project. 

But if you take the time to align infrastructure, workforce, and operational objectives at the start, you create a delivery framework that can evolve and adapt over decades. That's how sovereign capability is built – not on day one, but through the compounding value of early clarity and consistent execution. 

Safety culture in defence: lessons from Challenger 

In the nuclear sector, safety underpins everything. And yet, history shows us what happens when safety is traded for schedule. 

One example that has stayed with me is the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. On the morning of the launch, engineers raised concerns that an O-ring seal wasn't designed to operate in the unusually cold temperatures that day. Their warnings were overridden, the launch went ahead, and the result was a tragedy that claimed the lives of seven astronauts. 

The lesson is clear: you cannot prioritise schedule over safety 

At AtkinsRéalis, we embed that lesson into the way we work. Every meeting starts with a safety moment. We normalize speaking up, creating a workplace culture where people feel able to raise concerns without fear of consequence. In defence programs, where lives and national security are at stake, that culture isn't optional – it's essential. 

Collaboration at scale in complex defence programs 

No single organization can deliver a submarine enterprise alone. The complexity is too great, the moving parts too numerous. 

That's why collaboration is one of AtkinsRéalis' core values. In practice, it means bringing together government agencies, industry partners, and supply chains in a way that builds trust and transparency from the outset. 

I've seen what happens when that collaboration is missing. Programs slow down, risks multiply, and outcomes drift. By contrast, when you establish clear, mutually beneficial relationships, you create the conditions for sustainable delivery. 

For Australia's submarine program, this kind of partnership approach will be critical. We're not talking about parachuting in overseas expertise. Our focus is on integrating local skills with global experience to help grow sovereign capability year by year. 

Using data, digital and AI to de-risk delivery from day one 

Another lesson from defence nuclear work worldwide is that, even in the most dynamic environments, pausing operations isn't an option. 

That's why adaptability has to be built in from the start. A programmatic approach - breaking a vast enterprise into a series of manageable projects – helps simplify delivery while keeping the complexity where it belongs: at programme level. 

It also allows you to embed new tools and approaches as they emerge. Digital and AI systems, for example, can now give program directors real-time insight into performance, supply chain resilience, and risk exposure. If you integrate those tools from day one, you give yourself a platform to adapt - rather than being locked into outdated processes. 

Australian sovereign submarine capability that lasts 

Delivering boats to the water is only one part of Australia's submarine enterprise. The real test lies in building the infrastructure, skills, and operational readiness that will sustain capability for generations. 

That requires thinking well beyond the initial build phase. Dockyard facilities must be designed to evolve. Workforces need to be trained, retained, and continually developed. Supply chains must be strengthened so they can deliver consistently under pressure. 

AtkinsRéalis brings lessons from decades of UK delivery to this challenge. From infrastructure upgrades at Devonport to system-wide program delivery across defence nuclear, we know what it takes to de-risk complex enterprises and build resilience into the basics. 

And while the Australian context is unique, the principles hold: plan early, embed safety, collaborate widely, and design for adaptability. 

Why Australia's mission drives me 

I've been with AtkinsRéalis for 18 years - the longest I've stayed anywhere in my career. Before that, I worked with defence OEM contractors, but what drew me to AtkinsRéalis was the scale and variety of projects, and the chance to make a lasting difference. 

Today, I see the AUKUS submarine enterprise as one of the most exciting and important program of our generation. Not just because of the engineering challenge, but because of what it means for Australia's sovereign future. 

Our purpose at AtkinsRéalis is simple: to engineer a better future for the planet and its people. For me, that means applying everything I've learned in defence nuclear to help Australia build a submarine capability that is safe, adaptable, and enduring. 

With the right systems, safeguards, and collaborative frameworks in place, we can de-risk this enterprise and set it up to deliver from day one - and succeed over decades. That's how we build sovereign capability that lasts, and why I'm proud to be part of the journey. 

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