H&B Defence looks forward to working closely with leading academic institutions across Britain and Australia as they foster the Advanced Skills Alliance – an initiative to drive cutting-edge research and skills development in support of AUKUS Pillar 1.
The newly formed Alliance, launched in Sydney by the Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson, UK Education Secretary, and the Hon. Jason Clare, Australian Education Minister unites Cranfield University, King’s College London, Imperial College London, University of Southampton, and the University of Strathclyde with the three member universities of the AUKUS Workforce Alliance (AWA), creating a key opportunity to build a shared pipeline of highly skilled workers and research capability across both nations.
As a proud member of the AWA through our parent companies HII and Babcock International Group (Babcock), we commend our academic partners — The University of Adelaide, Curtin University, and the University of NSW — for their leadership in shaping a nationally unified and internationally aligned program that broadens the AWA’s portfolio of work.
Babcock already maintains strong relationships with many of the UK academic partners involved in the new Memorandum of Understanding, offering further touch points for collaboration across academia and industry as Australia progresses its pathway to sovereign nuclear‑powered submarines.
H&B Defence remains committed to supporting the trilateral AUKUS effort through sovereign workforce development. In 2026, H&B Defence and our WA-based academic partner Curtin University will deliver two accredited nuclear micro‑credential courses to equip the future workforce with foundational knowledge in nuclear science, submarine technology, regulatory frameworks and supporting infrastructure.