As power diffuses across regions and major powers recalibrate their priorities, middle powers are assuming greater responsibility for shaping regional stability and collective security.

Recent strategic guidance from the United States underscores a stronger emphasis on domestic resilience, burden-sharing and selective engagement. At the same time, leaders such as Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, have argued that middle powers must act with greater coordination, economic strength and strategic clarity in a more competitive global system.

The world has shifted. America's "America First" doctrine, articulated in the 2026 National Defense Strategy, demands allies "shoulder their fair share." The Monroe Doctrine is back. The Indo-Pacific, while vital, competes with hemispheric priorities.

For Australia, this is not abandonment—it is acceleration of a truth long emerging: middle powers can no longer free-ride on great power guarantees.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney captured this at Davos: "If you are not at the table, you are on the menu." The rupture is here. The question is not whether Australia can rely on Washington indefinitely, but how we build collective security architectures—AUKUS, Five Eyes, Quad, and new coalitions—that multiply our influence without multiplying our dependencies.

For Australia and other middle power peers, the question is no longer whether the global order is shifting, but how middle powers can actively forge security arrangements that preserve sovereignty, enhance deterrence and sustain prosperity.

In a world of competing spheres where major powers are redefining their priorities, middle powers must take greater responsibility for shaping collective security. The 22nd Safeguarding Australia Summit with co-convenors Department of Defence, Science & Technology Group, Department of Home Affairs and RMIT’s Centre of Cyber Security Research and Innovation bring together leaders from government, defence and industry to examine how Australia can strengthen alliances, build sovereign capability and forge practical security partnerships for a more uncertain decade.

The summit that shapes Australia's national security agenda, 28–29 October in Canberra — where Defence and Home Affairs leadership, academia and industry CEOs make the decisions that will define our strategic position for decades.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This summit is designed for:

  • Senior leaders across Defence and National Security agencies

  • Policy-makers shaping alliance, capability and economic security settings

  • Defence industry executives and prime contractors

  • Emerging technology innovators in AI, cyber and space

  • Strategic analysts and regional partners

  • Academic leaders and national security researchers advancing policy, innovation and sovereign capability.

*summit program is under development, for further updates, please subscribe to the mailing list below*

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Summit Co-Convenors

  • “ Great event, appreciate the organisation, energy and expertise, thank you! ”
    — RAAF, 2025
  • “ Best conference I’ve attended all year, great work. ”
    — Global Shield 2025
  • “ An excellent conference, very worthwhile. Also a great networking opportunity, it was hard to pick the best speakers. ”
    — Department of Defence, 2024
  • “ The conference has arranged for an excellent variety of topics and industry voices, there wasn’t a single presentation I didn’t get something out of!” ”
    — National Security College, ANU, 2024
  • “ A very enjoyable conference. ”
    — AFP, 2023
  • “ An excellent event, a good number of attendees and presenters (neither too many or too few), great venue, excellent presenters. ”
    — DST Group, 2022
  • “ Exploration of solutions (technology, processes etc) were very useful for my purposes, linking business areas of Home Affairs which is where the Tech Surprise Forum was helpful. ”
    — Department of Home Affairs, 2019
  • “ Very interesting and relevant topics. Enjoyed the diverse nature of the attendees and speakers. ”
    — Department of Defence, 2019
  • “ From an information viewpoint, it was extremely interesting. As a manager not involved in the public sector, defence industry or academia, the subjects covered were still vibrant and relevant. Would recommend for our security team. ”
    — Scentre Group, 2018
  • “ A very informative and useful conference. As a Defence employee, I am somewhat isolated from civilian perspectives. The conference provided an excellent opportunity to hear the issues and potential solutions being examined in the civil sector. ”
    — Department of Defence, 2017
  • “ A thoroughly enjoyable conference! ”
    — Crime and Corruption Commission of QLD, 2016

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