safeguarding australia summit
The 22nd Annual Security, Defence & Sovereignty Summit
28 - 29 October 2026, Canberra

As strategic competition intensifies and the global environment becomes more contested and fragmented, Australia faces a more complex and demanding security landscape.

The 2026 National Defence Strategy marks a shift toward a whole-of-nation approach to defence, focused on sovereign capability, national resilience and the ability to deter and respond under pressure. National security is no longer defined solely by alliances, but by a nation’s capacity to generate capability, sustain operations and withstand disruption.

The Safeguarding Australia Summit 2026 brings together senior leaders from government, defence, intelligence and industry to examine how Australia can strengthen its sovereignty and national resilience, while working with partners to advance collective security in the Indo-Pacific.

About the Summit

Now in its 22nd year, the Safeguarding Australia Summit is a leading forum for dialogue on Australia’s security, defence and sovereignty.

In 2026, the Summit focuses on the practical implications of Australia’s evolving defence posture, including the shift toward National Defence and the need to align strategy with capability, industry and economic resilience.

Safeguarding Australia summit series is delivered in collaboration with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), the Department of Home Affairs, and RMIT University Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation.

Strategic Context

Geopolitical competition, economic fragmentation and supply chain disruption are reshaping the foundations of national power.

For Australia, this requires greater self-reliance, faster capability delivery and stronger integration across government, defence and industry to operate effectively in a more contested environment.

Summit Focus

The Summit will explore:

  • Sovereign capability and defence industrial acceleration

  • Deterrence, readiness and force posture

  • AUKUS and strategic capability partnerships

  • Economic security, critical resources and supply chains

  • Technology, cyber resilience and decision advantage

  • Whole-of-nation approaches to resilience and preparedness

The Safeguarding Australia Summit 2026 provides a timely platform for senior leaders to engage on these challenges and help shape Australia’s security and sovereignty in a rapidly changing world.

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*

Explore the summit focus and agenda

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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