GICA held its autumn conference in Toronto, Canada, on 6–8 November. More than 210 delegates from 23 countries were in attendance. The conference placed a novel and well-received emphasis on recruitment and retention in the offset industry. Offset managers of varying experiences gathered on stage to discuss how they discovered offset and their career aspirations.
One theme ran through nearly all of GICA’s Canadian offset presentations: indigenous communities and small enterprises. No fewer than eight speakers across four presentations mentioned or emphasised indigenous businesses and the potential for offset to support their development. CTO reports on recent legislation, success stories, and mechanisms for cooperation.
After ten years of upheaval and changes in management, Oman has released new offset guidelines. The regulations were approved in September but announced for the first time at the GICA conference. It includes new administrative procedures, in-country value (ICV) requirements, and new multipliers, according to Abdullah Al Abri, director-general for contracts and projects at the Ministry of Finance.
For most of its history, Korea’s defence industry has been on the receiving end of offsets. Yet over the past decade, the country has switched seats, says Hwa Yu, CEO of Delta One LLC. Hwa Yu and senior Delta One advisor James Grzella explain how Korea is developing and optimising its own offset strategies abroad.
Ukraine is doubling down on industrial cooperation as Russia’s invasion comes under strain. On 9 November, Ukroboronprom and Czech Republic’s International Agency for Defence Cooperation (AMOS) signed an agreement to establish a joint defence cluster focused on ammunition production, MRO service hubs, and joint research. The two firms insist that production would take place in “existing [plants] and newly created ones in safe places.”
French industrial giants Thales and Naval Group are consolidating their collaboration with Indonesia. Recent deals with PT Pal and PT Len support not only defence self-reliance but energy exports, too.