Defence

Plymouth: A National Centre for Defence and Security

Plymouth has been at the heart of the UK's defence story for centuries and today remains one of the country's most important defence locations. Home to HM Naval Base Devonport, the largest naval base in Western Europe, defence contributes around 14% of Plymouth's economic output, with Devonport and Babcock employing around 11,600 people locally. The sector is entering an exciting period of long-term growth, with more than £4.4 billion of investment planned for HMNB Devonport and Babcock's Devonport Royal Dockyard, supporting the future of the Royal Navy's submarine programme and the UK's Continuous At Sea Deterrent. In 2025, Plymouth was also named one of the UK's five National Defence Growth Areas, backed by a £250 million Defence Growth Deal, further strengthening the city's position as a centre for defence innovation, advanced manufacturing, engineering and marine technology.

This gives Plymouth a powerful proposition for attracting defence conferences, military events, engineering conferences, security meetings and defence supply-chain events. Rather than simply offering a conference venue, Plymouth can connect delegates with a genuine defence ecosystem spanning the Royal Navy, Babcock, specialist suppliers, advanced manufacturers, universities and research organisations. Meet Plymouth can build on this expertise by developing sector-specific conference packages, facilitating introductions to local industry and academia, arranging behind-the-scenes or educational experiences where appropriate, and creating networking programmes that connect national and international delegates with Plymouth's defence community. The opportunity is to position Plymouth as a place where the future of defence is not just discussed – it is being developed.