AUKUS Connect UK, led by industry specialist Michael Sharpe, is the flagship program of the AUKUS Forum, bringing together industry, academia, researchers, government, and technology leaders from the three member countries to provide valuable insights into the needs and aspirations of a diverse group united in a desire to make AUKUS work and identify the opportunities it presents.

With unmatched experience walking the factory floors across the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, Sharpe connects manufacturing leaders, researchers, technology organisations, and regional communities into one integrated industrial ecosystem.

AUKUS Partnership

The AUKUS partnership brings together Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to accelerate industrial collaboration, advanced capabilities, secure technology sharing, and major nation-building projects. It represents a transformational alignment across manufacturing, science, workforce development, nuclear-powered submarine production, and high-end technology innovation.

What Is AUKUS?

AUKUS is a trilateral partnership focused on strengthening stability, industrial capacity, and advanced capabilities across three nations.

The partnership consists of two major pillars:

Pillar I: Nuclear-Powered Submarines

Collaboration to deliver nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines for Australia, supported by expanded industrial capability across all three nations.

Pillar II: Advanced Capabilities

Joint development and deployment of next-generation technologies, including:

• artificial intelligence
• autonomous systems
• quantum technologies
• cyber and information security
• undersea technologies
• advanced manufacturing
• electronic systems
• hypersonic and counter-hypersonic systems

AUKUS represents a generational opportunity to strengthen industrial integration, accelerate innovation, and create long-term economic and technology growth across the alliance.

The Role of AUKUS Connect:

AUKUS Connect — guided by Michael Sharpe’s leadership across all three nations — is a central gateway for organizations seeking to engage with AUKUS-related opportunities.

With unmatched experience walking the factory floors across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Sharpe connects:

• manufacturers
• research organizations
• global technology companies
• universities
• government bodies
• regional communities

AUKUS Connect builds practical pathways for collaboration that link local capabilities with international programs, enabling companies of all sizes to operate confidently within the AUKUS industrial ecosystem.

AUKUS Connect Focus Areas:

British companies, researchers, universities, and technology organisations can engage with AUKUS Connect UK through:

• industry engagement programs
• AUKUS Connect workshops
• supply-chain readiness sessions
• capability briefings
• trilateral delegation visits
• global networking events
• research partnerships
• manufacturing site tours