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| The event would also put forward areas of convergence between continents in terms of mutual security concerns |
Securing Asia & Africa 2014 is a vital summit in the Homeland Security and Counter Terror calendar of annual events.
With London as the global hub for procurement agencies from Asia and Africa, it provides a unique opportunity for Western solution providers of all sizes to interact directly with procurement agencies, businessmen and political figures from the Asian Security sector in a neutral forum and within a single venue.
After the success of Securing Asia 2012 and 2013 in London we are hosting this year’s summit with Africa being an added attraction. Securing Asia & Africa 2014 would showcase the homeland security and critical infrastructure protection opportunities both in Asia and Africa with participation of delegations from 32 nations for the event.
Asia and Africa are fast emerging as major arenas of homeland security business opportunities in the world. The theatre of economic activities is gradually shifting to Asia even as Africa’s importance continues to increase both as an emerging investment hub as well as a repository of key natural resources. It is estimated that by 2020, the combined GDP of Africa is expected to be around $2.6 trillion and Africa’s top 18 cities are expected to have a combined buying power of $1.8 trillion by 2020. Whereas the GDP of India and China are expected to contribute 30% of the Asian GDP and the combined GDP of the Top 10 economies of Asia is expected to be near $24 trillion.
In terms of security aspects both Africa and Asia face similar kinds of threats from violent extremist groups as well as from organised crime syndicates. Both the continents have been witness to major terror attacks from extremist terror groups having links to Al Qaeda. While cities like Nairobi faced terror attacks like the Westgate Mall attack, cities like Mumbai have been witness to terror attacks like that of 26/11. Further, the threats to Asia and Africa are not just from radical extremist terror groups but are there in terms of inter-state strife, border disputes as well as cross border conflicts. While Asia has been witness to Syrian Civil War, Iraqi and Yemenis Insurgency led civil strife, Africa has similar conflicts such as South Sudan Conflict, ongoing Somalian crisis and similar Islamist insurgency in Nigeria.
Critical infrastructure protection and city security remain key areas of concern as well as prospective business opportunities in both Asia and Africa. Additionally, there are opportunities in the offset arena especially in the Asian context where increasing defence budget have created major offset opportunities for established defence companies. India alone, which has an estimated $150 billion defence acquisition plan over the next one decade, would have an offset obligation $30 billion to be fulfilled; this can be tapped by Indian companies by forming joint ventures with well-established defence manufacturers.
The recent trends in procurement for the defence and homeland security have witnessed a considerable amount of convergence in terms of their requirements in the sphere of assault rifles, body armour, night vision devices, mine protection vehicles, light utility helicopters, communication devices, command and control systems. This convergence of needs has led to a major augmentation of the overall market in both defence and homeland security market.
Securing Asia & Africa 2014 would be one of its kinds of a unique platform which would not only showcase homeland security business opportunities in both the continents of Asia and Africa but would also put forward the areas of convergence between the continents in terms of mutual security concerns and the need for cooperation. The participation of delegations from 18 nations from the African continent emphasis the urgent need of equipment for these nations and also the immense business opportunity that is existing.
