A NEW front has opened up for Herefordshire's fast growing defence and security sector in its fight for business share.

The sector was well represented at the first government export roadshow for defence and security contractors held at QinetiQ, Malvern.

There, they heard that £20.4bn was spent by the Ministry of Defence with defence contractors during the 2013/14 financial year.

Of this total, £916 million was paid to more than 7000 specialist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which have a big part to play in the county's post recession future.

Herefordshire law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys hosted the QinetiQ event with its focus on sales and export opportunities.

The event was opened by Paul Wells, head of secure communications and information systems at QinetiQ, with introductions to the UK Cyber Security Forum by its founder and manager Dr Emma Philpott, and to the new Herefordshire Innovation Consortium Project by Richard Morgan, head of litigation and defence and security services at Harrison Clark Rickerbys in Hereford.

The spending figures were highlighted by Philip Margerison, manager of the defence suppliers service at the Ministry of Defence.

He also outlined the Defence Equipment Plan which involves a planned spend of £159 billion on new equipment, data systems and equipment support over a 10 year period.

David Lines, assistant director of business support services at the Defence and Security Organisation, part of UK Trade and Investment, addressed the audience on HM Government's support for defence and security exports, and Ian Mabbott, International Cyber Director at UKTI, outlined particular initiatives to support cyber security exporters.

Claire Harrison, head of the Business Awareness Unit at the Export Control Organisation, which is part of the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, also provided a useful outline of the requirements for export licensing in relation to defence and security goods and services, and Linda Smith, head of International Trade at UKTI Herefordshire and Worcestershire, advised on local initiatives to support the industry.

Richard Morgan, of Harrison Clark Rickerbys based in Hereford, said the event was "enormously important" for the defence and security industry in Herefordshire with its 'strong core' of technology innovators and security contractors.

"The significance of the event is underlined by the fact that 55 companies registered for the event," he said. "The networking and joint venture opportunities identified during and after the event, and among the delegates, demonstrates the level of innovation within this sector."