Serco: Global scale, local impact
How Serco partners with Kiwi businesses to build a combat-capable, resilient Aotearoa New Zealand.
Responding to the Indo-Pacific’s increasingly volatile strategic environment, the Government has committed to rebuilding the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) into a combat-capable force, and anchoring that capability in a strong, self-reliant domestic economy.
“With commitments to lift Defence spending towards 2% of GDP, policymakers’ mandate is that public expenditure must go beyond simply procuring equipment. It should serve as an economic engine for Aotearoa,” says Clint Williams, NZDF veteran, proud Kiwi, and Director – Serco New Zealand.
“National security and economic growth are intrinsically linked. For Serco, this policy direction reinforces how we already do business. With an unwavering perspective that partnering with government begets an inherent responsibility to make lasting, positive impact on the domestic economy, and national resilience.”
“As an Employer of Choice for veterans and reservists, Serco invests in domestic workforce development by creating real pathways for veterans, reservists and military families to enter high-value civilian roles.”
Empowering Kiwi businesses, SMEs and supporting Thin Primes
The New Zealand Defence Industry Strategy’s introduction of the “Thin Prime” concept has strong potential to push Kiwi businesses up global value chains.
“We don’t view local industry participation as box-ticking,” says Clint.
“For us, as proud Kiwis living and working in Aotearoa, it’s about trust, partnership and long-term impact. Across our contracts serving Defence and Government, our people are asking, ‘How can we develop new skills and increase capacity in the domestic workforce? Are there opportunities to help connect an NZ business with a global supply chain?’”
Serco aims to create access for innovative local businesses to work with Government agencies, here in Aotearoa and overseas. This simplifies procurement efforts for the Ministry of Defence, NZDF, and Kiwi businesses, ensuring government investment stays local while delivering reliable, tailored services.
“With extensive experience managing complex sovereign programmes, from maritime engineering to base infrastructure, we can provide structural scaffolding enabling Kiwi Thin Primes to scale successfully,” says Clint.
Serco’s current work supporting the NZ Ministry of Defence and NZDF across asset sustainment, strategic advice and training reflects its philosophy of embedding staff locally. Serco’s approach has also proven highly successful in other complex sectors across Aotearoa, including corrections, where Serco works with many local Kiwi businesses and charitable trusts delivering far-reaching economic and community benefits.
““We don’t see our role merely as a supplier, but as a long-term contributor to Aotearoa’s sovereign capability.“
“Throughout our careers, our leadership team have witnessed the results,” Clint says.
“When local businesses grow, communities thrive, high-skill jobs remain in the regions, and Government secures an agile, domestic industrial base that can pivot far better during crises.”
Driving technology transfer and global export pathways
The 2025 Defence Capability Plan (DCP)’s establishment of a Technology Accelerator underscores the Government’s intent to co-invest with the advanced technology sector on dual-use, military-grade innovations. New Zealand is world-renowned for its agility, clever problem-solving and rapid prototyping capabilities. However, commercialising breakthroughs and scaling them into international defence markets remains challenging.
This is where a global partner’s scale becomes transformative. Serco’s global defence business continuously drives innovation through automation and advanced analytics, and actively pursues blending this international research and development with local, specialised know-how. Serco’s delivery of the autonomous platform USX-1 Defiant for the US’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a prime example. The Defiant’s groundbreaking capabilities and diverse use cases across the Maritime Domain are game-changing for resilience and efficiency. Serco is proudly working with governments to help bring these benefits to national forces according to domestic priorities, and to elevate pre-existing assets.
“Crucially, our relationship with local industry is a two-way street,” Clint explains.
“While we bring much to the table for localisation, Serco’s expansive international footprint means innovations developed by specialised technology firms in Whangārei, Christchurch or Tauranaga don’t have to be limited to the domestic market. We’ve already done this in Australia with JMC Technologies. We have the networks to serve as a high-value export launcher here too, integrating exceptional Kiwi systems into defence systems across Australia, the UK, and beyond.”
Enhancing interoperability and workforce capability
The 2025 DCP’s strategic imperative is an integrated, combat-capable force acting as a force multiplier alongside NZ’s closest ally, Australia, and broader security partners. Achieving true seamless interoperability requires shared operational doctrines, common sustainment methodologies, and world-class, synchronised training regimes.
“Defence in Aotearoa and Australia are large, complex organisations with a matrix of agencies. Our close-knit Serco Asia Pacific team brings knowledge and best practice from Defence across the Five Eyes nations. Many of our people are tenured veterans, and delivering diverse services to Defence in Australia and New Zealand, we understand what works.”
Serco has a long-standing history delivering high-end simulator and operational Defence training on both sides of the Tasman. In Aotearoa, Serco proudly provides high-quality simulator-based bridge warfare training and support ervices on behalf of the Royal New
Zealand Navy (RNZN) at HMNZS Philomel. This partnership ensures sophisticated, localised training here in Aotearoa, with RNZN personnel training on shore alongside local specialists. This maximises workforce readiness, and builds long-term local instructional capability and stability.
When this partnership formally began in 2019, Serco was already supporting RNZN Officers through its training services for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Serco has been supporting the RAN with Officer training in ship operations, bridge operations, and navigation in a simulated warfighting environment since 2012, and providing maintenance and engineering design services to the Training Authority Maritime Warfare at Sydney’s HMAS Watson since 2003, representing a quarter century’s partnership with the Australian Defence Force.
“Furthermore, we’re committed to ensuring New Zealand’s defence industry’s human element remains resilient,” Clint adds.
“A sustainable industrial base requires a continuous pipeline of talent. As an Employer of Choice for veterans and reservists, Serco invests in domestic workforce development by creating real pathways for veterans, reservists and military families to enter high-value civilian roles.
“Veterans’ unique operational insights and leadership values are vital. We ensure that when Defence personnel leave full-time service, they’re enabled to continue giving back meaningfully to Defence and their nation.”
A shared commitment to New Zealand Inc
Rebuilding a combat-capable defence force while embedding genuine local economic benefits involves strong partnership between the Ministry, NZDF, global prime integrators, and local industry.
Serco works closely with NZ businesses to achieve lasting impact, and proudly gives back to organisations playing critical, yet often behind-the-scenes, roles in our nation’s resilience and community wellbeing. Serco New Zealand is an ongoing partner of Te Kiwi Māia, an organisation delivering outsized impact for veterans, first responders and their families.
Serco also supports the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen’s Association of New Zealand, a community-led organisation fostering camaraderie and wellbeing among serving and ex-service NZDF members, enabling veterans and their whānau to reconnect, build skills and enhance mental health.
“We don’t see our role merely as a supplier, but as a long-term contributor to Aotearoa’s sovereign capability,” Clint says.
“By backing local businesses with our global stability, supporting charitable trusts, and transferring cutting-edge technology, we’re proud to help build a secure, resilient, prosperous nation. Together, we’re ensuring New Zealand’s defence spending delivers lasting value for the frontline, economy, and our local communities – today, and into the future.”
