Michael Sharpe operates at the intersection of industry, government, technology and allied supply chains, building international relationships that translate strategic ambition into practical industrial outcomes. His work spans advanced manufacturing, engineering, infrastructure, agriculture, energy, environmental sustainability, space, academia and the nuclear industry, with a particular focus on strengthening industrial capability, connecting complementary expertise across borders and creating new pathways for investment, innovation and growth.
As the Inaugural United States of America Chair and Executive Director of the Pax Silica Forum, Michael focuses on advancing international collaboration across industry, research and policy to help build the industrial foundations of the Super Intelligence (SI) age. His work connects manufacturers, technology developers, research institutions, investors and policymakers to explore opportunities across critical minerals, advanced materials, energy, AI infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and trusted international supply chains.
The United States of America Chair provides a platform for connecting complementary industrial capabilities across allied nations, encouraging collaboration and helping translate strategic priorities into practical opportunities for investment, innovation and manufacturing. Michael's focus is on the resources, infrastructure, factories, equipment, skilled people and supply chains required to turn innovation into productive industrial capability.
Michael is also Chief Executive Officer of the AUKUS Forum, an international alliance operating across Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Through his leadership, he has developed extensive relationships with manufacturing and industrial leaders, government representatives, political decision-makers and leading universities. His international engagement encompasses the AUKUS enterprise, advanced manufacturing, defence, aerospace, propulsion, maritime systems, critical technologies and emerging industrial capabilities.
Over three decades, Michael has cultivated a substantial network across Australian and international industry. His professional network encompasses more than 100,000 industry contacts, including a community of more than 51,000 AUKUS Forum members and an extensive professional following on LinkedIn. He leverages these relationships to facilitate international partnerships, connect manufacturers with new markets, establish joint ventures, develop supply chains and help businesses enter adjacent industries. His networks have supported engagement with international companies, including major US corporations seeking trusted industrial partners.
Michael's approach is grounded in the belief that strategic partnerships must deliver tangible outcomes: investment in productive capacity, stronger supply chains, technology transfer, skilled employment and greater industrial resilience. He champions the role of regional industrial centres alongside established manufacturing hubs, recognising that the future strength of advanced economies depends on the ability to mobilise capabilities across entire industrial ecosystems.
His previous appointments include National Director for Industry at the Australian Government's Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre and Chairman of HunterNet Co-operative, a prominent industry cluster based in Newcastle, New South Wales. These roles gave him experience in industry transformation, collaborative manufacturing, business development and the practical challenges of building competitive industrial ecosystems.
Michael is a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He has also completed leadership studies at Harvard Business School.
Through his work with the Pax Silica Forum, Michael seeks to help build a more connected network of industrial and technological partners—one that turns shared strategic interests into stronger manufacturing capabilities, more resilient supply chains, new commercial opportunities and sustainable economic growth across participating nations.