The government has announced the launch of a new defence innovation body aimed at harnessing UK ingenuity and boosting military technology.
This initiative is part of the government's Plan for Change, designed to turbocharge innovation in defence and drive economic growth.
The Chancellor, Defence Secretary, and Business Secretary confirmed the establishment of the new UK defence innovation organisation on 28 February. This unit will collaborate with innovative firms to rapidly deliver cutting-edge military technology to British troops, leveraging the expertise of the UK’s leading tech and manufacturing sectors.
Defence Secretary John Healey said:
“The world is changing, and we are changing defence. We will back the high-growth, high-tech UK defence firms of the future, to boost our national security and make defence an engine for growth.
“We will make the UK a defence innovation leader, funding and supporting firms of all sizes to take state-of-the-art technology from the drawing board to the production line, and into the hands of our Armed Forces.
“Defence has a crucial role to play in economic growth across the UK - built on the foundation of the largest sustained funding increase since the Cold War - to support thousands of highly skilled jobs.”
Leaders from 15 British defence firms met with government officials at RAF Waddington to discuss the operation of the new unit. This initiative is part of the largest defence reform in over 50 years, aiming to simplify and streamline the innovation system within the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The government plans to enhance investment in defence start-ups and scale-up technology through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund. Ministers will work with the venture capital and investment community to leverage private investment in future technologies.
Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer also commented:
“The world is less certain than it has been for a generation. History tells us that government and industry must rise to meet these moments together. We need to invest in sophisticated, innovative kit and get it into the hands of our fighting men and women.
“In the world we face, national security and economic growth are going to go hand in hand. High-skilled, well-paid jobs across the UK will both make our country safer and put pounds in people’s pockets.”
Increased defence spending will support highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the UK. Last year, defence spending supported over 430,000 jobs, with 68% of spending benefiting regions outside London and the Southeast. This initiative will protect UK citizens from threats and create a secure environment for economic growth.
The new innovation unit will equip Britain’s Armed Forces with cutting-edge technology and support high-tech British businesses in the defence tech ecosystem. The government’s commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027 underscores the importance of this initiative.
Image credit: iStock
