The government has announced a new defence body which it says will simplify and streamline the innovation system's interaction with the Ministry of Defence.
The defence innovation unit, to be launched at June’s 2025 Spending Review, “will work with innovative firms to rapidly get cutting-edge military technology into the hands of British troops” and will “harness the ingenuity of the UK’s leading tech and manufacturing sectors”.
It will “take a new approach by moving quickly and decisively”, the government added, “using different ways of contracting, to enable UK companies to scale up innovative prototypes rapidly by setting out a clear pathway, working with the government, from initial production to manufacturing at scale”.
The Defence and Security Accelerator and Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory will continue to function as separate innovation and technology focused bodies.
Announcing the new body, 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.”
Last month, Healey unveiled what he called the "biggest shake up of UK defence for over 50 years", announcing a series of reforms to strengthen accountability, and reduce duplication, process and procedure.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, added: “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.”
Further details on the new innovation body will be provided at the Spring Statement on 26 March.