The government has launched a new defence innovation body, designed to harness UK ingenuity and boost military technology.
The chancellor, defence secretary and business secretary have confirmed that a new UK defence innovation organisation will work with innovative firms to rapidly get cutting-edge military technology into the hands of British troops.
The trio met with leaders from from 15 British defence firms at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire to discuss how the new unit will operate.
The new unit is to be launched at the Spring Statement and will simplify and streamline the innovation system within MOD. It will take a new approach by moving quickly and decisively, 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 government is also looking to enhance investment in defence start-ups and scale-up technology and capability, including through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: "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."
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."
