The boundary between science and operational capability must speed up. Andy Bell, Chief Science and Technology Officer, Dstl Page 04
Space has been given a new kit bag of equipment to make us match-fit for the future. Stephanie Ayres, Head of Policy, UKspace Page 06 www.businessandindustry.co.uk
From production lines and R&D labs to educational institutions and critical infrastructure, national defence is increasingly being recognised as a whole-of-society enterprise.
Modern defence readiness is no longer the sole domain of militaries and governments.
Deterrence and preparedness
In an era of geopolitical competition and hybrid threats, resilience depends on the ability to rapidly scale defenceindustrial capacity, attract and retain specialised talent and foster a shared national understanding of the role citizens and industry play in deterrence and preparedness.
This requires deep structural partnerships between government, defence primes, SMEs, universities and civil society — underpinned by investment in STEM education, dual-use innovation and sovereign industrial capability.
Delivering economic returns
Need for coordinated action
To fully harness this potential, we need coordinated action. That means clear demand signals through the 10-year Defence Investment Plan, reforms that make it easier for SMEs to scale and policies that attract private capital into defence and dual-use technologies.
It also requires a reset of our national conversation — one that celebrates our defence investment rather than criticises it. It needs to recognise defence as a force multiplier not just for security, but for economic prosperity, skills and innovation.
By mobilising society — from the classroom to the supply chain — we can ensure the UK remains resilient.
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) set the tone for this urgent recalibration. Its core message? War is a ‘whole of society endeavour’ that will affect citizens as much as the Armed Forces.
This isn’t just a tagline or a ‘your country needs you’ poster. It is the reason this government continues to back our sector, and it will be the vehicle in which our country’s economy grows.
This is a sector that already delivers huge economic returns for communities across the UK. Today, the UK defence industry adds £15 billion to our economy, a 70% increase since 2014 and supports more than 180,000 highly skilled jobs.
With the right regulatory, financial and political support, our £36 billion defence sector can thrive as a pillar of national strength. By mobilising society — from the classroom to the supply chain — we can ensure the UK remains resilient, competitive and prepared for the challenges ahead.
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Learn how AI teams work to shape a safer, smarter future through responsible and ethical technology.
Working in the AI Team at GCHQ - the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency - I’ve seen firsthand how exciting and meaningful my work, building the talent and skills within the department, can be. What motivates me is knowing that we’re helping to protect the UK in ways that are often invisible to the public, but absolutely vital.
It’s a constant adventure, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, all with a shared goal of keeping our nation safe.
Empowering talent through AI
My role is about more than just technology; AI is as much a people change as a technological one — it’s about empowering people, nurturing talent. This means we’re making learning clear and understandable by laying out the different parts and different depths of knowledge that different roles need.
Sometimes, it’s about coming up with an innovative way to engage, excite and on occasion,
entertain. I can assure you that GCHQ staff are human too, so sometimes it’s the funny and emotional things that get people on board. We must think about their almost individual journey in AI, supporting those at the very cutting edge to continue to innovate and stay ahead, whilst at the same time building trust and confidence in others.
Our people care deeply about doing the right things for the right reasons – they care about knowing that what we do is responsibly done and ethically rigorous. The long-term implications for AI are still relatively unknown.
People driving defence innovation
The really inspiring part? Watching colleagues develop AI systems that adapt rapidly to new threats, or support decision-making at the speed of modern conflict. It’s a constant adventure, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, all with a shared goal of keeping our nation safe.
What makes GCHQ special is the people. Our team is incredibly varied — in backgrounds, experiences and ideas — but united by a strong sense of purpose. Seeing someone develop their skills, or bring a fresh perspective to a tough problem, reminds me why I’m passionate about this work.
If you’re curious about the future of defence and about using AI for good, I’d say there’s never been a more exciting time to get involved. Together, we’re shaping a safer, smarter UK, and I believe there’s room for anyone with curiosity and a desire to make a difference.
In an era defined by increasingly rapid technological disruption and sophisticated threats, UK defence’s science capabilities are increasingly crucial to national security.
At the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – now part of the newly-formed National Armaments Director Group – we support defence and security forces in gaining the operational advantage they need to succeed.
Defence through tech sovereignty
The Strategic Defence Review states we face an unprecedented set of aggressive state actor dangers using enhanced traditional means through to sophisticated cyber-attacks and the weaponisation of emerging technologies. These evolving threats demand dedicated responses. Dstl is the nation’s scientific shield, developing sovereign capabilities that ensure the UK controls its technological destiny in an increasingly contested world.
Intellectual firepower delivers the innovations that protect our forces and citizens.
Our success is built on strategic collaboration. Recently, we orchestrated the UK’s largest AI defence trial, fusing Royal Navy and RAF technologies to identify and counter threats with game-changing speed and precision. This epitomises our role as force multipliers, connecting the brightest minds across government, academia, industry and international partners to deliver breakthrough capabilities where they matter most.
Transformative innovations
Critical to our work are pioneering transformative technologies that provide
a decisive advantage. For example, we’re harnessing quantum technologies that maintain uncompromised military communications even when conventional systems are under sustained attack. These innovations don’t just enhance our defensive posture; they catalyse high-skilled job creation and drive economic resilience through the industrial base.
Talent powers national security
The cultivation of elite scientific talent remains paramount. Dstl brings together world-class experts from over 30 scientific disciplines in a unique environment where diverse perspectives converge in a multidisciplinary manner to solve our most complex security challenges. This intellectual firepower delivers the innovations that protect our forces and citizens.
Science drives defence readiness
As global instability intensifies and technological advancement accelerates, the boundary between science and operational capability must speed up. To that end, systems integration is at the forefront of our research exploitation, in which we continue to grow skills.
By focusing on sovereign capabilities, collaborative innovation and next-generation talent, Dstl ensures science and technology remain the cornerstone of UK defence –safeguarding our nation against those who threaten our security and way of life.
Andy Bell Chief Science and Technology Officer, Dstl
With NATO allies’ defence spend rising, now is the time to transform our industrial base and deliver the Prime Minister’s ‘defence dividend’ through targeted inward investment.
Andrew Kinniburgh Director-General, Make UK Defence
The Government’s recent Strategic Defence Review was right to identify that UK-based businesses must be prioritised to strengthen our industrial base. However, anyone in industry knows that we cannot do everything alone, and there will always be times when we must buy from abroad to get the best capability our Armed Forces need at the right price.
Defence spend drives investment
The UK Government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leverage one of the largest defence budgets in the world to drive inward investment into the UK when buying from abroad.
While over 50 developed nations operate similar industrial participation policies, NATO allies like Poland have demonstrated their ability to drive inward investment from defence spending –securing a USD6 billion investment commitment from Lockheed Martin in 2003 as part of their procurement of 48 F-16 fighter jets.1 In 2023, they demonstrated further success by securing a £200 million inward investment from the WILSA antiaircraft and anti-missile programme.2
Organisations in the defence sector can leverage AI in multiple ways. However, various building blocks must be in place for this to be done safely, securely and responsibly.
As the UK Government noted in its Strategic Defence Review: ‘Artificial intelligence (AI) ... will enable defence to take leaps forward both in how it fights and the productivity with which it delivers.’
Autonomy redefines military readiness
This AI-driven defence landscape is exciting, observes Nick Sinnott, Head of Technology Strategy and Innovation at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, a company delivering advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions.
“To accelerate the development of innovative technologies,
Unlocking defence-led opportunity
For the UK, a defence inward investment plan could become a central pillar to the Government’s Growth Mission, placing legal requirements on foreign companies to invest in good commercial opportunities in our country.
For industry — from your large primes to your mid-tiers and SMEs — this means more opportunities to win work, grow their business and provide highly skilled jobs to communities across the nations and regions.
With the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, the UK Government must seize the moment to unlock the potential of the defence industry and deliver long-overdue economic growth.
References:
1. Lockheed Martin, 2003. Lockheed Martin and Poland Sign Offset Agreement Valued at More Than $6 Billion.
2. Ministry of National Defence, 2023. Poland strengthens the air defence system. Offset contracts for Phase II of the WISIA programme are signed. Republic of Poland.
we collaborate with different organisations, including deep-tech startup Oxford Dynamics,” he says. “Predictive maintenance is one area we’re working on together. The ambition is to give customers a decisive advantage by knowing exactly when equipment is going to break down or need replacing. From a logistics standpoint, that makes good sense.”
Sinnott believes the Strategic Defence Review, which prioritises ‘a shift towards greater use of autonomy and AI within the UK’s conventional forces,’ will change the sector’s AI approach. “It’s a technology roadmap of what the Government wants to achieve,” he says.
Develop a defined AI strategy and get leadership buy-in
However, he strikes a note of caution regarding using AI for decision-making. “If it’s a straightforward, low-risk decision, we’re happy to trust machines, aren’t we?” he asks. “But in critical spaces, there are decisions we don’t want a machine to make.” In defence, it’s about applying AI to connect key information –enabling human decision-makers rather than replacing them.
To maximise AI across multiple domains and use cases, organisations must first develop a defined strategy with leadership buy-in. “Without strategic intent, businesses can’t operationalise,” says Sinnott. “They also won’t be able to build foundations across people (with the proper training), process, technology and data — aspects that need to be right from the outset.” Moreover, it’s crucial to properly manage risk.
Partnership ensures AI safety
Finally, collaboration is essential, which is why it’s a core part of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence’s approach. “We know we must bolster safety assurance around AI,” says Sinnott. “We can’t do this alone, so we work closely with SMEs, large organisations and academia to realise safe, responsible, reliable outcomes from AI systems and deliver the capabilities our customers want.”
Stephanie Ayres Head of Policy, UKspace
If you turn up to play cricket with a tennis racquet, you won’t succeed. For any sector to thrive, it must use the right tools in the right context.
Reviewing the recent array of Government reviews (Spending Review, National Security Strategy, Industrial Strategy, Strategic Defence Review), space has been given a new kit bag of equipment to make us match-fit for the future.
UK space sector state of play Our sector is characterised by three things: we are highly innovative and rely heavily on research and development; we are made up of a handful of large primes and a large number of SMEs supplying both civil and military customers; and space underpins £364 billion of wider UK GDP.
For space, £22.6 billion per year on R&D, an uplift to the National Wealth Fund, a focus on reshaping our sector and more money for defence and national security are good news. We are now digging into the kit bag to understand the new tools available to capitalise upon these opportunities.
What should these investments be directed towards?
Together with the Government, we have identified five priority capabilities, which enhance our national security and promise future growth:
• Satellite Communications: Enhancing capabilities to support commercial and national security needs.
• Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT): Developing robust solutions to ensure the UK’s strategic autonomy.
• In-orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM): Pioneering technologies to extend the life of satellites and reduce space debris.
• Space Domain Awareness: Strengthening our ability to monitor and protect space assets.
• Space Data for Earth Applications: Building a resilient and secure data infrastructure to support space
This will position the UK as one of the only nations in Europe able to deliver endto-end satellite manufacture.
operations.
Coupled with these, in the Industrial Strategy, the Government said it would work with industry to “Develop the capability to reliably and independently launch satellites from UK soil. This will position the UK as one of the only nations in Europe able to deliver end-toend satellite manufacture and launch within a single regulatory framework, delivering national security, defence and commercial benefits.”
With our priorities set and new financial and R&D levers to pull, we head into the next spending period better armed and prepared.
Chief Relationships Officer, Aerospace Technology Institute
Advanced technologies are central to addressing the security, economic and sustainability challenges the UK is facing.
Demand to develop high-performance technologies together with high-rate and low-cost manufacturing capacity has seldom been higher. Could even greater collaboration between our civil and defence sectors be the catalyst for jobs, growth and innovation at the pace and scale required?
Civil-defence tech convergence
In aerospace, the UK boasts world-class capabilities in both civil and defence, built on a shared history of research and innovation. While exploitation paths may be different, the fundamental technologies are often the same. Actively collaborating to unlock capabilities at an accelerated rate across advanced manufacturing, materials, hybridisation and propulsion supports both sectors and creates spillover across the UK.
A current Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme-funded aerodynamics project is doing just this by enabling civil and defence aerospace companies to jointly develop advanced airframe configurations, sharing both resource requirements and project outcomes.
This type of approach accelerates the development of world-leading technology in the UK and consequently secures high-value jobs and growth across both sectors, helping to protect the sovereignty of supply in an uncertain world.
Policy alignment accelerates innovation
The UK Government’s pledge to invest 10% of the Ministry of Defence’s equipment budget in innovation, the Modern Industrial Strategy’s focus on ‘frontier industries’ with civil and military applications and the recent commitment to an additional 10 years of funding for the ATI provide opportunity. We have, for the first time perhaps since the Cold War, reached a strategic alignment of policy, budget and imperative — but the task is huge, and time is short.
We can build on the Government-industry Defence and Aerospace Growth Partnerships and existing joint working, such as the ATI’s expert advisory groups. These include representation from civil and defence organisations, to give clear direction to our sectors. Providing a joined-up signal to industry, akin to the ATI and working alongside, could expand the pace of defence and civil innovation, provide long-term stability for both sectors and better direct investment. By engaging the brightest minds across the value chain, we can use this momentum to boost competitiveness and drive sustainable growth.
17-18 MARCH 2026
From radar to the jet engine, times of conflict and superpower competition have accelerated technological progress in aerospace.
Today, the deteriorating geopolitical situation sees a new chapter in air and space power being written. Multiple conflicts and emerging threats have accelerated investment and rearmament for ‘peer-on-peer’ conflict.
Next-gen weapons reshape defence
Over two decades of counterinsurgency have given way to the spectre of state-on-state warfare. This is fueling the development of sixth-generation stealth fighters (such as GCAP, F-47, and FCAS/SCAF), missile defence capability, long-range air-to-air missiles, precision weapons and more.
military air power.
Tech transforming military aerospace Yet, as well as countries around the world developing these ‘high-end’ weapon systems, as the world moves to a multipolar Cold War 2.0, military aerospace is also facing a technology inflexion point from drones, AI, cyberwarfare, hypersonics and the shift from space supporting air, land and sea forces to becoming a ‘warfighting domain’ in its own right, where satellites will manoeuvre against each other to gain an advantage over an adversary.
The exponential growth in AI raises questions about the ‘human in the
As well as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that presents near-term challenges over producing munitions at scale and dealing with attack drones, the new arms race sees the West and its allies attempting to keep up with rapid developments in China — which has built up an advanced military of its own with combat aircraft, transports, surveillance aircraft, hypersonic missiles, aircraft carriers and more. Only in the last 12 months, it revealed two previously unknown stealth fighters. This is a clear sign of Beijing’s ambition to strengthen its
loop’ in the future battlespace.
In particular, AI is set to reshape air combat, whether through autonomous swarming drones, a ‘kill web’ that connects ‘any sensor to any shooter’ or the virtual design, development and testing of new weapon systems and combat aircraft. While the demise of the fighter pilot has been predicted before (most notably in the UK’s infamous 1957 Sandys’ Defence Paper), today, the exponential growth in AI raises questions about the ‘human in the loop’ in the future battlespace. The future of military aerospace thus looks networked, highly autonomous and operating at a new speed of decision-making.
With world-leading capabilities in satellite manufacturing, payload development, space data services and connectivity, the nation is set to become the first in Europe to launch a satellite into orbit.
Unlike traditional industries clustered around a handful of locations, UK space expertise is distributed across every nation and region. This geographic diversity brings unique opportunities and challenges. Organisations face different needs depending on the location, composition and density of their local space sector.
Space clusters drive opportunity
To meet these unique needs and nurture growth — whether that’s breaking into new markets or forging partnerships, overcoming skills shortages or accessing testing facilities and infrastructure — the
UK Space Agency works closely with local partners and invests in tailored initiatives.
At the heart of this approach are the UK’s ‘Space Clusters’ — regional innovation hubs where businesses, researchers and investors come together. Led by dedicated teams, these clusters provide business advice, technical support and facilitate new partnership opportunities. They align regional strengths with national priorities and create compelling cases for inward investment. For anyone interested in the space sector, engaging with your local cluster is essential.
Infrastructure investment as a key pillar
The Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund invests in R&D infrastructure aligned to local strengths. This allows space companies to pursue larger, more significant commercial opportunities. Meanwhile, the UK Space Agency Accelerator supports early-stage companies to scale and commercialise their innovations, offering tailored support in business development, technical validation and investment readiness.
Space sector fuels growth
Antonia Yendell, Head of Space Ecosystem Development at the UK Space Agency, says: “This thriving and connected ecosystem, underpinned by a network of space clusters and range of support programmes, brings the whole of the UK space sector together and equips it with the tools it needs to grow. The supportive environment sets the UK apart on the world stage, representing a competitive international advantage.
“By being able to rapidly access new partners, wherever they are in the country, drive innovation, unlock new commercial opportunities and build consortia that can deliver capabilities critical to the UK’s broader economy, the UK’s national space ecosystem is key to delivering our economic growth ambitions.”
William Freer Research Fellow (National Security), Council on Geostrategy
Explore shifting dynamics in the UK–US special relationship, from shared geopolitical goals to emerging divergences and the strategies needed to strengthen defence, industry and multitheatre cooperation.
The ‘special relationship’ is as close as it is not because of any cultural or linguistic ties (though these do play their part) between Britain and America, but because both countries have shared near identical interests for several decades.
These were the prevention of the rise of any expansionist power on the Eurasian land mass, which could wield the super-continent’s resources and threaten the democratic, maritime, industrial and trading powers. While they did not always see eye to eye (the Suez Crisis marked a particular low point), the relationship remained solid because geopolitical interests remained the same.
Shifts in transatlantic priorities
The Council on Geostrategy’s Strategic Advantage Cell published a report delving into the UK–US bilateral relationship to see what has changed, what may change and what Britain should do about it.
Recent events have shown that there remain a number of continued convergent interests, such as agreement on the pitfalls of globalisation (implicit rather than explicit), the need to step up to geopolitical competition
Join aviation leaders to explore SAF, zero-emission flight, carbon removal and innovations driving the industry toward a net zero future.
Mark your calendars for 17–18 March 2026, when the Sustainable Skies World Summit (SSWS26) descends on the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre in the UK.
Boasting an impressive lineup, SSWS25 featured over 120 speakers and 58 partners and sponsors across 30 hours of high-level networking. Building upon its success, attendees of the upcoming 2026 event will be invited to join innovators to engage, ideate and drive progress across the global industry.
What to expect at SSWS26
The summit’s agenda revolves around five critical event themes, each tackling key challenges and innovations in sustainable aviation:
• Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF): Exploring policy, regulation and industry uptake of SAF to slash emissions.
• Zero emissions: Advancing hydrogen, electric, solar and hybrid flight technologies for carbon-free travel.
• Operation efficiency: Enhancing airport operations, flight paths and air traffic management for environmental impact reduction.
and the need to rebuild defence industrial bases, which were allowed to atrophy.
However, for the first time in decades, a number of divergences have appeared. These include over theatre priority between the Euro-Atlantic and IndoPacific, differing perceptions of threats, with the US viewing Russia as less of a danger and the UK viewing China as less of a danger and differing views on multilateralism.
A joint vision for security
To reinforce the alliance for the coming decades, both London and Washington should work together to create a new vision for the international order, which will require close strategic dialogue (as was done to create the post-war and post-Cold War orders).
Clear plans should be established to manage multitheatre priorities, especially in the event of a multi-theatre crisis. The two countries should also look to deepen their defence industrial relations, leveraging each other’s expertise and capacity.
• Future of flight: Championing advanced air mobility (AAM) and its potential to revolutionise urban air travel sustainably.
• Carbon removal: Focusing on emerging direct carbon capture and removal methods to help the aviation sector meet long-term net zero targets.
Attendees of the upcoming 2026 event will be invited to join innovators to engage, ideate and drive progress across the global industry.
A highlight of SSWS26 will also be the interactive workshops, designed by the industry for the industry. These sessions will delve into vital subjects such as unlocking SAF access, formulating actionable policy for sustainable aviation fuels, enhancing carbon removal eligibility, greening airports, building resilient aerospace supply chains, securing finance, mitigating non CO� emissions and exploring hydrogen adoption for both airlines and airports.
Shaping sustainable aviation
Organised by the team behind the renowned Farnborough International Airshow, SSWS26 provides a vital opportunity for innovators and solution providers to showcase their work, build relationships and shape the trajectory of sustainable aviation.
Sustainable Skies World Summit 2026 offers a unique stage for collaborative innovation and strategic conversation, uniting diverse stakeholders to steer aviation toward a cleaner, smarter and more sustainable future.