Context

The Defence & Security landscape is evolving at speed, with threats growing more complex and opportunities expanding rapidly. In the face of rising risks to the UK’s critical infrastructure and threats to national security, prime market stakeholders are looking deeper into the innovative strengths of SMEs to reinforce the UK’s overall capability.

The Government’s latest Spending Review backs innovation pivoting from non-defence sectors towards key Resilient World challenges, unlocking dual-use capabilities that can address both defence and civilian needs. For agile innovators, this is a pivotal moment to step forward.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. We offer a wide range of activities and services to support UK businesses to start, scale and grow. Join us to hear more about what we do and the opportunities that are available to you with a focus on national security and defence. This event is suitable for both academics and industry, but places are limited.

Why attend?

• Be briefed on key emerging Innovate UK defence and security themes that will provide the framework for future competition funding calls from Innovate UK.
• Receive an overview on core business support programmes being implemented setting out to strengthen the Northwest opportunities for collaboration and prosperity.
• Lightening presentations from across the Innovate UK landscape, building deeper knowledge of the wider support available on a local, national and international level.
• Receive the latest news on support programmes from Innovate UK designed to enrich investment opportunities and move businesses beyond grant funding cycles and reliability.

Who should attend?

• Members of the Northwest Regional Defence and Security Cluster.
• Innovators and SMEs, including potential university spin-outs ready to pivot their skills into Defence & Security opportunities.
• Growth-focused businesses across all sectors aiming to move beyond grant funding within the next 12 months.
• University programme leads and SMEs in enabling technologies seeking to connect and collaborate with industrial partners active in the National Security and Defence sectors.
• Northwest based businesses looking to build collaborations in readiness for future grant or investment opportunities with an interest in national security or defence opportunities.

Agenda

09:30 – 10:00 | Registration and networking

10:00 – 11:30 | Innovate UK

• Secure and Resilient Growth – John Goodacre, Secure & Resilient Growth Director, Innovate UK
• Horizon Europe – Melanie Maxwell, NCP Secure Societies Programme Investment
• Q&A

11:30 – 12:00 | Coffee and Networking

12:00 – 12:30 | Innovate UK Catapult Network

• Speaker TBC

12:30 – 13:30 | Innovate UK Business Connect

• Defence and Security Team updates – Hazel Biggs, Knowledge Transfer Manager
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships – Speaker TBC
• Place based activities – Bruce McLelland, Emerging Technologies and Industries Knowledge Transfer Manager

14:00 – 14:30 | Innovate UK Business Growth

• An opportunity to network and talk in more detail to the Innovate UK team and our hosts

09:30 – 10:00 | Registration and networking

• Support to UK Businesses – Mick Hadfield, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist

14:30 – 15:15 | Innovate UK Partner Organisations

• Updates from a range of collaboration partner organisations

15:15 – 15:55 | Networking Opportunities

15:55 – 16:00 | Final remarks and close