Market Opportunities in Defence and Security - North East

Opening up the Defence & Security marketplace to academics, innovators, Research Technology Organisations (RTOs) and SMEs.

Event Details
When

21/05/2025

10.00 - 14.00

Where

Middlesbrough

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Overview

The Government has committed to increase spending on Defence & Security to 2.5% of GDP with a drive to attract new capabilities to this marketplace, push the horizons of innovation and enrich the supply chains of the UK’s primary contractors. Looking at two specific sub-markets, Integrated air and missile defence and Counter multi-domain unmanned vehicles and vessels, this event series explores this multi-billion-pound global marketplace and how SMEs and university research programmes can access market penetration support.

About the event

The event in Middlesbrough will include a briefing from the Regional Defence and Security Cluster network outlining their support offer, alongside an overview of key Innovate UK Business Connect programmes relevant to the defence and security sector. Specifically, the event will highlight best practice on how to engage with the Innovate UK Innovation Exchange platform (where current market opportunities are hosted, including BAE System’s initiative to support new innovators through access to SDKs, technical expertise, and market intelligence). The session will also explain how Innovate UK delivers regional business growth support and how this can be accessed.

Programme

  • 10.00-10.30 Registration & Networking with Beverages
  • 10:30-10.40 Welcome & Housekeeping
    • Overview of the event objectives and context.
  • 10:40-11.00 Host Presentation
    Dr Lucy Smith, Commercial Director, Materials Processing Institute

    • Advanced Materials for Defence & MPI support for Innovation
  • 11.00-11.20 Networking & Tour 1
  • 11.25-11.55 Innovate UK Defence and Security Opportunities
    Hazel Biggs, Defence and Security Lead, Innovate UK Business Connect.

    • Innovate UK key D&S programmes and strategy overview
    • Framing the Innovate UK Innovation Exchange highlighted market opportunities
      • Air & Missile Defence (BAE Systems)
      • Counter Multi Domain Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels (BAE Systems)
      • Critical Infrastructure Penetration (Alan Turing Inst)
    • Innovate UK iX Challenge Response Best Practice (top tips)
  • 11.55 -12.10 Networking & Tour 2
  • 12.10-12.25 IAM North East Charter (NEW)
    Tom Drew-Stoneman, Senior Engineer, AtkinsRealis
  • 12.25-12:30 Event Close & Thanks
  • 12:30-13.00 Optional Networking.

Who should attend?

SMEs, university research programmes and research technology organisations (RTOs) that are actively looking to engage (or strengthen engagement) with the Defence and Security marketplace.  Specific technology capabilities would include (but not exhaustive)

  • Digital & creative sector agnostic solution developers.
  • AR/VR/XR/MR application developers
  • visualisation and gamification of complex systems
  • data manipulation platform developers
  • data analytical platforms/optimisation platforms/sensor analytic platform developers.
  • Coding and software houses with base coding for solution application – sector agnostic.
  • Practitioners with platforms supporting AI algorithms – sector agnostic
  • Control systems and robotic applications (harsh environments)
  • space observation data practitioners
  • integrated system design
  • Cyber Security innovation systems

Why you should attend

Innovation and new lines of thinking often manifest when people that wouldn’t normally meet are given the chance to connect. Many of these market opportunities are open to those collaborating and sharing co-created approaches. This event will give you that opportunities to be briefed on what’s being looked for as well as those that could be the partners you need for a robust response.

The event will also give you access to Innovate UK staff that are there to support your innovation journey and navigate the Innovate UK business growth ecosystem.

To register interest in attending, please contact enquiries@nerdsc.co.uk

Further upcoming events in this series

This event is part of a series being deployed in various locations with our Regional Defence and Security Cluster partners. Further events will be added when they become available.

Sheffield City Centre
Monday 14 April 2025, 09:15-12:00. Register interest

Harwell Science and Innovation Campus (Oxon/Bucks/Chilterns)
Friday April 25, 09:15-12:00. Register interest

Cardiff, Wales
Wednesday 30 April, 10:00-13:00. Register interest (email bruce.mclelland@iukbc.org.uk)

Bristol City Centre
Thursday 1 May, 09:15-12:00. Register interest

Lincoln, East of England
Tuesday 6 May, time tbc. Register interest

Glasgow, Scotland
Wednesday 7 May, 09:15-12:00. Register interest

Yeovilton, SW England
Wednesday 14 May, 10:00-14:00. Register interest (email southwest.rdsc@outlook.com)

Lancashire, NW England
Friday 16 May, 09:15-12:00. Register interest

Related Opportunities

Innovation Exchange challenge: Counter Multi-Domain Unmanned Vehicles & Vessels

Opens: 17/03/2025   Closes: 30/05/2025

BAE Systems invites innovative solutions that can support the timely and successful conduct of Counter Multi-Domain Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels (C-UxV) in response to increasingly complex and diverse threats.

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Innovation Exchange challenge: Integrated Air and Missile Defence

Opens: 17/03/2025   Closes: 30/05/2025

BAE Systems invites innovative solutions that can support the timely and successful conduct of Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) in response to increasingly complex and diverse threats.

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Innovation Exchange - Simulation of critical national infrastructure penetration

Opens: 18/02/2025   Closes: 19/05/2025

The UK is becoming increasingly reliant on complex interconnected infrastructure systems; this also leads to the vulnerability of attack especially from cyber connections. To address gaps in understanding cybersecurity threats and developing defences for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) system

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