Innovating across the Atlantic: New agreement for UK and US innovation liaison officers
Agreement signed at Strategic Command Conference for liaison officers in jHub and U.S. Defense Innovation Unit
General Jim Hockenhull and Doug Beck signing the agreement. MOD Crown Copyright.
At the Strategic Command Conference 2024, Doug Beck, Director of the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit, and General Jim Hockenhull, Commander of UK Strategic Command, signed an agreement to place liaisons officers in each nation’s Defence innovation hubs.
Strategic Command’s innovation team jHub connects world-class technology and talent with users across Defence. The United States Defense Innovation Unit, based in Silicon Valley, focus on accelerating the adoption of commercial and dual-use technology to solve operational challenges at speed and scale. Doug Beck, the unit’s director, reports directly to the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
As technological advancements continue to accelerate, we must collaborate ever more closely with our international allies and industry partners. The Strategic Command Conference brought together over 250 leading experts from international allies and partners, across government, industry, and academia to discuss challenges and share ideas.
This agreement will help us continue to share knowledge and ideas with our close ally and collaborate on the development of cutting-edge science and technology on both sides of the Atlantic. Partnerships like this help protect both our nations and strengthen what is already the most robust, deepest, and advanced military partnership of any two countries.