Showcasing MOD investment in innovation
The Ministry of Defence has once again been bringing small and big businesses, investors and government together.
Minister Philip Dunne in Minerva Simulation vehicle
A Marketplace event has been hosted by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) to encourage companies – whatever their size – to work with investors and one another.
On display were some of the best research ideas CDE has recently funded. It included successful projects from a range of CDE funding competitions and the winners of the persistent surveillance from the air and agile immersive mission training competitions with the UK Defence Solutions Centre.
The Minister for Defence Procurement, Philip Dunne, opened the event which saw exhibitors pitch their innovative ideas to the audience, including investors and representatives from big companies and other government departments.
Mr Dunne said:
This event allows for some of the UK’s most innovative projects to be put on display, and for others to see how they can benefit from or help advance those ideas. It is vital that we continue to support innovators in academia and small business and help them grasp opportunities to develop their ideas and take them to market.
Around 30 companies and academic organisations from across the UK displayed their ideas at the Marketplace. These included Northern Ireland-based PacTec which has developed a prototype personal radio-locator system for the dismounted soldier and a device from the University of Strathclyde which will help minimise blood loss in severely injured personnel in the field.
Minerva Simulation Ltd brought along their ‘Thunderbird Tactical Part Task Trainer’ to the event. It provides immersive and realistic Armoured Fighting Vehicle simulation training which can be operated in a standard 4x4 vehicle.
Head of Operations at CDE, Jim Pennycook, said:
This is our third Marketplace event where people can share ideas and work out ways they might be able to work together. It’s great to see such a broad range of exhibitors here from our recent competitions, and I’m pleased to announce that we’ll shortly be opening up more competitions in the fields of optical sensors and autonomy.
Future competitions will be announced by the Centre for Defence Enterprise.