Guidance

Emerging Technology for Defence Programme

The Emerging Technology for Defence Programme develops and enhances UK Defence’s ability to exploit emerging technologies

• From: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
• Published: 31 May 2018

This guidance was withdrawn on 31 March 2022

The MOD launched its new science and technology portfolio in June 2022.

Find out more about Dstl’s work across our 22 science and technology capabilities.

UK defence and security forces must respond to and keep pace with a rapidly changing and complex global security landscape.

The programme works to develop and enhance Defence’s ability to exploit emerging technologies in order to maintain operational advantage into the future.

Specifically, the programme is:

• identifying and developing novel technologies with the potential to revolutionise the defence and security environment
• developing innovative models, tools and techniques that could provide a step-change in strategic decision making
• being the Dstl S&T Portfolio’s focal point for horizon scanning and technology watch
• strategic academic engagement and supporting strategic international research collaboration
• pursuing high-risk research that would allow defence to operate more efficiently, realising long-term cost savings.

This work enables the programme to: create the environment for S&T to challenge traditional approaches and explore high-risk, high-reward opportunities; and ensure exploitation of horizon scanning to improve the scope, quality and quantity of evidence to inform senior decision makers.

Key activities

• Deliver of a range of academic research schemes
• Work with the Alan Turing Institute, the UK’s leading research establishment for data science horizon scanning for the Defence research portfolio
• Research into novel and emerging areas of technology

For more information about this programme, please contact us: centralenquiries@dstl.gov.uk.

Published 31 May 2018