The Ministry of Defence has launched the Defence Universities Alliance, bringing together 35 universities to strengthen collaboration on research, skills and talent development. This work has been informed by engagement across Government and supports the Department's wider Science, Technology and Innovation ambitions set out in both the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), launched on 1 July 2025, unites expertise from previously separate organisations to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge innovative capabilities, ensuring the United Kingdom remains secure at home and strong abroad. With ringfenced annual funding of at least £400 million, UKDI consolidates innovation efforts across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to rapidly deliver new technology to the front line and support the growth of a robust defence technology industry.

UKDI serves as a catalyst for growth in the defence, security, and dual-use technology sectors, contributing to the governments aims by creating highly skilled jobs and driving economic growth. Since July 2026, UKDI has been transitioning into its fully designed operating model, with the financial year 2026/27 serving as a transitional period focused on scaling delivery, embedding performance management, and demonstrating measurable impact against Defence outcomes.

The new Defence acquisition model establishes a single, coherent route for innovation from idea to delivery, embedding innovation within core decision-making processes rather than treating it as a parallel activity. Innovation is mandated at every stage—including problem statements, options development, commercial design, commissioning, and delivery—to ensure the early exploitation of novel technologies. UKDI prioritises and funds innovation alongside all other Defence activities, operating within the same strategic frameworks and governance while maintaining the necessary freedoms to operate at pace.

The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) outlines how Defence will outpace threats, including rapid advances in technology, through sustained investment in warfighting readiness, the rapid introduction of new capabilities, and the integration of advanced and emerging technologies across the force. This requires a model of constant innovation and there is therefore no end state for the Integrated Force.

Evidence gathered through force testing events, as well as lessons identified from contemporary conflicts, will ensure we constantly evaluate the impact of changing technology on our force design and the threat trajectory of our adversaries. The Secretary of State will receive an annual statement detailing how the integrated force model has changed in response to ensure accountability for the continual adaptation of the Integrated Force over time.

The Government is implementing Recommendation 7 of the Strategic Defence Review through reforms to Defence's Science, Technology and Innovation system, ensuring it is better aligned to Defence priorities and able to deliver technological advantage at greater pace.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continue to provide Defence's core research, analysis and evaluation capabilities, including long-term and applied research and the development of technologies critical to national security. The Ministry of Defence has also established UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), delivering the Strategic Defence Review recommendation to provide dedicated funding to support innovative UK companies and accelerate the adoption of technologies that strengthen Defence and Security capability. Together with the Defence Investment Unit, these organisations form a more integrated science, technology and innovation system within the National Armaments Director Group.

The Ministry of Defence has also launched the Defence Universities Alliance, bringing together 35 universities to strengthen collaboration on research, skills and talent development, and is implementing a new approach to horizon scanning and strategic foresight. This work has been informed by engagement across Government and supports the Department's wider Science, Technology and Innovation ambitions set out in both the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy.

The JEF continues to build its role in defence innovation, with First Sea Lord’s JEF Maritime initiative marking a significant step forward in the JEF Northern Navies partnership. It underscores a shared commitment among JEF partners to move beyond periodic activity towards a more integrated maritime enterprise enabling forces to combine rapidly, operate seamlessly and respond decisively and immediately to emerging threats

By renewing emphasis on collaboration and aligning doctrine, training, planning, sustainment and capability development, JEF nations will operate more closely than ever before, building trust, interoperability to act and fight together and ultimately the ability to substitute, swap, or mix equipment, parts, ammunition, or personnel across participating navies. At the March 2026 JEF Leaders' Summit, leaders agreed further measures to strengthen NATO's northern flank, enhance readiness and deterrence, counter hybrid threats, protect critical infrastructure and deepen cooperation with Ukraine.

The Government is implementing Recommendation 7 of the Strategic Defence Review through reforms to Defence's Science, Technology and Innovation system, ensuring it is better aligned to Defence priorities and able to deliver technological advantage at greater pace.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) continue to provide Defence's core research, analysis and evaluation capabilities, including long-term and applied research and the development of technologies critical to national security. The Ministry of Defence has also established UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), delivering the Strategic Defence Review recommendation to provide dedicated funding to support innovative UK companies and accelerate the adoption of technologies that strengthen Defence and Security capability. Together with the Defence Investment Unit, these organisations form a more integrated science, technology and innovation system within the National Armaments Director Group.

The Ministry of Defence has also launched the Defence Universities Alliance, bringing together 35 universities to strengthen collaboration on research, skills and talent development, and is implementing a new approach to horizon scanning and strategic foresight. This work has been informed by engagement across Government and supports the Department's wider Science, Technology and Innovation ambitions set out in both the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy.

Since publication of the Strategic Defence Review, the Ministry of Defence has continued work to strengthen digital, cyber, data and AI capabilities, accelerate innovation, and implement reforms to improve the delivery of advanced technologies to the Armed Forces.

The Defence Industrial Strategy also supports delivery of the Strategic Defence Review's vision through a new partnership with industry, strengthening innovation, driving growth, and improving the UK's ability to develop and field advanced military capabilities quickly.

Since publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy on 8 September 2025, the Department has strengthened collaboration with industry, NATO Allies and international partners, including the United States, to support UK defence exports, deepen strategic partnerships, improve information sharing and promote a NATO-first approach to industrial co-operation. National Armaments International is supporting UK companies to compete overseas, with record successes in 2025 including the UK’s biggest ever warship deal to Norway and the largest fighter jet exports agreement in a generation, promoting global security while boosting growth at home.

The Department is also giving industry clearer long-term demand signals, investing in priority capabilities, strengthening supply chains and rebuilding capacity in critical sectors including munitions, complex weapons, shipbuilding and combat air. Alongside this, it is investing in defence skills, regional growth, innovation and expanded production capacity, while exploring further measures - through the Defence Readiness Bill which is due later this Parliament - to support industrial resilience, readiness and surge capacity.

As part of our NATO-first approach, the UK continues to work with Allies to deliver the ambitions of NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan and NATO’s Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge to improve industrial readiness, resilience, interoperability and surge capacity across the Alliance. The UK also joined Allies in endorsing the new Strategy for Industry NATO Cooperation at the recent Ankara summit and maintains a strong partnership with the UK delegation to the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG), enabling senior industrialists to offer expertise and strategic insight on a wide range of security policy, defence planning, and capability issues. The UK’s hosting of the NIAG plenary in June 2026 also showcased a shared government-industry commitment to our national contribution to NATO’s collective capability and the opportunities for Allied industrial cooperation.

The first AUKUS Pillar II Signature Project, developing cutting-edge payloads for nations’ Uncrewed Undersea Vehicles, is demonstrating how trusted allies can work together on advanced technologies. It is testing the core features of a future technology partnership, including shared priorities and requirements from the outset, interoperability by design, early industry involvement, and export control and technology sharing reforms.

Additionally, the Maritime Big Play exercise series under Pillar II provides an operational testing ground to integrate and demonstrate autonomous and uncrewed maritime technologies into interoperable and interchangeable capabilities.

In July of this year the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency published a statement of policy intent for the development and implementation of an Early Access Service for innovative medical devices, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-policy-intent-early-access-to-innovative-medical-devices/statement-of-policy-intent-early-access-to-innovative-medical-devices#next-steps

The service aims to speed up safe access to innovative medical devices for patients, supporting the Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan. The statement set out our intention to work with stakeholders across the life science ecosystem to further develop the policy and to build the internal capability required to deliver the service throughout 2025. Further information on our plans will be provided in early 2026.

Defence will invest at least £6.6 billion in research and development over the next four years in areas including space, directed energy weapons, and artificial intelligence. This will help to secure our military edge by ensuring that we can adopt modern technologies at scale and produce game-changing advantage.

My hon. Friend asks a very good question that needs to be addressed. I am pleased to confirm that we are producing a defence AI strategy that will cover how we will get an operational advantage. That work is ongoing and it will be published in due course.