NDI, the defence division of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation today hosted a visit by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, West Worcestershire Conservative MP. The visit at its Technology Hub in Birmingham came with a meeting of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) SME Forum.
The meeting coincided with the launch of the MoD Science & Technology Strategy; apprentices at the Hub were able to show the technical skills that EEF provides to manufacturers. The MoD minister then chaired a discussion on the importance of innovation and upskilling in defence, including how to better open opportunities for novel and disruptive technologies, which are often best sourced from among the SME community.
With the Ministry of Defence preparing a refresh of its industrial policy, scheduled to be published later this year, topics covered also included how the MoD can engender greater UK supply chain involvement in its competitions, how SMEs can be supported to grow their exports, and how innovation can be incentivised within the defence supply chain.
The MoD says that it’s looking to increase the proportion of spend through SMEs from 19pc in the last Parliament to 25pc by the end of this Parliament and Mrs Baldwin also provided an update on progress. She spoke of the military and economic benefits from such a policy, highlighting that SMEs in particular had a key role.
Andy Tuscher, NDI Director, said: “NDI is pleased to showcase the exciting new technologies that companies are contributing to defence, and discuss how to better enable even more collaboration between MOD and the SME community working at the edge of the technology envelope. This sort of engagement is crucial to ensure that MOD can establish the means through which we, as an industry, we can work ever more closely with the Department in the best interests of the UK economy”
And Harriett Baldwin said: “This new strategy puts world-beating science and technology right at the core of our armed forces. Investing millions into innovative ideas from dynamic British companies will help us defend the country in the face of intensifying threats and keep us ahead of the curve.”
