- 35 universities form new Defence Universities Alliance with the Ministry of Defence to develop new technologies and create opportunities for students and graduates
- Alliance will boost defence industry skills across the UK and support vital research into new defence technologies
- Alliance is part of £182 million investment in growing defence-related skills and opportunities across Britain
The University of Manchester hosted the launch of the new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), a major UK-wide partnership designed to strengthen collaboration between universities, government and industry on research, innovation and skills.
The announcement was made at the University by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP. The Alliance brings together 35 universities from across the UK as founding members and will create a long-term framework for collaboration between higher education institutions, the Ministry of Defence, the UK Armed Forces and the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser.
The launch event, held at the University, featured representatives from universities, industry and government. Also in attendance were researchers and students from different aspects of the defence field, and businesses which the University partners with.
The DUA aims to help universities and defence organisations work more closely together across research, innovation and workforce development, creating new opportunities for students and researchers while addressing future national security challenges. The alliance will support collaboration in areas including artificial intelligence, cyber security, robotics, aerospace engineering, behavioural science and health.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “The UK’s top universities have always played an important role in helping society respond to the challenges it faces. Today, that means working closely with government and industry to strengthen national security, develop new ideas and technologies, and deliver the skills needed in related industries.
“The Defence Universities Alliance will deliver a more strategic approach to the contribution higher education makes. By working more closely together, we will better align with government and industry and create more opportunities for researchers and students, for the benefit of our region and the UK as a whole.”
As one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities, The University of Manchester works with organisations across a wide range of sectors, including defence and security, while maintaining its commitment to academic freedom, transparency and compliance with UK law and international obligations.
Professor Tim Dafforn, Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Defence, said: “The Defence Universities Alliance represents a genuinely transformative step forward in how Defence partners with the UK’s world-leading academic sector. By bringing together our shared expertise, ambition and innovation, the Alliance will help us tackle some of the most complex challenges facing Defence at a strategic level. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this creates. The DUA will fundamentally change the way Defence, universities and industry work together – strengthening our national security, creating strategic advantage and supporting growth to deliver better outcomes for the UK.”
Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: “As we prepare for warfighting readiness, working with universities, students and innovators boosts skills and helps keep our country safe. The Defence Universities Alliance will create meaningful connections between students, academia and defence, boosting research, skills and defence expertise across the UK to strengthen industry. Universities play a key role in innovating and supporting defence, and the DUA helps marshal those efforts.
“In this new era of threat our £182 million defence skills package is helping to create opportunities for students, apprentices and young people, making sure our historic £298 billion defence investment is an engine for growth across the UK, and building on the more than 272,000 industry jobs supported by MOD spending.”
Research and innovation have an important role to play in addressing complex global challenges, reflecting the ambitions of the University’s Manchester 2035 strategy, helping to turn research and innovation into practical impact by strengthening partnerships with government and industry.
As well as supporting economic growth, developing new technologies and creating opportunities for students and graduates, the DUA will help strengthen links between academia, government and industry, supporting the development of the highly skilled workforce needed for the future.
