MoD announces new £800m innovation drive

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The Ministry of Defence has unveiled plans for an £800m programme designed to take advantage of the latest advances in science and technology.

A new Innovation and Research Insights Unit (IRIS) will be set up to anticipate emerging technological trends and assess what impact they might have on UK defence and security.

The MoD currently spends up to a fifth of its Science and Technology budget on disruptive capability projects, such as an Unmanned Aerial System with flapping wings that has been inspired by the biology of a dragonfly. Currently in development with Animal Dynamics, the micro-drone has the potential to improve intelligence-gathering in complex urban environments. Another project is investigating the potential of laser weapons to target and defeat aerial threats.

For IRIS, individuals and companies will be invited to present their ideas in front of a ‘dragon’s den style panel’, which will see a dedicated fund of £800m dispersed over the next ten years. According to the MoD, the new approach will see the best ideas fast-tracked, with the Ministry taking more risks on cutting-edge technology than previously.

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