UK opens new Centre for Defence Enterprise

The MoD has had successes with their Grand Challenge (a competition open to the UK science and technology community to develop an autonomous vehicle capable of detecting a range of military threats in an urban environment) and the Competition of Ideas (set up to identify and take forward novel technologies). It fact "Ideas" received over 450 proposals and resulted in 66 funded projects.

Building on this, the MoD has launched the Centre for Defence Enterprise. The Centre, located in Harwell in the Oxford-London-Cambridge 'Golden Triangle, will be a modelled on commercial science parks and incubators, bringing together inventors, investors, entrepreneurs, and academics to incubate new businesses and technologies with defence and other applications.

At the opening the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said:

"The Centre for Defence Enterprise is about tapping into the UK's best talent to develop the next generation of military technology for our Armed Forces. It is an exciting opportunity to expand the MoD's science and technology supplier base for defence.

"We are looking for the innovative solutions and technology that will provide our front line with the battle-winning edge."

Source: MoD