Defence Online

Defence Growth Partnership: a positive progress update

July 15, 2016

Announced at the Farnborough Airshow in 2012, the Defence Growth Partnership has played an indispensable role in encouraging government and industry to join forces to propel innovation and improve UK defence sector exportability.

MOD DCB features writer Domhnall Macinnes caught up with Allan Cook CBE, Chairman of Atkins and industry Co-Chair of the DGP, to discuss past achievements and future plans.

Domhnall Macinnes

The Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) is a joint initiative between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the UK defence industry, allowing government and the Ministry of Defence to harness innovations from both partner companies and smaller companies across the UK supply chain. Its ultimate goal is to provide innovative solutions to its customers’ needs while fuelling growth so that the UK defence sector is recognised globally as a leader in the field.

A recent important step in support of these goals was the establishment of the UK Defence Solutions Centre (UKDSC). The UKDSC combines the resources of government, the defence industry, academia and research and development to deliver tailored solutions to international defence customers’ needs.

The success of the UKDSC so far is unprecedented, as Allan Cook CBE, Chairman of Atkins and industry Co- Chair of the DGP, affirmed: “The Defence Solutions Centre is a unique capability and is supported directly by business and industry. This resource will run until February 2018. It is providing us with innovative solutions to some of the capabilities we’re looking for to drive growth in the defence area, particularly on the export side. It’s a major new way the DGP is actually facilitating higher levels of growth. 

“Furthermore, the work that’s going on between industry and government in UK Trade & Investment’s Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) is very important. The relationship between the capabilities that are being developed in the DSC and utilised extensively for potential export opportunities is something that as a sector we’ve never been able to do before. So I think what we’re dealing with here at the Defence Growth Partnership is a unique area of collaboration and cooperation that’s helping to underpin the strength of the defence sector in the UK. It will lead undoubtedly to improved opportunities and export sales in the future.”

One of the means by which the UKDSC facilitates the improvement of defence exports is through the development of technology-driven capability roadmaps. The roadmaps are based on market capability the UKDSC believes to hold export potential. In this way, innovations are closely linked to requirements in the UK or in export opportunities, rather than solely to technology development. The roadmaps identify areas in defence where the UK can develop its research and development.

Indeed, the way in which the DGP operates demonstrates a new attitude to cooperation with industry. The organisation facilitates collaboration through innovative methods, some of which have never previously been used in the defence sector.

Mr Cook explained: “I think this is the first time we’ve ever had cross-government and industry market analyses. Between us in industry and in government circles we’ve been focusing on very detailed market analyses and agreeing what the market focus is going to be within the UK. That work has gone on in collaboration with industry and has been led by the DSO. We actually identify what the requirements are in what we call communities of interest and through this we identify countries of focus which will be distinguished as strategically important to the UK for exporting opportunities.

“Roadmaps are oriented towards identifying the capabilities the UK needs to be successful in for future opportunities. We now have a way of doing this jointly across industry and together focusing on the export challenge.”

Innovation and technology development is centrally important to the defence sector. That is why in March 2015 the DGP launched its Innovation Challenge, a collaboration between the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE) in government and industry. For 2017 the DGP and CDE will continue to promote challenges using the £10M of investment which will be linked again to innovation and technology enhancements but now with more focus on integration to apply innovation to usable products. In respect of the value chain, the DGP is promoting funding of developments across different sectors where there are dual-use technologies that provide multiple routes to market and so multiply investment. Furthermore, in 2016 the DGP launched its Systems Engineering Masters Apprenticeship Programme. There are 52 apprentices in the first cohort working in Cranfield towards an MSc in Systems Engineering in Defence Studies. Again, this is a first for this particular area as UK industry has experienced recruitment shortages in systems engineering.

Photo caption: Dr Simon Harwood of Cranfield meets Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for defence.

Large and small companies alike are benefiting from the collaborative and cooperative opportunities that the DGP has to offer, but Mr Cook notes that SMEs in particular can reap the rewards of involvement with the DGP because of the attractive close community it offers. Indeed, the DGP is formed of the biggest names in UK defence, some of which have parent companies overseas but are nevertheless key components of the UK’s capability.

Mr Cook said: “It’s not often that you get an enterprise that brings on board the top 16 companies in defence in the UK. These 16 companies are focused on developing and making certain there is a strong  defence sector in the UK which is capable of providing an increased level of opportunities in the export market.”

A key example of the cooperative work the DGP does with its UK partners can be seen in a project led by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, which draws on the work of SMEs.

Mr Cook commented: “Value Chain Competitiveness is a workstream within the DGP led by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group in Cambridge. It is actually engaging SMEs to develop the supply chain more effectively and provide their involvement and participation in this particular area. One of the successes we have had is the application of Dual Use Technology Exploitation (DUTE), which is helping to create career opportunities in areas of dual use technology involving the value chain right through to 2019.”

Mr Cook concluded by once again stressing the value of collaboration and highlighting its importance for all links and levels in the defence supply chain. He said: “It’s really important and our aspiration has been to develop more of a Team UK approach. What we find, particularly in export opportunities, is that our major customers or clients are looking for a more joined-up approach between companies and organisations. In order to support their requirements, we’re highlighting the Team UK approach.”

If you would like to read more articles like this then please click here

Allan Cook CBE DGP DSC DUTE Innovation Innovation Challenge Prime skills SME Team UK technology UK UKDSC UKTI DSO

Post written by: Domhnall MacInnes

I am a features writer for MOD DCB magazine and Defence Online and a Content Marketing Executive with BiP Solutions.