Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 21 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, CP 1388, what steps he is taking to increase innovation in the defence sector.

As of July 1, 2025 UK Defence Innovation has reached initial operating capability.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) represents a fundamental transformation of how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) approaches innovation. We recognised that for too long, innovative companies and start-ups faced significant barriers when trying to engage with defence innovation programmes. The previous landscape was fragmented, slow, and difficult to navigate, which prevented promising companies from scaling their solutions and securing the investment they needed to grow.

The Establishment of UKDI consolidates and simplifies structures, creating a clearer pathway for innovation that aligns with the Government's agile state agenda and ensures we can harness the best of British innovation for our defence capabilities.

Sat at the heart of the National Armaments Director Group, UKDI will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology in support of Defence’s most pressing strategic challenges. We are drawing upon the success of the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) model relevant to the UK Ministry of Defence.