Engineering news
The Ministry of Defence has announced an £800m fund to encourage innovative weapons technology.
Set up to keep pace with changes in modern technology and the commercial sector, the innovation and research insights unit (Iris) programme will take more risks to support "novel ideas" such as surveillance drones inspired by dragonflies, laser weapons, mobile robots that can inspect incidents involving chemical materials and virtual reality helmets to practice calling in simulated air strikes.
Iris will run for 10 years and the official call for investment opportunities will be in September. Individuals and companies will then be invited to pitch a ‘dragon’s den style panel’.
Current projects being funded by the MoD include a micro-drone inspired by the biology of a dragonfly, currently in development with Animal Dynamics, and a new quantum gravimeter developed with the University of Birmingham that could allow surveys of underground structures to be carried out in minutes rather than weeks.
The MoD said the initiative also looks to challenge government to collaborate better with industry, academia and allies, and target new providers to boost the competitive advantage of UK defence.
Once strategy and investment decisions have been taken, a dedicated hub will act as a ‘defence and security accelerator’, ensuring that weapon technologies are developed at pace and to stay ahead of adversaries.
The full launch event for Iris in September will see a prospectus, exhibitions and explain how and when industry can apply to the Innovation Fund.
Defence secretary Michael Fallon said: “This new approach will help to keep Britain safe while supporting our economy, with our brightest brains keeping us ahead of our adversaries.
“Backed by a defence budget that will rise every year until the end of the decade, it will ensure that the UK maintains its military advantage in an increasingly dangerous world.”
The MoD will also launch a competition with the Home Office to challenge industry to design unmanned systems – robots and aircraft – that can assess hazardous scenes, such as sites contaminated by chemical and biological hazards.
This is in addition to the recent announcement at the Farnborough International Air Show of a joint UK/US innovation challenge to speed up the impact that robotic and autonomous systems could have on resupplying armies.