The United Kingdom is sharpening its defence posture. Five technologies stand at the heart of this effort.
While the industry’s heavyweights continue to supply capability, fresh value lies with early to mid-stage firms.
These smaller players, often led by veterans and security professionals, move fast. They innovate, adapt, and bring new answers to complex military challenges.
A new report from Heligan Group maps out the technologies driving UK, European, and NATO power projection.
Matt Croker, Director of Corporate Finance at Heligan Group, frames the moment plainly: “The UK is well-positioned in a range of defence technologies with both investment as well as the academic institutions underpinning the intellectual property development and talent to remain competitive.”
Artificial Intelligence
In 2022 the Ministry of Defence set its stall with a Defence AI Strategy. The goal: to be the “world’s most effective, efficient, trusted and influential” user of military AI. Delivery sits with the Defence AI Centre, backed by hubs in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Forces. The uses are wide: intelligence, decision-support, and operational automation.
Cybersecurity
The National Cyber Force unites the MOD, GCHQ, SIS, and DSTL. Its task is offensive. To strike hostile networks, and to seize initiative. This is not just about resilience. It is about dominance in the digital battlespace.
Autonomous Systems
Air. Land. Sea. Across every domain the UK is pushing uncrewed systems. The war in Ukraine accelerated the shift. It showed how quickly autonomy can change the fight and how vital it will be in future wars.
Quantum Technology
Quantum remains a British edge. Work on encryption is already moving into real-world use: secure communications, advanced computing, navigation systems that cannot be jammed. A field once theoretical is now operational.
Space Defence
Space is now a contested domain. The UK’s Defence Space Strategy leans on commercial innovation and emphasises protecting national interests far above Earth. Control of this frontier, like cyber, is fast becoming non-negotiable.
The Numbers
“Exact numbers for defence spend in these areas are difficult to ascertain due to the classified nature of defence and national security,” said Croker. “Nevertheless, at Heligan, we have estimated a £279 M spend on AI, £204.6 M on quantum, £837 M on UAS, £1,860 B on cybersecurity and £2,790 B on the space defence sector.”
These figures lend weight to the trend.
“These technological areas will prove crucial for UK national security and defence in the years and decades to come and will undoubtedly pose significant opportunities for investment growth as the technologies mature,” Croker concluded.
The shape of power is shifting. Those who master these technologies will decide the terms of security in the 21st century.
Information Security Buzz News Editor
Kirsten Doyle has been in the technology journalism and editing space for nearly 24 years, during which time she has developed a great love for all aspects of technology, as well as words themselves. Her experience spans B2B tech, with a lot of focus on cybersecurity, cloud, enterprise, digital transformation, and data centre. Her specialties are in news, thought leadership, features, white papers, and PR writing, and she is an experienced editor for both print and online publications.
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