Emerging technologies are a threat and an opportunity. They will change the future environment in which UK Armed Forces will operate, redefine how warfare is conducted, render existing defence systems obsolete, or provide new, more cost effective military capability.
Emerging technologies can be characterised as
- immature technologies in the early proof-of-principle stages
- more mature technologies but where a novel defence application has been identified.
To identify and understand Emerging Technologies before they impact upon UK military capability, this section of the DTP will establish a framework for wide engagement with the UK academic and industrial community, including those who may not have worked with defence before.
This is not unique to defence and there are a range of Horizon Scanning and Technology Watch activities across government that MOD works with.
The DTP Emerging Technologies framework will provide a defence focus through which organisations can:
- Gain a deeper insight into how Emerging Technologies might contribute to UK defence capability
- Highlight Emerging Technologies to MOD
- Update MOD on technological developments and other breakthroughs
- Provide an alternative perspective on where and how Emerging Technologies may be relevant to MOD
- Make MOD aware of their capability in an Emerging Technology
The Emerging Technologies framework comprises 15 high-level roadmaps that can be accessed through the links below.
The roadmaps identify where MOD sees a long term potential military application, is assessing a technology or is seeking to promote early adoption. This will assist academia and industry identify where their skills and knowledge of particular technologies could have the greatest impact.
These areas of interest will not necessarily receive direct MOD funding. In the UK, the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board support extensive civilian research programmes on Emerging Technologies.
Where a strong defence interest is identified, either directly or through a proposal to the Centre for Defence Enterprise, MOD may additionally support research through the Systems area of the DTP – either within the Cross-cutting domain or, when relevant, the specific systems domain.
MOD welcomes feedback on this approach through technology@mod.uk. The framework and supporting information will be updated regularly.
