We were honoured to host the London Regional Defence and Security Cluster launch event at Plexal Stratford on Monday 10th February.
After several Regional Defence and Security Clusters were successfully introduced at events in 2024, the London Regional Defence and Security Cluster was officially launched by Professor Rodney Day, London South Bank University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, alongside keynote opening speaker Anita Friend, Head of DASA, at our East London HQ on the Here East campus, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The new London Regional Defence and Security Cluster is a collaboration led by industry and academia with the support of government and its ministerial departments, such as the Ministry of Defence and its innovation directorate, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA).
The launch event was a great opportunity to learn about the latest changes in the defence and security landscape, as well as routes to accelerate innovation into technical capability delivering value.
The gathering helped shape the next steps for the London Regional Defence and Security Cluster, connected attendees with other likeminded organisations and featured keynote presentations from industry and policy leaders. Speakers included Anita Friend, Head of DASA; Co-Directors of London Tech Bridge, Commander Daniel Weil, Royal Navy, and Jeffrey Brewer, US Navy; and John Kite, Deputy Head of Industry Collaboration, MoD. Other contributors included Ralph Wilkins from DASA; Jarryd Braithwaite from Saab UK; James Williams from Telicent; Jacob Cooney from UK Defence and Security Exports and Tonino Amorelli of QinetiQ.
Russell Gundry, Senior Director of Clusters at Plexal, stressed: “Innovation clusters must solve customer challenges, create desirable products, attract skilled talent and secure investment for infrastructure and intellectual property.” He went on to share with the London Regional Defence and Security Cluster audience the importance of public-private collaboration in driving UK tech innovation.
Hamza Huda, Defence Lead at Plexal, spoke about convening the defence ecosystem, stating: “Plexal’s recent work in the defence sector has brokered understanding of the operators’ requirements and the SMEs journey delivering into defence. By building the relationship between end-user and SME, we can bring novel and emerging capabilities to those who need them most. It’s an exciting time for the defence tech community and we’re privileged to host the inaugural London Regional Defence and Security Cluster event.”
Professor Rodney Day emphasised that the launch of this London Regional Defence and Security Cluster comes at a pivotal time for defence and security in the UK with a host of emerging strategies and reviews, renewed urgency and changing priorities.
“The importance of the digital domain, robust cyber security and new defence technical capabilities are crucial to safeguard the security of the UK and our allies,” Rodney said. “The London Regional Defence and Security Cluster will help drive investment, increase collaboration potential, provide access to world class innovation from our university network, boost productivity and contribute to the security of the UK and the prosperity of London.”
