techUK, the technology trade association, has named the victors from its 2024 Defence Programme elections that took place at the end of last year. It generated a record number of applications and we’re pleased to reveal Plexal’s Defence Lead, Hamza Huda, has been selected as Forum Chair and member of the board for the next two years.
The Defence Board comprises 30 techUK members, including representatives from five SMEs and 25 larger organisations, such as Airbus Defence and Space and BAE Systems through to Google and Palantir. The board will champion the defence industry, connect stakeholders to techUK members and oversee a programme of activities, aiming to address strategic concerns impacting defence technology.
Plexal is committed to achieving the potential of emerging technology through strategic collaboration with the government, industry, startups and academia, which is what makes this such an important milestone, as we drive economic growth and social prosperity alongside national security progress.
We’ve delivered numerous innovation projects such as the Airbus Defence and Space Accelerator, the Futures Lab ISR showcase, alongside technology demonstrations supporting Strategic Command – such as the MOD Commercial X series where Plexal has highlighted and delivered new capabilities to operational users.
Commenting on his appointment, Hamza said: “I’m really excited to have been nominated to Chair the TechUK Defence Research and Technology Forum over the next two years, which also comes with a position on the TechUK Defence Board. This is a unique opportunity for Plexal, and me, to represent not only the SME community but also help inform policy and the defence tech ecosystem of emerging trends and technologies.
“The two-year appointment among a distinguished group of 30 industry leaders on the Defence Board, representing both established enterprises and innovative SMEs, comes at a pivotal time as defence procurement looks to increase its engagement with SMEs. As a forum, we’ll work to advance the interests of the UK’s defence technology sector and strengthen collaboration between industry stakeholders and the broader defence enterprise.
“As the Forum Chair, I look forward to facilitating open discussion around challenges and opportunities in defence research and technology. This role also allows me to serve as a bridge between the forum’s focused initiatives and the board’s strategic oversight, ensuring our collective efforts remain aligned with the needs of techUK’s defence membership and more widely with the MOD’s strategic priorities.
“I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by fellow members and commit to approaching these responsibilities with dedication and diligence with regards to our sector’s evolving needs and a collaborative spirit that draws on the diverse expertise within our community.”
Following on from the Defence Programme elections, voting is now open for techUK’s National Security Committee. We’re calling on your support to get behind Plexal’s Ruby Motabhoy, Senior Lead for National Security, who heads up Plexal’s innovation team in Manchester and leads nationally on alignment between the UK intelligence community’s regional hubs.
Ruby’s career with national security began working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in Cheltenham, as she supported the mobilisation of our innovation partnership and NCSC For Startups programme launch, with this field of work expanding massively since.
Plexal has played a key role in transforming the way industry engages with national security. We specialise in designing collaboration opportunities for non-traditional vendors to enter the national security supply chain and were proud delivery partners for pioneering initiatives including the SIS Technology Challenge and HMGCC Accelerate.
Most recently we became a partner of the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR), a public-private partnership bringing together UK Government departments and agencies with innovation and research teams from Plexal, University of Oxford, The Alan Turing Institute and Queen’s University Belfast. Our role will see us convene LASR’s multi-disciplinary approach and foster collaboration between key industry players, SMEs and startups from across the global technology ecosystem.
Explaining the expertise that she’ll bring to the techUK National Security Committee, Ruby said: “In my role as Senior Lead for National Security at Plexal, I’m dedicated to enabling cross-sector collaboration into the UK national security community. Working with secure government partners, SMEs, academia and investors, my national security expertise spans technical research, proofs of concept and accelerator programmes alongside design and development of problem books, cyber principles and technology assurance strategies.
“Having provided deep insight into the UK’s enduring capability pull through challenges in this sector, this is knowledge that the techUK National Security Committee can draw on to plan activities and interventions that will drive this community forward despite geopolitical uncertainty.
“Ultimately, I would serve this committee with a forward-thinking, adaptable and public- minded approach, working with my colleagues to identify whole of society responses to today’s security issues.”
