A new Regional Defence and Security Cluster (RDSC) has been launched in the West Midlands, bringing together industry, academia, government and the Armed Forces to strengthen collaboration across the UK defence sector and support innovation-led growth.
The region-wide partnership aims to align local defence capabilities with growing national demand at a time when the UK defence industry is facing rising capability requirements and rapid technological change.
Delivered by the West Midlands Growth Company, the cluster will connect businesses, universities and public sector organisations across the region, while supporting delivery of the Midlands Defence and Security Blueprint.
The West Midlands is already one of the UK’s largest and most strategically significant defence and security hubs, employing around 23,500 people and attracting annual Ministry of Defence industry spending of £1.7bn. The region’s capabilities span advanced manufacturing, cyber security, autonomous systems and engineering, supported by a broad supply chain and ten universities.
The cluster was formally launched during an event hosted at the UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL), a cyber security and resilience facility focused on protecting telecoms critical national infrastructure.
Partners involved in the initiative include NMS UK, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), University of Birmingham, University of Warwick and the Ministry of Defence.
“This new cluster now brings together top talent from innovative businesses and world-class universities right across the region. It’s a huge opportunity for those companies to grow and for young people to build careers in jobs critical to our economic success and our national security.”
– Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.
The initiative also aims to help SMEs and innovators better access defence opportunities, including funding competitions and collaboration with larger organisations.
“The West Midlands Regional Defence and Security Cluster builds on this foundation, connecting the region’s businesses, universities, and public sector bodies to create a thriving innovation ecosystem that delivers real capability into the hands of UK Defence.”
– Bruce Hardie, Defence Industry Partner at UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), MOD.
The West Midlands RDSC joins several other regional clusters operating across the UK, forming part of a wider national network intended to strengthen resilience, innovation and supply chain capability across the defence and security sector.
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