The MOD is offering private sector businesses and organisations the opportunity to deal directly with the entire defence research community through exhibition, networking and sponsorship at their free annual conference and exhibition on Defence Research: 24 & 25th March 2009
The Technology Strategy Board is a non-departmental body that promotes innovation in UK business and one of their roles is coordinating the Small Business Research Initiative. The SBRI is a way of connecting innovative new companies with government departments to explore new ideas and technologies.
The public sector spends around £160bn a year on goods and services. Bringing innovation into this arena is challenging and quite often the answer lies outside the usual contacts. The SBRI is a mechanism by which Government departments can run a competition for ideas and new technologies to the wider business community around specific department needs. Successful companies are awarded a contract to pay for the demonstration of the feasibility of their new idea or technology and this should lead on to a further contract for product development and hopefully final procurement.
One current SBRI initiative is being led by the Centre for Defence Enterprise, which is a Ministry of Defence conduit for new ideas and technologies. They have organised the following forthcoming events:
Countering Difficult Air Targets: 26th February 2009: Harwell, Oxfordshire.
Powering the Dismounted Soldier - a lighter future? - 24th March 2009: Birmingham.
Annual conference and exhibition on Defence Research: 24 & 25th March 2009: Birmingham Conference Centre - Defence Research 2009 is the only 2009 event where the UK MOD will present the whole of its £500 million annual research investment to industry, academia and other suppliers, alongside key members of MOD and the Armed Services. The MOD is offering private sector businesses and organisations the opportunity to deal directly with the entire defence research community through exhibition, networking and sponsorship at this free event.
Further Information:Centre for Defence Enterprise