Innovation for a Safer Future: DASA Strategy 2024 - 2026
DASA's revised strategy reinforces our position as an exemplar innovation organisation that promotes best practice in Defence and Security across Government
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Executive Summary
In an increasingly contested and volatile world, the need for innovation and rapid adaptation remain critical to Defence and Security. The pace of technological change has never been faster, but significantly, technologies generated in all parts of the private sector and academia - not just within the traditional Defence and Security sector are increasingly relevant and applicable to Defence and Security challenges. DASA is focused on enabling the UK to unlock this growing potential for the benefit of both National Security and UK prosperity. DASA recognises that a fundamental shift in how Government collaborates with industry and academia is needed if we are to source the most diverse and best range of innovation opportunities for our user community. Historically narrow engagement with the industrial and academic base means that the relevance of innovations to Defence and Security may not be immediately obvious and it is not always clear who needs to be engaged to make them a success.
DASA’s mission
DASA’s mission remains to ‘find and fund exploitable innovations to support UK Defence and Security quickly and effectively, and support UK prosperity’. DASA is the most effective front door for Defence and Security. Sat at the heart of the largest network of Defence and Security departments, public and private sector innovation hubs, academic institutions, industry partners, innovators and supplier groups, DASA is able to broker between users and solution providers at unmatched pace and to build the mutual understanding and trust needed for successful collaboration.
We understand the need to move beyond transactional relationships and into collaborative partnerships is essential if we are to build a safer, more prosperous future together. Rather than operating its own fund in the way a more typical commercial accelerator might function, DASA finds and matches innovation in the private sector and academia to National Security challenges and provides tailored support to enable the collaboration needed for innovation to succeed, resulting in impact. This includes brokering relationships between end-users and industry and academia; demystifying what it takes to succeed in innovating and entering into the National Security sector. The wide range of adaptable services ensures defence and security customers access the best innovative ideas, products and services more quickly, and DASA has particularly focused on reaching out widely across the UK, outside the traditional Defence and Security sectors, and connecting to existing networks such as Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).
Our services
DASA’s services extend beyond technology developments to supporting the businesses and organisations behind them. We provide our funded innovators with wrap round services to help maximise the likelihood of commercialisation and exploitation of ideas into capability. Our ability to rapidly supply funding for the collaborative development of ideas is augmented by our business growth services, which prepare companies to become suppliers that can meet the scale and pace required by Defence and Security needs. Building on these strong foundations, this strategy will ensure DASA develops deeper, more open relationships with the UK supply chain, laying the foundation for a closer partnership between industry and Defence and Security departments. In implementing the strategy we will strive to ensure coherence and collaboration across the defence and security sectors as well as seeking opportunities in other market sectors so that together we can more rapidly and sustainably address the challenges of today and the future. DASA recognises the need for change to further improve the success rates of capability pull-through into the complex Defence and Security landscape.
The evolution of DASA
This strategy sets out the next phase of DASA’s evolution, designed to provide greater coherence of the Defence and Security innovation ecosystem, de-mystifying Defence and Security to attract greater engagement with innovators and increasing the diversity of thought applied to our challenges. DASA will pilot a fully end-to-end process for generating ideas and pulling them through into capabilities for Defence and Security customers, identifying ways to improve our services and ensure DASA can support and deliver the Strategic Defence Review outcomes for innovation.
Support for innovators across the UK and beyond
DASA will supplement its support to innovators offer by establishing the new Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and Business Accelerator capability in Imperial Campus, White City, London and adding capacity, through a commercial arrangement, to our existing business growth operations. This will provide a new environment to bring together Defence and Security users in ever-closer collaboration.
Maintaining the UK’s strategic technological advantage over our adversaries, whilst helping the UK prosper, places DASA at the forefront of driving ideas into real-world impact. We are proud of the success that we share with our suppliers who have demonstrated world-leading ingenuity coupled with dedication to our shared values.
We look forward to working with you to build a safer and more secure future for the UK.