Defence Growth Deal provides £50million boost to ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and South West

The University played a key role in the UK Government announcement and is critical to delivering its vision of defence-driven growth
Lord Coaker, Luke Pollard MP and Fred Thomas MP join representatives from the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, Team ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and the city's marine autonomy sector for a roundtable discussion at the University's Marine Station

Defence Growth Deal provides £50million boost to ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and South West

The University played a key role in the UK Government announcement and is critical to delivering its vision of defence-driven growth
The ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ has welcomed confirmation that the UK Government will be investing £50million to drive defence-related innovation in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and the South West.
The ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Defence Growth Deal ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ first outlined by the Ministry of Defence in September 2025 ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ will create hundreds of new jobs and skills opportunities in the region, reinforcing ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s place as a leader in technologies that helps keep the UK safe at sea.
It will enable the University to invest in new technologies that enhance the work we do with the cityÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s marine technology businesses and can be used in research and teaching in our own facilities and across ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Sound.
It will create new opportunities for current and future students through an investment in technical training facilities and teaching capacity, allowing us - together with partners including City College ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ - to develop 60 new defence-related courses at locations across the South West in disciplines such as advanced manufacturing, engineering and technology.
These will be developed with, and directly designed to meet the needs of, ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s defence industry and will offer increased engagement with some of the cityÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s most advanced industries that benefits our graduatesÂÌñ»»ÆÞ˜ prospects and careers.
Building on our close connections with partners in the city and region, including our role in the Team ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ consortium, it will also foster new possibilities for us to apply our expertise and influence in ways that benefit everyone living and working in our city.
The investment was announced by the Defence Minister Lord Vernon Coaker during a visit to ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, which included a visit to the marine autonomy businesses working out of the cityÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Turnchapel Wharf.
He then took a tour of ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Sound on the UniversityÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Falcon Spirit before docking at our Marine Station, where he was shown some of the autonomous devices being tested and developed by our academics.
The Marine Station also provided the setting for a discussion event on marine autonomy that was chaired by our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Davies, and attended by University staff in addition to city MPs, community and business leaders.

The University has a critical role to play in training students who will work at every level of the marine autonomy sector, and hundreds of our graduates are already having a real and positive impact in this exciting industry.

This investment will also enable us to expand our research and innovation, and to work more closely with partners including the Royal Navy, Babcock and other local companies on technology development, testing and deployment that enhances the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s security and resilience. We are also uniquely placed to continue bringing our community ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ and the organisations within it ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ“ together, encouraging existing and new partners to collaborate and deliver on the mission that we've been clearly given.

Richard DaviesProfessor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor

ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Davies, on board Falcon Spirit with Defence Minister Lord Coaker and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ MPs Fred Thomas and Luke Pollard
Our Vice-Chancellor Professor Richard Davies (far right) on board Falcon Spirit with Defence Minister Lord Coaker and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ MPs Fred Thomas and Luke Pollard
The investment includes expanding the capabilities of the National Centre for Marine Autonomy, which the University helped to formally launch in March 2026, making it easier for industry to develop surface and subsurface maritime drones by cutting red tape and providing access to waterfront innovation labs and state-of-the-art testing facilities. It will also lead to the establishment the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Marine Autonomy Trials Authority to support start-up and marine autonomy businesses in testing and deploying maritime drones, bringing technology to the market quicker and growing their companies.
The announcement comes just a week after the University was selected to lead a regional initiative, supported by up to £20million of investment through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. That will enable increased research and development into technologies that can be deployed on land, at sea and in the air which ultimately result in it becoming home to a Global Autonomy Cluster. 

These new announcements represent a really important stage in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s defence investment journey.

Working with our partners in the city and region, weÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™ve identified key barriers that we need to overcome if we are to realise the National Centre for Marine AutonomyÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s ambitions. The Defence Growth Deal funding will enable us to address those barriers enabling businesses to access the skills they need to make sure that they have a workforce that can enable them to innovate and grow.

Adrian DawsonMr Adrian Dawson
Director of Strategic Project Development

The new investment directly responds to a commitment to expanding the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s autonomous maritime expertise, detailed in the UK GovernmentÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s Strategic Defence Review.

We pledged a Defence Growth Deal for ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and IÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™m delighted to be here today to deliver on that promise. This £50m investment will see ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ stay a world leader in maritime autonomy by making it easier for its defence businesses, creating hundreds of good jobs and boosting the defence industry across the South West. ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ is already vital for the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s defence, with the largest naval base in Western Europe at HMNB Devonport providing the backbone of the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s submarine fleet. Defence investment in ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ isnÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™t just good for the city, it directly strengthens the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s ability to keep our seas safe and our country secure.

Lord Coaker
Minister of State for Defence
Lecturer in Autonomy Aaron Barrett and Dr Keiron Fraser, Associate Professor in Marine Conservation, talk to Defence Minister Lord Coaker and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ MPs Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas about the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ's marine autonomy expertise
Lecturer in Autonomy Aaron Barrett and Dr Keiron Fraser, Associate Professor in Marine Conservation, talk to Defence Minister Lord Coaker and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ MPs Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas about the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ's marine autonomy expertise
 

More news about our defence research and activities

More related news

Lord Coaker, Luke Pollard MP and Fred Thomas MP join representatives from the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, Team ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and the city's marine autonomy sector for a roundtable discussion at the University's Marine Station
ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ docklands at mouth of the Tamar

Delivering on the UKÂÌñ»»ÆÞ™s defence and security priorities

ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ buildings and sea viewed from the ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ campus

Team ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ

USV Cetus & Falcon Spirit

Marine autonomy