UK SMEs, funded by DTEP, are advancing innovation in defence through collaboration with higher-tier partners.
Small and medium-size UK enterprises (SMEs) funded through the DASA-delivered Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP), which aims to improve the competitiveness of the UK defence supply chain, are forging ahead with their innovation projects.
UK SMEs such as Filtronic , Kognitive Spark , Nquiring Minds and VRAI are demonstrating the success of DTEP, which aims to foster UK collaboration between small tech companies and sponsoring 'higher tier' suppliers that already have experience of working with defence. The sponsoring higher-tier partner contributes time, effort and resources to the SME projects.
The programme allows the larger partner companies to benefit from early access to innovative technologies, materials, or processes from the partner SMEs that they can also help commercialise.
DTEP is sponsored by the MOD's Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK , and ADS .
Here are four examples of DTEP-funded SMEs that are now well on the way to contributing successful technology to the UK's defence supply chain with the help of their larger partners.
Filtronic
As part of its DTEP award, Filtronic is spearheading an innovative project entitled "Low cost and SWAP high-density packaging for future RADAR."
Working with its higher-tier partner, a major aerospace manufacturer, Filtronic's project is focused on developing specialised plastic encapsulation technology for compound semiconductor devices. This breakthrough technology is prioritising low-weight, low-cost, high-density packaging for high-power semiconductor devices specifically tailored for use in challenging environments by the MOD, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and global defence partners.
Filtronic is initially targeting transmit-receive modules for electronically scanned airborne radar systems. The potential applications of this pioneering technology extend to detector, sensor and communication systems across defence, industrial and commercial sectors.
Historically, these devices have been manufactured in bulk outside the UK, so it is often difficult for UK defence companies to acquire the small volume, specialised - and often sensitive - devices required. As a result, Filtronic's customised devices will give the UK defence sector a secure, sovereign manufacturing technology.
"This award showcases our technological leadership and underscores our commitment to strengthening the UK's defence industry and sovereign supply chain," said Dr Tudor Williams, Chief Technology Officer at Filtronic.
"Our advanced manufacturing site in Sedgefield is dedicated to providing the UK with leading-edge plastic packaging capabilities, and we are excited to contribute to future radar programmes as part of this initiative."
Kognitiv Spark
Kognitiv Spark, a world leader in Mixed Reality (MR) software engineering, is collaborating with its higher-tier partner Serco on an MR solution to be deployed on a secure defence network.
Software development has focused on the creation of SparkOps, which was demonstrated as part of Kognitiv Connect, a DTEP stakeholder engagement day on 24 September, to attendees from the Army, Royal Navy, Dstl, DE&S, Defence Digital and industry, including Serco. Progress was well received.
Kognitiv Spark has focused on aligning activity to create significant impact across UK defence, including the Front Line Commands, original equipment manufacturers and service providers, both internal to MOD and commercial. This includes equipment support use cases trialled and tested by MSI Defence Systems, Supacat, RBSL and RMMV.
As part of the ongoing DTEP work, Serco is developing the Support
