Delivering on the UK’s defence and security priorities
The University is developing solutions, partnerships and courses that are enhancing our national resilience in an ever-changing world
Â鶹´«Ã½ has been a defence city for centuries – and in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, the Â鶹´«Ã½ is proud to be working alongside partners in the city and nationally, making a significant contribution to the UK’s resilience to global threats.
Our ambitions linked to defence, national security and resilience reflect our home city’s pivotal role in the defence of the nation. We have a responsibility to invest in and ensure our research, innovation and educational offerings respond at pace to the ever-changing needs of our community and our country.
Professor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor
Our world-leading expertise in advanced marine technologies, including marine autonomy, maritime cyber security, maritime innovation and environmental intelligence are critical to the UK's national security.
Our partnerships with the Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, and industry in the city of Â鶹´«Ã½ and wider South West are enabling the whole-of-society approach to national resilience.
Our expertise in creative services and healthcare are ensuring defence personnel and all city residents live in a place that promotes their health and wellbeing.
Strategic alignment with national priorities
The set out a vision to make Britain safer, secure at home and strong abroad. Through its military connections and place at the heart of a city steeped in naval history, the Â鶹´«Ã½ is delivering on that vision and much more.
Â鶹´«Ã½ Defence Growth Deal
The University is a key partner in the Â鶹´«Ã½ Defence Growth Deal, through which the UK Government is investing £50million to drive defence-related innovation in Â鶹´«Ã½ and the South West. It will create hundreds of new jobs and skills opportunities in the region, enable the University to invest in new technologies that enhance the work we do with the city’s marine technology businesses, and allow us to work with partners and develop new defence-related courses.
National Centre for Marine Autonomy
The designation of Â鶹´«Ã½ as the UK's National Centre for Marine Autonomy, which officially launched on the global stage in March 2026, reinforces the region's leading role in maritime innovation. The National Centre for Marine Autonomy (NCMA) aims to lead, coordinate, and enable the development of the UK’s comprehensive capability in marine autonomy; to strengthen national prosperity and security; and to support all sectors within a growing global market.
Local Innovation Partnerships Fund
The University is leading a consortium awarded up to £20 million from the UK to enhance the South West's reputation as one of the world's best places to develop, test and deploy autonomous technologies. The funding will make it easier for businesses to access the region's unique assets, at the same time as cutting through regulatory barriers, accelerating business growth by creating high-quality jobs, driving new investment into the region, and supporting sovereign capabilities.
The Dreadnought Programme
A multi-generational investment in the UK's continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, centred around the further development of HMNB Devonport. The scale and complexity of this programme require significant local and regional support in skills, infrastructure, innovation, and civic capacity. From mechanical, electrical and civil engineering to environmental chemistry, robotics, automation and project management, the skills needs in our city will be central to our education and research portfolios.
Read more:
We were invited to participate in a UK Government campaign highlighting the benefits of defence investment for jobs, skills and growth in Â鶹´«Ã½.
World-class research and innovation
The Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s research expertise and interdisciplinary approach are closely aligned with UK defence and national security priorities, as recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our focus is on delivering demonstrable, real-world impact across key domains including marine autonomy, cyber security, maritime logistics, and the protection of critical national infrastructure.
We are internationally recognised for applying marine autonomy to defence and dual-use challenges. Our researchers develop autonomous systems supporting wide-area geo-intelligence, maritime situational awareness, and infrastructure protection. These capabilities contribute directly to operational effectiveness and to wider national resilience and economic priorities, including the green economy.
Find out more about our research across these disciplines:
Maritime cyber security
The Â鶹´«Ã½ is a global leader in maritime cyber security, enhancing UK national security through innovative research, education, and collaborations.
Our
Cyber-SHIP Lab – the world's first maritime cyber-physical testbed – addresses Tier 1 threats by testing real-world shipping and offshore systems for cyber resilience, ensuring compliance with International Maritime Organization regulations. Collaborations with key stakeholders such as the Royal Navy, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department for Transport, the UK Border Force, and the Bank of England have positioned the University at the centre of UK maritime defence and resilience.
Our research projects and initiatives supported by the Alan Turing Institute have produced ground-breaking research into cyber security challenges in AI and marine autonomous systems.
The
Cyber-Resilience of Offshore Wind Networks (CROWN) project, the UK's first offshore wind cyber security test facility, is expanding the University's influence to include critical offshore infrastructure.
Through the Cyber-SHIP Lab Annual Symposium, co-hosted with the International Maritime Organization, and research partnerships across more than 25 countries, the Â鶹´«Ã½'s expertise reaches both national and global audiences.
This achievement was recognised by the UK Government's Modern Industrial Strategy, which highlights the Cyber-SHIP Lab as a vital part of Â鶹´«Ã½'s defence cluster. Additionally, Â鶹´«Ã½ has been designated the UK's national centre for marine autonomy, with cyber security and safety playing essential roles in the sector's sustainable and scalable growth.
Research highlights
Secure AI within Marine Autonomy Systems (SAIMAS)
Framework enabling international shipping operators and insurers to rapidly assess individual ship’s or entire fleets’ unique cyber risk profiles.
Secure X Trustworthy AI Navigation (SeXTANt)
A comprehensive, holistic view of securing Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) AI and to effectively communicate practical solutions to the relevant stakeholders.
Developing an innovative cybersecurity simulation environment for the maritime sector, aimed at unlocking the value of using a cyber range within the maritime logistics value chain.
Maritime Cyber Risk Assessment (MaCRA)
Framework enabling international shipping operators and insurers to rapidly assess individual ship’s or entire fleets’ unique cyber risk profiles.
Marine autonomy
The Â鶹´«Ã½ has been working for over 30 years to develop and deploy marine autonomous systems. Extensive marine and maritime expertise, world-class facilities, strong industry partnerships, and coastal deployment capabilities create an unrivalled ecosystem to advance ocean observation.
Â鶹´«Ã½, recently designated as the
National Centre for Marine Autonomy and home to the largest naval base in western Europe, along with – the UK's leading real-world marine test range – offers an exceptional environment for developing, testing, and deploying autonomous marine technologies. With deep-water port access and a diverse coastal environment, the city and the University are delivering transformative ocean observation with lower costs and less environmental impact.
The University plays a crucial role in applying marine autonomy across various sectors, including defence, environmental monitoring, offshore renewables, and the protection of critical national infrastructure. Our researchers design and configure autonomous systems for wide-area geo-intelligence and maritime situational awareness, supporting both national security and the green economy.
The marine science and defence sectors were among the earliest users of these technologies, and Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s integrated strengths – spanning advanced laboratories to coastal deployment platforms – position it as a global hub for innovation in this rapidly expanding field.
Research highlights
Smart Sound Connect Subsurface (SSCS)
Exploring the effects of offshore wind farms on ocean life
FRONTLINE
Exploring the effects of offshore wind farms on ocean life
Towards net zero
Development of AI-enabled biological observing
Dual-use technologies
The Â鶹´«Ã½ is at the forefront of developing dual-use technologies that deliver both civilian and defence benefits, bridging innovation across maritime, offshore, and environmental domains.
Our research in marine autonomy, maritime cyber security, advanced sensing, and AI delivers capabilities that enhance commercial operations while meeting the operational needs of defence and security agencies.
From the Cyber-SHIP Lab's work in cyber-resilient vessel systems to Smart Sound Â鶹´«Ã½'s real-world testing of autonomous platforms, the University's integrated approach accelerates the transition of technologies from research to application, ensuring solutions are both commercially viable and mission-ready.
Research centres of excellence empowering defence and security
State-of-the-art facilities supporting the defence sector
Partnerships that span defence, industry and society
We work closely with the
Royal Navy , Ministry of Defence, National Cyber Security Centre and a network of defence and maritime companies, to ensure our research is translated into operational solutions.
Alongside initiatives like the , the
National Marine Autonomy Accelerator and the , we drive innovation in marine autonomy, subsea protection, and dual-use technologies.
Through these partnerships, our academic expertise and specialist facilities connect directly with real-world challenges to support national security and the growth of a resilient regional defence economy.
Our role in Team Â鶹´«Ã½
The Â鶹´«Ã½ is a key partner in Team Â鶹´«Ã½ – the ambitious partnership spanning defence, industry, academia, and local and national government, to drive the city's long-term success
Work with us
Join us in advancing defence and national resilience through education, innovative research, collaboration, and real-world impact.
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Preparing the future defence workforce
More than 2,500 Â鶹´«Ã½ graduates are already working in the defence sector. Our education and training equip people with the skills and expertise needed to meet the UK's evolving defence agenda.
We believe in hands-on learning, ensuring our students graduate work-ready across various disciplines. Our flexible learning options include off-the-shelf and bespoke masterclasses, credit-bearing microcredentials, CPDs, full degree programmes, and apprenticeships.
Our customised programmes, developed with organisations like the Royal Navy and Babcock, help prepare the local defence workforce for future challenges. Supported by expert staff and advanced facilities, the University is cultivating talent to meet the needs of the national defence agenda.
Defence-related study opportunities
Degree apprenticeships
We recently supported a bid by City College Â鶹´«Ã½ to secure Defence Technical Excellence College (DTEC) status, strengthening our shared commitment to delivering the skills that Â鶹´«Ã½ and the UK needs.
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
We collaborate with the public and private sectors to co-create programmes that achieve meaningful impact for individuals and organisations. These include the Going Nuclear programme, developed with Babcock and the Ministry of Defence, and
Maritime cyber threat mitigation training .
Our portfolio ranges from short, intensive courses to options that carry academic credit, allowing participants who successfully complete assessments to count their learning towards qualifications such as an MSc, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate. For other courses, we provide certificates of attendance that can contribute to your ongoing professional development record.
Supporting our armed forces
Defence, security and resilience news
University appoints senior academic to drive marine autonomy innovation and collaboration
Professor Matthew Palmer will join the University in June
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Universities strengthen commitment to deeper cooperation for the South West
Â鶹´«Ã½ and Exeter sign new memorandum of understanding
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Defence Growth Deal provides £50million boost to Â鶹´«Ã½ 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
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University leads partnership awarded up to £20 million to grow South West's thriving autonomous sectors
The funding will enable increased research and development into technologies that can be deployed on land, at sea and in the air
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University and Helsing forge new partnership to drive innovation
The organisations sign a Memorandum of Understanding to turbocharge the UK’s marine autonomy industry
- More related news
