Global Government Forum launches Innovation in Defence & Security theme for Innovation 2026
The 2026 Innovation conference will expand to bring together public servants from around the UK and beyond to discuss how to improve national defence and security through transformation.
As the UK government looks to improve its structures to drive defence innovation, the expansion of Innovation – the conference co-hosted by the UK Government, UK Civil Service and the Cabinet Office – will provide an opportunity for those in the UK defence innovation ecosystem to discuss how to drive more effective and agile national defence and security.
The themes for the event – which will take place in London on 24 and 25 March 2026 – have been developed as the UK government works to join up the work of its defence and military bodies, building connections across the UK public sector as well as boosting international collaboration and cooperation.
Planned themes for the conference, which have been developed with communications and marketing consultancy Ardesey, include:
- Enhancing collaboration across the defence ecosystem
- From innovation to implementation: Accelerating defence technology adoption
- Defence as an engine for growth
- Harnessing AI for national defence and security
- Overcoming groupthink in defence and security
- Smart procurement strategies for defence
- Fostering an innovative culture in defence leadership
- Cyber resilience: Strengthening national security in the digital age
- Why data security is a cornerstone of defence
Register your interest in taking part in Innovation here
UK national armaments director named
The development of the Innovation in Defence & Security agenda comes as the UK government works to boost innovation across the defence ecosystem.
Rupert Pearce has been named as the UK’s national armaments director (NAD). He will be tasked with shaping the future of national defence by speeding up decisions, tackling waste and improving outcomes for the armed forces.
As the NAD, Pearce will focus on delivering the capabilities required from industry to execute the government’s plans for the defence sector in the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy. He will also focus on ensuring a resilient supply chain and the required readiness of the national ‘arsenal’, and speed up procurement and reduce duplication when working closely with wider government, industry, academia and international partners to deploy best practice and investment.
Read more: UK government defence review pledges to ‘accelerate innovation to a wartime pace’
Pearce is tasked with delivering the national arsenal needed for the UK armed forces to execute defence operations demanded by the current global threats. He brings leadership experience from the private sector, including 16 years at FTSE100 satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the UK’s national armaments director. It is vital that our armed forces have cutting edge capabilities at their disposal to project an effective deterrent, both alone and in conjunction with NATO and our other allies,” Pearce said.
“To deliver this, we will transform the Ministry of Defence’s relationship with its industrial partners so that the UK defence industry becomes a strategic asset, innovating at wartime pace and driving economic growth. I look forward to working with all my new stakeholders to deliver on this vision.”
He has also been charged with reforming how defence and industry work together to grow the UK economy, create jobs across the country, and deliver UK exports.
This is the latest of a number of reforms being undertaken by the UK government. Ministers have also created the UK Defence Innovation organisation, which brings together previously separate innovation organisations including the Defence and Security Accelerator, Defence Innovation Unit, Command Innovation Hubs, and Defence Equipment & Support’s Future Capability Innovation, into a single, unified organisation.
The aim of this reform is to accelerate the delivery of cutting-edge capabilities to ensure the UK remains secure at home and strong abroad, and drives economic growth.
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