UK defence agency adds £75m in exports from tech transfer: report

The technology commercialisation activities of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an executive agency of the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD), generated £75 million ($97.9 million) in net additional exports between 2002/03 and 2015/16.

According to a study released by Dstl on Monday, July 24, another £148 million of exports are forecast for the period 2016/17 to 2018/19, while commercialisation activities by the current partner Ploughshare Innovations have also resulted in a peak of 585 additional jobs to date.

Ploughshare was formed as the Dstl’s technology transfer office to pursue the commercialisation of publicly-funded research, while supporting the lab’s obligations to the MOD.

While Ploughshare was created in 2005, the report also incorporated the time period of 2002 to 2005, when other Dstl commercialisation activities were undertaken.

The commercialisation of technologies has contributed to the development of new products for the MOD, including advanced vehicle armour, electronic warfare software, and bio and chemical threat detection.

Beyond defence, another application included portable diagnostic devices to detect viruses, which were trialled in Sierra Leone to support those affected by the Ebola virus.

James Kirby, CEO of Ploughshare, said: “This latest report again demonstrates the success that Ploughshare has become. By commercialising the best IP created at Dstl we maximise their investment in technology research and provide wider benefits to both humanity and the UK’s prosperity and security.”

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