SME LumOptica tests laser technology through T&E Innovation Gateway

In 2025 QinetiQ and the UK MOD agreed changes to the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) that will make it easier and cheaper for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to use Test & Evaluation (T&E) capabilities across the UK.

SMEs have a critical role to play in helping bring disruptive technologies from concept to reality, quickly. They are key to accelerating the pace of innovation to advance warfighting readiness as well as improving national productivity and boosting economic growth. The T&E Innovation Gateway improves access to test and evaluation services for SMEs to help drive innovation in defence.

We recently welcomed LumOptica to MOD Aberporth to trial their in-house technology, using lasers as a counter measure against drones. As innovators in light and experts in the fields of optics and lasers, they are driven to continuously achieve excellence through innovation and cutting-edge thinking.

Changes in the nature of war-fighting brought about by the use of drones on the battlefield means that advances in drone and counter-drone technology are of vital importance to national security.

LumOptica has been developing the technology through various design iterations and laboratory testing cycles and has further developed the technology to be more advanced and high-powered. This, in turn, has required safety assurances to test again. Safety concerns regarding ocular hazard distances meant the new high-powered laser required a controlled, expert-led environment for testing. The T&E Innovation Gateway and MOD Aberporth were able to give the assurances that the laser could be tested safely, in an appropriate space and with trials control experts on hand.

“We needed a testing area which provides suitable controls and safety margins for the next phase of our technology development. The cost for an SME to use an MOD test range providing against these requirements would ordinarily be prohibitive. The Innovation Gateway allowed us to conduct our tests in the way we needed to, within a very short time scale, and at a fraction of the cost, saving us over £100k. SMEs are an essential part of the UK defence supply chain and given the current emphasis on innovation at pace, it is crucial that they are not handicapped by the cost of high-quality testing. The Innovation Gateway has been a huge enabler, not only in terms of affordability but also development time.”
Dr Craig Stacey, CEO LumOptica Limited.

After learning about the T&E Innovation Gateway they reached out to the team to understand how they could test their capability to advance it and at what pace. Rapid acquisition of innovative technology is vital, and QinetiQ were able to process and deliver in the space of three months, supported by the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) government subsidy which allowed LumOptica to reduce the cost of the trial on a UK military test range.

By providing a safe, controlled environment and expert oversight, the T&E Innovation Gateway enabled LumOptica to safely test their laser technology and gather the essential data needed to move into the next phase of development.

Accessing Test & Evaluation Innovation Gateway

We have a dedicated team who can help SMEs to navigate the often complex T&E environment.

From identifying which site or range would be best suited to helping develop the right safety arguments and obtain the necessary approvals and clearances we can use our expertise to help bring innovative ideas from concept to reality.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how the Innovation Gateway can help your business, get in touch and talk to us about your requirements. Email us at SMETandE@QinetiQ.com to find out more.