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During a visit to the Company’s HQ in Farnborough, the Minister met with engineers and scientists and heard how QinetiQ is investing in new digital and AI technologies, to augment high value engineering skills – significantly increasing productivity – and ramping up the involvement of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) across the UK to harness innovation.

Through the Engineering Delivery Partner (EDP) contract, QinetiQ plays a critical role in delivering vital upgrades to military capability across air, sea and land. These include Typhoon fleet upgrades, additive manufacturing for new Dreadnought submarines and the introduction into service of new Challenger 3 tanks.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said: “QinetiQ is a British business we can be proud of. It plays a crucial role in UK defence and is a national leader in test, evaluation and training, securing skilled jobs across the UK.

“It was brilliant to meet QinetiQ’s apprentices, providing critical service support to the UK’s Armed Forces. I’m looking forward to strengthening our work with British businesses like QinetiQ as we deliver on the Strategic Defence Review and move to a position of warfighting readiness.”

Steve Wadey, Group Chief Executive Officer at QinetiQ, said: “As one of the largest suppliers to the MOD, we’re at the forefront of delivering this government’s ambition for a strong UK defence sector.

“Working with the MOD and our partners across industry and academia, we’re continuing to invest in cutting-edge technology to increase productivity and get mission critical capability into the hands of our warfighters more quickly and at reduced cost.”

During the visit, the Minister and Aldershot MP Alex Baker, heard how QinetiQ’s Typhoon support team is adopting new digital and AI delivery techniques to ensure frontline aircraft are ready to protect UK skies.

They also received an update on how QinetiQ’s Test and Evaluation Innovation Gateway is making it easier and cheaper for SMEs to bring their innovations to defence. Since its launch earlier this year, a number of British-based companies have already signed up to QinetiQ’s DroneWorks initiative, drawing on the Company’s leading expertise to help develop innovative Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) and Counter UAS capabilities at pace.

The EDP, which is delivered by the recently strengthened QinetiQ-led Aurora Partnership with Atkins Realis, BMT, Frazer-Nash Consultancy and KBR, sustains more than 3,000 highly skilled jobs across the UK. Primarily used by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), EDP has increased by 40% since its inception, with contracts being placed by the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and other members of the National Armaments Director Group. More than 75% of companies in the supplier network are now SMEs and since 2018, EDP has delivered 98% of milestones on time or early, saving £200 million for the MOD.