Defence Online

AWE and DASA collaborating to empower future innovators

February 5, 2025

The collaboration between AWE Nuclear Security Technologies and the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) marks a significant step forward in enhancing the UK’s defence and security capabilities. This partnership, was formalised in 2024, and aims to leverage the strengths of both organisations to address unique challenges and drive innovation in the defence sector.

AWE’s mission is to design and manufacture warheads and provide nuclear services to meet the needs of defence. DASA finds and funds exploitable innovation for a safer future.

AWE is an organisation of critical national importance and is at a significant stage in the development of the UK’s future nuclear deterrent capability. This presents an opportunity to transform the way that AWE operates and delivers world-class nuclear science and industrial know-how. The replacement warhead programme will be a national endeavour, building a wider, deeper supply chain and drawing on the very best of UK industry. Collaboration with DASA will be vitally important to this strategic objective.

DASA and AWE are working together to identify AWE’s innovation needs and enable engagement with British companies who have the potential to generate exploitable innovation, delivering a quick and effective impact on AWE’s mission. Both organisations are committed to welcoming ideas from innovators in companies small and large, including those who have not previously worked with government.

DASA’s role is to advise these innovators, helping to de-mystify the requirements and support suppliers on their journey to working with the Ministry of Defence. They are ideally placed to help us protect the UK through nuclear science and technology by finding innovations which enable us to stay ahead of the threats the nation faces, not just now, but those that may emerge in the decades to come.

Working with partners like DASA, who bring fresh-thinking and ideas to the defence space, enables AWE’s brilliant people to continue to solve the most complex challenges as the organisation builds the highly-skilled teams, facilities and capabilities needed to deliver the UK’s replacement warhead programme.

To hear more about the collaboration between DASA and AWE, they are taking part in panel session at DPRTE on 26 March at 14:15 in the Science and Innovation Zone.

Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.