DCP23 argued for proactively managing risk and made the point that culture has changed in response to ‘fear of failure, litigation and embarrassment.' Arguably now is the best time - with the challenges faced and the lessons being learnt from Ukraine - to really tackle that and make the argument for the importance of pace.
Dr Sophy Antrobus, Research Fellow at the Freeman Air and Space Institute.
11 October 2023
Collaboration, innovation and integration: Freeman Institute attends DSEI 2023
In September, members of the Freeman Air and Space Institute (FASI) attended the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event.
In September, members of the Freeman Air and Space Institute attended the biennial Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event. The theme of DSEI 2023 was ‘Achieving the Integrated Force’. During the three-day event, various discussions and forums explored the future of defence, with a strong focus on the importance of collaboration, innovation and integration. FASI’s Research Fellow Dr Sophy Antrobus, PhD Candidate Julia Balm and Co-Director Professor Wyn Bowen participated in panels across the course of the three-days.
On day 1, Dr Antrobus took part in a panel at the Aerospace Forum. In talking about developing and delivering at-pace battle-winning technologies to the Warfighter, Dr Antrobus started by discussing some key barriers and how they could be turned into opportunities. She focused on the areas of bureaucracy, risk appetite and organisational culture.
Speaking at the Space Hub Forum, Julia Balm spoke on the opportunities and challenges of dual-use capabilities for the military, commercial and civil sectors. Julia emphasized the dual-use potential in space strategy and its alignment with national strategic objectives, while also underscoring the multitude of opportunities that stem from the cost-effectiveness inherent in dual-use applications.
As dividing lines between civil and defence are blurring, it’s clear that capabilities are a shared phenomenon now and that adds a lot of strategic value for any national posture. When considering the cost efficiency of shared interests, it’s clear that dual use cuts costs and I think cost efficiency is perhaps the number one opportunity that supports other opportunities like accessibility, technological innovation, and collaboration.
Julia Balm, PhD Candidate at the Freeman Air and Space Institute
On day 3, FASI’s Co-Director Professor Wyn Bowen spoke on a panel highlighting the development of space expertise across the Ministry of Defence (MOD), wider government, industry and academia. Prof. Bowen argued that universities should proactively contribute to the development of space expertise and should assist government and industry in developing ‘space domain literacy'.
In an MOD context in the UK, for example, the department’s move towards a campaigning approach demonstrates well the need for greater and wider ‘space domain literacy’ as space becomes increasingly important, contested and congested.
Prof. Wyn Bowen, Co-Director of the Freeman Air and Space Institute
Based in the School of Security Studies, the Freeman Air and Space Institute is an interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to generating an understanding of air and space power affairs in defence and security.
To keep informed about the latest research, opportunities and events from FASI, subscribe to their mailing list or contact the team at FASI@kcl.ac.uk.
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Professor of Non-Proliferation and International Security
Research Fellow at the Freeman Air and Space Institute
Research Associate