Cranfield University has been chosen as a founding member of the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), a collaborative network of 35 world-class universities chosen to partner with the Ministry of Defence, the UK Armed Forces, the Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor and the wider defence sector.

The DUA will bring together Government, academia and industry in a strategic and coordinated way, with all parties working to make sure that the UK has the research capability, skills base and resilience to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.   

The DUA will establish an ecosystem to support:

  • Advanced defence and national security research and development
  • Defence skills and career promotion
  • Collaboration to ensure a holistic approach to defence and national security challenges.

Chosen from almost 100 applicants, the members of the DUA will create a pipeline of skilled people into some of the most exciting career pathways from cyber security, robotics, AI, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing. 

Supporting the evolving needs of government and industry

Universities in the DUA will provide the ideas, expertise and talent to tackle complex research and development challenges, contributing to boosting UK defence innovation, working with the defence sector and Armed Forces to translate research into battlefield advantage.

Cranfield’s global reputation for research and teaching in defence and security, and the university’s long-running industry partnerships make it a natural fit for the DUA.

“Cranfield has a deep understanding of the entire defence ecosystem and has decades of experience in providing world-class education for the defence and security community,” said Professor Dame Karen Holford DBE FREng, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University.

“Our embedded culture of research security has been evidenced by the leadership roles we take throughout the sector, and our capabilities, facilities and impact in defence and security are unmatched by any other higher education institution in the UK. We welcome the opportunity to contribute further to government and industry with the DUA.”

Professor Mark Westwood, Director of Cranfield Defence and Security, said: “Cranfield has been the main academic partner of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom since 1984, and currently delivers master’s programmes in key areas like military aerospace, explosives ordnance engineering and military electronic systems engineering.

“Joining the DUA will open up opportunities for joint research, increased collaboration and knowledge exchange, and support the education and development of highly skilled professionals perfectly positioned to meet the future needs of defence and security in the UK. Through decades of experience Cranfield has embodied the aims of the DUA, with its compelling research, advanced skills development and deep collaboration.”

World-renowned expertise and facilities

With over 13,000 defence and security alumni, Cranfield University has the most prominent defence specialism of any UK institution. Since 1984, Cranfield has been the Ministry of Defence’s main academic partner at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, based in Shrivenham.

As well as its main campus at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, the University undertakes teaching and research at its Shrivenham site, and operates specialist test facilities at Cranfield Ordnance Test and Evaluation Centre (COTEC).

Strengthening national security and supporting growth

The DUA forms part of the Government’s £182 million defence skills package, strengthening the UK’s talent pipeline, supporting economic growth, and ensuring every region benefits from the MOD’s historic £298 billion defence investment over the next four years.

Professor Tim Dafforn, Chief Scientific Advisor, Ministry of Defence, said: “The Defence Universities Alliance represents a genuinely transformative step forward in how Defence partners with the UK’s world-leading academic sector. By bringing together our shared expertise, ambition and innovation, the Alliance will help us tackle some of the most complex challenges facing Defence at a strategic level. I am incredibly excited about the opportunities this creates. The DUA will fundamentally change the way Defence, universities and industry work together - strengthening our national security, creating strategic advantage and supporting growth to deliver better outcomes for the UK.”