Defence Innovation Unit Recognised as an Innovation Leader

Having an expert team provide such a comprehensive assurance to the way in which our strategy has been constructed and executed is important to us

Maintaining the UK’s defence resilience and strengthening its warfighter capability requires a combination of incremental improvements in capabilities alongside exploring disruptive innovations, to enhance deterrence and intensify combat power. This is why the Ministry of Defence’s Innovation Unit has benchmarked itself against internationally established precepts, and assessed it’s progress over the past three years. Whilst the DIU is not directly responsible for defence operational capability, it does however, contribute towards the collective readiness effort.

The DIU leads on the innovation strategy and policy for the MoD, and, manages the Defence Innovation Fund (DIF). The DIU was rigorously stress-tested and validated using the IKE Institute’s Investor in Innovations Standard and Framework aligned to the ISO 56002 Innovation Management System, thus, assuring its innovation ambition and transformative approach in placing new innovations into the hands of users.

Will Green the Head of the DIU said: “Having an expert team provide such a comprehensive assurance to the way in which our strategy has been constructed and executed is important to us. It provides us the confidence that we are heading in the right direction to make Defence ‘Innovative by Instinct’. In doing so we are seeking to ensure EVERYONE within the Ministry of Defence is part of that journey and has freedom to explore, experiment and contribute to the MoD’s overall innovation capability. We have already seen fantastic ideas and use-cases with real outcomes that have yielded operational benefit but are equally focussed on embedding the People and Process aspects to make this a repeatable and scalable endeavour.”

Prof Sam Medhat, Chief Executive of the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange said: “The DIU has demonstrated significant difference, supporting and driving how the MoD innovates. It’s formed a connective tissue that brings together an ecosystem of defence and government innovation entities to collaboratively horizon-scan, instigate and drive improvements in a systematic way. We have observed a consistent increase in the level of innovation maturity of the DIU over the past three years. The team continues to drive with great passion and enthusiasm, to make innovation truly embedded within the MoD’s DNA. Well done to the DIU team and those innovators.”

The Investor in Innovations assessment and validation was conducted by a Panel of senior industrialists from the Institute’s Innovation Council and selected leading academics.

About IKE Institute
The Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE Institute) is the UK's professional body for innovators. It accredits, certifies and benchmarks innovation in such sectors as construction, defence, education, energy, electronics, nuclear, security, technology and transportation. IKE Institute’s work is guided by the Innovation Council of over 50 c-suite executives that represent different economic sectors. The Institute runs think tanks, conducts research studies, delivers certified training, develops new business models and provides tools to support organisations in their strategic innovation developments. The Institute’s Innovation Manifesto highlights its commitment to support the development of innovative people and organisations. The IKE Institute is represented on the UK Scientific and Parliamentary Committee and the BSI/ISO Technical Innovation Committees amongst other innovation related boards, to influence the inter-relationship between education, business, and government through collaborative networks and knowledge exchange.

IKE Institute

Media contacts:

Michelle Medhat
Tel: +44 (0)7720 286633
michelle.medhat@ikeinstitute.org

About Defence Innovation Unit (DIU)

DIU is the team in MOD Head Office that is developing the strategy, managing the Defence Innovation Fund and championing innovation. DIU, as well as providing funding, is working on spreading innovation into the way the MOD makes decisions about the future of the Armed Forces and into the work to transform the systems that support the Armed Forces. DIU is also looking at breaking down the barriers to innovation, particularly in MoD commercial processes, and in acquisition, so that we can be as accessible and as flexible as possible and so Defence can be an attractive organisation to work with.