- The University of Sheffield is one of 35 universities across the UK to form new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA)
- The DUA will boost UK defence industry skills and support vital research into new defence technologies
- The Alliance is part of a £182 million government investment in growing defence-related skills and opportunities across the UK
- Universities will contribute cutting-edge research to the UK defence industry creating a thriving network of defence research expertise and drive a highly-skilled workforce
The University of Sheffield is one of 35 universities across the UK to form a new Defence Universities Alliance, to help boost technological research and advance skills support.
Launched today (Monday 13 July 2026) by Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP, the DUA will create a thriving network of academia, industry and government and drive a highly-skilled workforce across the UK. The Alliance is part of a £182 million government investment in growing defence-related skills and opportunities across Britain.
The Alliance is a long-term collaboration between the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the UK Armed Forces, the Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security and the higher education sector.
Chosen from almost 100 applicants, members of the DUA will build connections between academia and the UK defence sector, creating a pipeline of skilled people into crucial career pathways from advanced manufacturing, aerospace engineering, robotics, AI and cyber security.
Universities will provide the ideas, expertise and talent to tackle complex research and development challenges and contribute to boosting UK defence innovation, working with the defence sector and Armed Forces to translate research into defence advantages to help keep the UK safe.
Professor Ashutosh Tiwari, Deputy Vice-President for Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “The rapid evolution of the UK’s defence sector presents a defining opportunity for higher education to impact national resilience. Through the newly launched Defence Universities Alliance and the South Yorkshire Defence Growth Deal, our region is firmly established at the centre of UK sovereign capability.
“We are proud to step forward within this alliance to champion responsible innovation, secure high-skilled local jobs, and lead the national narrative on tech-driven security.”
This flagship alliance follows an £80 million investment led by the Office for Students (OfS), working with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Education to support 2,500 student places across 24 universities and colleges including the University of Sheffield.
It 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 £298 billion defence investment over the next four years.
Libby Hackett, Chief Executive of the Russell Group, said: “Universities are key partners in helping the UK respond to an increasingly complex security environment, from delivering the research and innovation that helps us respond to emerging threats to training the highly-skilled workforce of the future.
“As well as boosting defence capabilities, partnerships and research in areas such as cyber security, advanced manufacturing and AI bring wider public benefits, including technological innovation, economic growth and skilled jobs.
“The DUA will build on this, enabling stronger collaboration between academia, government and industry across the country to strengthen defence innovation, develop future talent and support British workers and local businesses.
“We look forward to working with our partners to help build a research and skills ecosystem that will better support the UK's national security and resilience over the long term.”
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.”
