Our work on defence and resilience
We bring together the financial and related professional services industry with defence industry, government and regulators to help develop, support and finance the UK’s national security, defence and resilience priorities.
“Conflict today hits balance sheets, funding, markets and consumers as much as any battlefield… Britain will not remain secure nor competitive if we treat finance as separate from our security – and if investors treat defence as separate from growth.”
Nikhil Rahti, CEO, Financial Conduct Authority
The rapidly changing geopolitical climate means that defence and resilience are now key priorities across government, industry, and society. Our Defence and Resilience Group works to ensure that our industry:
- Influences the policy environment and evolution of regulatory frameworks to ensure the UK’s defence industry and related infrastructure are attractive and competitive destinations for investment'
- Supports the growth of the defence sector (including dual use and defence related infrastructure) in line with government objectives to increase the sector’s share of UK GDP and to strengthen UK resilience.
- Participates in measures to strengthen the resilience of the UK economy to reflect geopolitical developments and rising global threat levels.
The Group's work will seek to marry the UK’s national security priorities as set out in the Strategic Defence Review, with the commercial considerations of private finance and capital. This includes lowering hurdles to the mobilisation of private capital for defence and dual use applications and helping government to bring commercial opportunities to the private sector that cater to different risk appetites.
These opportunities range, for example, from innovative dual-use start-ups and SMEs to primes underpinned by long contracts, to housing and infrastructure for defence personnel and purposes. It will also explore how private sector talent, skills and expertise can contribute more systematically alongside the public sector to support UK resilience.
