Surrey one of first universities chosen for national Defence Universities Alliance

The University of Surrey, which owns and operates Surrey Research Park, has been named as one of the founding members of the UK Government’s new Defence Universities Alliance (DUA).

Launched today (Monday, 13 July 2026) by the Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP, the DUA will create a network of defence research expertise across the UK – with the 35 founding universities working with the UK government and industry in support of national defence.

One of the DUA’s key aims is to bring together companies, including those in the Surrey Innovation District, academia and government to collaborate in a more strategic and coordinated way to help ensure the UK has the research capability, skills base and resilience required to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.

For the University of Surrey, this includes co-creating cutting-edge research and equipping graduates with an industry-focused skillset. 

“We are proud to have been named as founding members of this alliance“

Professor Stephen Jarvis, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Surrey, said: 

“We are proud to have been named as founding members of this alliance – a real step change in how our sector meaningfully works with partners in industry and Government to contribute towards strengthening our national security. 

“By signing the Alliance’s Charter, we are committing to grow our defence research and open up new career pathways for our students, and the invitation reflects Surrey’s creativity and innovation in sectors as diverse as space, cyber security, telecommunications and artificial intelligence. We look forward to working with our partners in this new initiative.”

Today’s announcement follows an £80 million Ministry of Defence investment in 2,500 student places across 24 universities and colleges, including the University of Surrey. 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 historic £298 billion defence investment over the next four years. 

Strengthening the UK’s future prosperity, security and resilience.

Since it was established in 1985, Surrey Research Park has supported organisations at the forefront of resilience and security innovation and technology.

More than four decades on, the Park continues to be a smarter base in the South East for teams developing, testing, managing and scaling technologies to meet many of the nation’s biggest and most complex challenges.

Bolstering resilience

In April, the Park was delighted to welcome experts from the UK Space Agency’s National Security team as part of proactive action to bolster resilience against threats targeting UK space and space-related companies, that underpin vital technologies and services essential for national security.

It was the first time the UK Space Agency had delivered this specific resilience training to teams managing the operations, business ecosystem engagement and communications at a UK research park, operating at the heart of the UK’s space supply chain.