BAPCO 2022 exhibitor focus: Innovating to address the UK’s security challenges
18/02/2022
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) outlines its role in keeping the UK safe, and how technology innovators can get involved with the organisation.

The agencies devoted to protecting the UK – whether the police, intelligence community or Border Force – must innovate and develop new approaches to address these threats. Increasingly it is not just state agencies that have a role in this. As the Protect Duty consultation demonstrates, private sector operators such as concert venues, sports grounds and a host of other publicly accessible locations will increasingly be expected to consider and mitigate the risks posed by terrorist attacks.
The development of capabilities to predict, prevent, respond to and mitigate against threats from malign actors cannot be solely a government-led activity, taking place in secure laboratories. Government needs to be able to engage a broad audience of innovators across established industry, small businesses and academia, to leverage the pace and scale of innovation in the commercial sector. We also need to be able to collaborate with our international partners to access capabilities where the UK is not a dominant player.
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is a key pillar of the UK’s effort to tackle security challenges. DASA finds and funds exploitable innovation, working with government stakeholders to support the generation of new capabilities for government and private sector end-users.
Funding is available via the Security Rapid Impact Innovations lane of the DASA Open Call, a unique channel for innovators to pitch their ideas to government.
With full funding and supplier retention of IP, working with DASA represents an attractive opportunity to innovators, backed up by a range of post-contract services to support commercialisation, scale-up and routes to market. Government stakeholders can also get involved by assessing proposals, ensuring that we have the expertise to fund the most impactful and relevant projects.
DASA will be exhibiting at the BAPCO Conference & Exhibition, from 8th-9th March 2022 on stand F31. Drop by to find out more about our work to innovate for a safer future.
Register for BAPCO 2022 here.