£1m innovation boost for service personnel’s welfare and training

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is funding seven projects aimed at improving the welfare of Armed Forces personnel, it can today be announced.

Nearly £1m is being invested to further develop and trial cutting-edge artificial intelligence, psychological, and neuroscience tools and technology such as brain scanners in a bid to boost the training, wellbeing, and mental health support offered to personnel.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:

We welcome this £1m investment from DASA aimed at improving the welfare of Armed Forces personnel.

Our Armed Forces serve this country to an exceptional standard and help to keep us safe, so it’s only right that they receive the best possible training and support.

Chief of Defence People Lieutenant General Richard Nugee said:

Defence innovation is about more than just the kit our Armed Forces use. It’s also about our men and women who serve our country.

This £1m investment will see seven projects developed from improving training methods to boosting the pastoral care and mental health support we offer our people.

The funding is part of the second phase of DASA’s Defence People Innovation Challenge funded by the Defence Innovation Fund which is managed by the MOD’s Defence Innovation Unit; and sponsored by MOD’s Chief of Defence People.

DASA – the Ministry of Defence’s innovation hub – finds and funds exploitable technology to give Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and UK security a strategic advantage over adversaries while supporting the nation’s prosperity.

The first phase of funding to this competition in 2018 saw nearly £1.5m of innovation contracts awarded to nine suppliers to develop their initial ideas, meaning nearly £2.5m has been awarded in total.The competition finds innovative solutions to boost recruitment, skills and training, retention, motivation, and rehabilitation.

The projects winning funding in phase 2 are:

Dr Adam Staines, DASA Competition lead, said:

DASA is working with businesses of all shapes and sizes and academia to find and fund the latest innovations to benefit UK defence and security.

Building on the successful first phase of this competition we are continuing to mesh cognitive science, artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest technologies to develop tools to support MOD personnel across their working lives.