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MoD announces new funding for research and finalists for 'Grand Challenge' competition

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE News Release (192/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 30 July 2007

The MoD today announced an additional £10 million for research at an event at Copehill Down to introduce the finalists in the MoD Grand Challenge. The results of the MoD Competition of Ideas were also revealed.

The Grand Challenge is a major science and technology competition to find new ideas to counter the threats faced daily by our Armed Forces. It also offers a unique opening into the UK defence market for new suppliers and investors. Both the Grand Challenge and the Competition of Ideas are key drivers of the MoD's Defence Technology Strategy.

Introducing the finalists, Lord Drayson, Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support said:

"Both the Grand Challenge and the Competition of Ideas are putting the Defence Technology Strategy into action. I now want to extend their success of wider engagement, greater innovation and, in particular, delivery at speed by introducing new Research Concept Demonstrators. These programmes of fixed duration will allow the MoD to quickly assess concepts with practical and tangible evidence. Not all ideas will succeed but those that do will be in a better state to transfer quickly to our forces. We will start with two pilot demonstrators of approximately £5m each, focused on our high priority areas."

"I am delighted to announce the shortlist of finalists. The specific challenge they face is to create a robotic system that can find and identify threats in an urban environment."

23 teams applied to enter the MoD Grand Challenge. These ranged from established Defence contractors to universities and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The announcement of the teams included those who have received funding from the MoD.

Lord Drayson said:

"The Grand Challenge as an opportunity for young minds, for growing businesses, for entrepreneurs and for financiers. I hope that forward looking teams are already thinking about approaching investors."

The teams viewed the urban training facility at Copehill Down where final judging of their ideas will take place. The MoD also displayed a collection of "foreign" weapons at the event, along with a Desert Hawk UAV which displayed current reconnaissance capability. An infantry section also demonstrated urban reconnaissance techniques.

The Competition of Ideas has attracted more than 450 proposals (half from universities and SMEs). All proposals have been assessed and 66 contracts are to be placed. There has been a strong response from the UK science and technology base and the MoD is now investing £11.5 million into the competition, £1.5 million more than originally planned.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

1. More Grand Challenge information at http://www.challenge.mod.uk

2. More Competition of Ideas information at http://www.ideas.mod.uk