Delivering on the UK’s defence and security priorities
The University is developing solutions, partnerships and courses that are enhancing our national resilience in an ever-changing world
Plymouth has been a defence city for centuries – and in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, the University of Plymouth is proud to be working alongside partners in the city and nationally, making a significant contribution to the UK’s resilience to global threats.
Our ambitions linked to defence, national security and resilience reflect our home city’s pivotal role in the defence of the nation. We have a responsibility to invest in and ensure our research, innovation and educational offerings respond at pace to the ever-changing needs of our community and our country.
Professor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor
Our world-leading expertise in advanced marine technologies, including marine autonomy, maritime cyber security, maritime innovation and environmental intelligence are critical to the UK's national security.
Our partnerships with the Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy, and industry in the city of Plymouth and wider South West are enabling the whole-of-society approach to national resilience.
Our expertise in creative services and healthcare are ensuring defence personnel and all city residents live in a place that promotes their health and wellbeing.
Strategic alignment with national priorities
The UK's 2025 Strategic Defence Review set out a vision to make Britain safer, secure at home and strong abroad. Through its military connections and place at the heart of a city steeped in naval history, the University of Plymouth is delivering on that vision and much more.
Plymouth Defence Growth Deal
The University is a key partner in the Plymouth Defence Growth Deal, through which the UK Government is investing £50million to drive defence-related innovation in Plymouth and the South West. It will create hundreds of new jobs and skills opportunities in the region, enable the University to invest in new technologies that enhance the work we do with the city’s marine technology businesses, and allow us to work with partners and develop new defence-related courses.
National Centre for Marine Autonomy
The designation of Plymouth as the UK's National Centre for Marine Autonomy, which officially launched on the global stage in March 2026, reinforces the region's leading role in maritime innovation. The National Centre for Marine Autonomy (NCMA) aims to lead, coordinate, and enable the development of the UK’s comprehensive capability in marine autonomy; to strengthen national prosperity and security; and to support all sectors within a growing global market.
Local Innovation Partnerships Fund
The University is leading a consortium awarded up to £20 million from the UK to enhance the South West's reputation as one of the world's best places to develop, test and deploy autonomous technologies. The funding will make it easier for businesses to access the region's unique assets, at the same time as cutting through regulatory barriers, accelerating business growth by creating high-quality jobs, driving new investment into the region, and supporting sovereign capabilities.
Defence-Related Skills Funding
The University has secured nearly £7 million from the Office for Students to increase the numbers of students on programmes that are key to defence, security and resilience at a regional and national level. It is the largest award made to any university or college in England, and we are investing in advanced facilities and expanding programmes across civil and mechanical engineering, data science, autonomous systems, robotics, ocean exploration, cyber security, and more.
Making defence an engine for growth in Plymouth
We were invited to participate in a UK Government campaign highlighting the benefits of defence investment for jobs, skills and growth in Plymouth.
World-class research and innovation
The University of Plymouth’s research expertise and interdisciplinary approach are closely aligned with UK defence and national security priorities, as recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy. Our focus is on delivering demonstrable, real-world impact across key domains including marine autonomy, cyber security, maritime logistics, and the protection of critical national infrastructure.
We are internationally recognised for applying marine autonomy to defence and dual-use challenges. Our researchers develop autonomous systems supporting wide-area geo-intelligence, maritime situational awareness, and infrastructure protection. These capabilities contribute directly to operational effectiveness and to wider national resilience and economic priorities, including the green economy.
Find out more about our research across these disciplines:
Maritime cyber security
The University of Plymouth is a global leader in maritime cyber security, enhancing UK national security through innovative research, education, and collaborations.
Our
Cyber-SHIP Lab – the world's first maritime cyber-physical testbed – addresses Tier 1 threats by testing real-world shipping and offshore systems for cyber resilience, ensuring compliance with International Maritime Organization regulations. Collaborations with key stakeholders such as the Royal Navy, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department for Transport, the UK Border Force, and the Bank of England have positioned the University at the centre of UK maritime defence and resilience.
Our research projects and initiatives supported by the Alan Turing Institute have produced ground-breaking research into cyber security challenges in AI and marine autonomous systems.
The
Cyber-Resilience of Offshore Wind Networks (CROWN) project, the UK's first offshore wind cyber security test facility, is expanding the University's influence to include critical offshore infrastructure.
Through the Cyber-SHIP Lab Annual Symposium, co-hosted with the International Maritime Organization, and research partnerships across more than 25 countries, the University of Plymouth's expertise reaches both national and global audiences.
This achievement was recognised by the UK Government's Modern Industrial Strategy, which highlights the Cyber-SHIP Lab as a vital part of Plymouth's defence cluster. Additionally, Plymouth has been designated the UK's national centre for marine autonomy, with cyber security and safety playing essential roles in the sector's sustainable and scalable growth.
Research highlights
Framework enabling international shipping operators and insurers to rapidly assess individual ship’s or entire fleets’ unique cyber risk profiles.
A comprehensive, holistic view of securing Marine Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) AI and to effectively communicate practical solutions to the relevant stakeholders.
Developing an innovative cybersecurity simulation environment for the maritime sector, aimed at unlocking the value of using a cyber range within the maritime logistics value chain.
Framework enabling international shipping operators and insurers to rapidly assess individual ship’s or entire fleets’ unique cyber risk profiles.
Marine autonomy
The University of Plymouth has been working for over 30 years to develop and deploy marine autonomous systems. Extensive marine and maritime expertise, world-class facilities, strong industry partnerships, and coastal deployment capabilities create an unrivalled ecosystem to advance ocean observation.
Plymouth, recently designated as the
National Centre for Marine Autonomy and home to the largest naval base in western Europe, along with Smart Sound Plymouth – the UK's leading real-world marine test range – offers an exceptional environment for developing, testing, and deploying autonomous marine technologies. With deep-water port access and a diverse coastal environment, the city and the University are delivering transformative ocean observation with lower costs and less environmental impact.
The University plays a crucial role in applying marine autonomy across various sectors, including defence, environmental monitoring, offshore renewables, and the protection of critical national infrastructure. Our researchers design and configure autonomous systems for wide-area geo-intelligence and maritime situational awareness, supporting both national security and the green economy.
The marine science and defence sectors were among the earliest users of these technologies, and Plymouth’s integrated strengths – spanning advanced laboratories to coastal deployment platforms – position it as a global hub for innovation in this rapidly expanding field.
Research highlights
Dual-use technologies
The University of Plymouth is at the forefront of developing dual-use technologies that deliver both civilian and defence benefits, bridging innovation across maritime, offshore, and environmental domains.
Our research in marine autonomy, maritime cyber security, advanced sensing, and AI delivers capabilities that enhance commercial operations while meeting the operational needs of defence and security agencies.
From the Cyber-SHIP Lab's work in cyber-resilient vessel systems to Smart Sound Plymouth's real-world testing of autonomous platforms, the University's integrated approach accelerates the transition of technologies from research to application, ensuring solutions are both commercially viable and mission-ready.
Research centres of excellence empowering defence and security
State-of-the-art facilities supporting the defence sector
Partnerships that span defence, industry and society
We work closely with the
Royal Navy , Ministry of Defence, National Cyber Security Centre and a network of defence and maritime companies, to ensure our research is translated into operational solutions.
Alongside initiatives like the Marine Research Plymouth Alliance, the
National Marine Autonomy Accelerator and the FAST Cluster, we drive innovation in marine autonomy, subsea protection, and dual-use technologies.
Through these partnerships, our academic expertise and specialist facilities connect directly with real-world challenges to support national security and the growth of a resilient regional defence economy.
Our role in Team Plymouth
The University of Plymouth is a key partner in Team Plymouth – the ambitious partnership spanning defence, industry, academia, and local and national government, to drive the city's long-term success
Work with us
Join us in advancing defence and national resilience through education, innovative research, collaboration, and real-world impact.
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Preparing the future defence workforce
More than 2,500 University of Plymouth graduates are already working in the defence sector. Our education and training equip people with the skills and expertise needed to meet the UK's evolving defence agenda.
We believe in hands-on learning, ensuring our students graduate work-ready across various disciplines. Our flexible learning options include off-the-shelf and bespoke masterclasses, credit-bearing microcredentials, CPDs, full degree programmes, and apprenticeships.
Our customised programmes, developed with organisations like the Royal Navy and Babcock, help prepare the local defence workforce for future challenges. Supported by expert staff and advanced facilities, the University is cultivating talent to meet the needs of the national defence agenda.
Defence-related study opportunities
Undergraduate programmes
- BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- BEng (Hons) Robotics
- BSc (Hons) Computer Science (Cyber Security)
- BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering
- BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
- BEng (Hons) Civil and Coastal Engineering
- BSc (Hons) Environmental Chemistry
- BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
- BSc (Hons) Maritime Business
Postgraduate programmes
Degree apprenticeships
We recently supported a bid by City College Plymouth to secure Defence Technical Excellence College (DTEC) status, strengthening our shared commitment to delivering the skills that Plymouth and the UK needs.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
We collaborate with the public and private sectors to co-create programmes that achieve meaningful impact for individuals and organisations. These include the Going Nuclear programme, developed with Babcock and the Ministry of Defence, and
Maritime cyber threat mitigation training .
Our portfolio ranges from short, intensive courses to options that carry academic credit, allowing participants who successfully complete assessments to count their learning towards qualifications such as an MSc, Postgraduate Diploma, or Postgraduate Certificate. For other courses, we provide certificates of attendance that can contribute to your ongoing professional development record.
Defence, security and resilience news
University supports military workforce with skills and professional development
Our academics have run sessions in marine autonomy and maritime cyber security for the Royal Navy and a number of other organisations
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University secures up to £7 million to boost defence-related skills
The investment is being made through the Office for Students’ Defence Related Skills Funding Competition
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University appoints senior academic to drive marine autonomy innovation and collaboration
Professor Matthew Palmer will join the University in June
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Universities strengthen commitment to deeper cooperation for the South West
Plymouth and Exeter sign new memorandum of understanding
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Defence Growth Deal provides £50million boost to Plymouth and South West
The University played a key role in the UK Government announcement and is critical to delivering its vision of defence-driven growth
- More related news
