Team Plymouth

Working with our partners to drive the city's long-term success while enhancing national resilience and security
Armada Way, Plymouth - July 2026

Team Plymouth

Working with our partners to drive the city's long-term success while enhancing national resilience and security

Our vision is for Plymouth to be a place where innovation, education and creativity drive economic growth on an unprecedented scale. We want to make Britain’s Ocean City the envy of the world – a safe, sustainable and welcoming destination, and a city transformed… not by chance, but by the choices we make together.

Richard DaviesProfessor Richard Davies
Vice-Chancellor

Team Plymouth logo
 

What is Team Plymouth?

Team Plymouth is an ambitious partnership spanning defence, industry, academia and local and national government working together across the city and wider region.
It was formed following confirmation of the long-term Ministry of Defence investment into His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard, which will support the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine works and the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD).
Team Plymouth’s vision is to maximise the opportunity for defence investment to drive sustainable and inclusive growth, encouraging innovation and building opportunities well beyond the city of Plymouth itself.
In April 2026, the Government confirmed that £50million will be invested in Plymouth through the Defence Growth Deal, and that funding will be used to support Team Plymouth’s primary objectives.
 

Our role in Team Plymouth

The University is playing a lead role in the consortium, alongside the Ministry of Defence, Babcock, Plymouth City Council and City College Plymouth. Its expertise is benefitting all the Team Plymouth partners and the University stands to receive a share of the investment, initially to support activities linked to marine autonomy.
The University’s involvement is led by Mr Adrian Dawson (Director of Strategic Project Development) and Ms Vicki Beard (Delivery Manager). The University is also represented on the Team Plymouth Programme Delivery Board and each of the six Team Plymouth workstreams.

  • ]Business, Innovation & Marine Autonomy (BIMA)

  • 'City Centre, Housing and Regeneration

  • bEducation (pre-16)

  • xSkills (post-16)

  • ÊSocial Value, Delivering Impact

  • ^Transport

The Business, Innovation & Marine Autonomy (BIMA) workstream brings together partners from academia, government and industry to support economic growth across Plymouth. Its focus is on strengthening business innovation, increasing productivity, and advancing Plymouth's position as a nationally recognised hub for marine and maritime autonomy.
The City Centre, Housing and Regeneration workstream aims to rejuvenate Plymouth’s city centre and make it a vibrant place to live, work, learn and visit. A key ambition is the delivery of 10,000 new homes in the city centre and surrounding areas, creating a new residential heart for the city and helping to attract and retain the workforce needed for future economic growth.
Recognising that the defence sector will require a growing workforce for generations to come, the Education (Pre-16) workstream is focused on improving developmental outcomes for children as they progress from preschool and nursery into reception class in school. It will strengthen the curriculum and transitions into Key Stage 1, working with early years settings, children, families and wider support services. 
The Skills (Post-16) workstream is helping to shape a connected and responsive skills ecosystem that supports economic growth and prosperity across the city and region. Our contribution focuses on strengthening higher-level skills, lifelong learning, and employer engagement by aligning education, research and innovation with workforce needs.
The Social Value, Delivering Impact workstream sits at the heart of a commitment to ensuring lasting benefits for our communities. The workstream is focused on turning social value commitments into visible, measurable outcomes by connecting businesses with the organisations, projects and expertise needed to create genuine impact.
The Transport workstream is shaping the future of how people, goods and services move across Plymouth and the wider region. The workstream is focused on delivering a modern, integrated transport network that connects communities, supports economic growth, and enables access to employment, education and key strategic sites.
 

Read more linked to our role in Team Plymouth

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We are working to forge meaningful partnerships that deliver real benefits for our city

If you are an external partner interested in collaborating with us and you want to discuss how we might support each other, please email partnerships@plymouth.ac.uk.
If you are a member of staff at the University and want to find out more about how you can get involved with Team Plymouth, visit our SharePoint page (login required).