Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard has said defence must continue to innovate following a recent Defence Academy led event in London.
The inaugural Higher Command and Staff Course (HCSC) ‘Technology, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Seminar’ took place from the 25 to 26 March 2026 and was attended by course members that included UK civil servants and NATO partners.
Hosted by Hadean, a UK‑based technology company that specialises in AI, simulation, and spatial computing, the event also featured a masterclass delivered in cooperation with Helsing, and sessions on:
- military applications of AI across domain
- the employment of AI within UK Defence and the underpinning policy landscape
- translating innovation into adoption
- novel funding mechanisms for tech development
- key emerging technologies influencing the operational environment
In his keynote address to the seminar, the minister highlighted the role of technology and AI in the UK’s defence reform agenda and the importance of fostering a level of risk tolerance that enables innovation to flourish.
Commenting after the event, Course Director Group Captain Tom Walker said:
“This seminar reinforced how emerging technologies and AI are fundamentally accelerating the character of conflict — from real‑time threat identification and targeting to smarter resilience management, more reliable autonomy, and the need to place a culture of innovation at the heart of defence.”
Attendees also benefited from contributions from leading thinkers in defence and technology, including Keith Dear, Kenneth Payne, Professor Dame Fiona Murray, and others, whose insights helped to contextualise both opportunities and strategic risks.
HCSC is a post-graduate level course taught at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, designed to develop defence's future one- and two-star operational leaders.