Founding members, including BAE Systems, Helsing, Leonardo, and QinetiQ will develop a framework to support dual-use IP. 

Ploughshare, which was established in 2005 to help commercialise defence-native intellectual property (IP), launched a Technology and Growth Alliance at DSEI UK 2025. 

The alliance aims to leverage IP originally developed in the defence sector and expand its application into other industries.  

This will help bolster economic growth, increase diversification and ultimately deliver “outcomes that benefit UK PLC [public limited company]”, the company said in a statement.  

Ploughshare will convene members with a vision “to translate defence R&D [research and development] into commercial opportunities that strengthen sovereign capability”, the company continued. 

Part of this involves the creation of a framework to exploit technologies with dual-use potential, with a Ploughshare spokesperson telling DSEI Gateway that they will be working closely with founding members to deliver it.  

Ploughshare CEO, Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE, on a separate occasion told DSEI Gateway that she is “particularly excited about getting interest from people in adjacent sectors who recognise that they’ve got problems where defence might be able to help them”. 

At its core, the alliance seeks to solve the problem where developed technologies and innovations remain confined to military and defence use, when greater finance and economies of scale could be available by introducing them to other markets. 

Whilst many companies struggle to enter defence, the problem of migrating solutions to other sectors is often lesser-known.  

Commenting on the scale of the problem, Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group, said in its press release that “the political, economic and strategic opportunities associated with these multipurpose technologies remain largely unfulfilled”.  

Among those founding partners seeking to address this are large companies such as BAE Systems, Helsing, Leonardo, and QinetiQ as well as the ADS trade association. 

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is also a founding member, continuing its efforts to champion economic growth following its participation in the recent Defence & Economic Growth Taskforce, which provided economic suggestions to the UK Government to boost industry. 

Barkworth-Nanton highlighted that the CBI’s involvement demonstrates the alliance’s interests beyond defence, noting that “we really want non-defence organisations and leaders to come in and be part of this”. 

Beyond these, “we must now call on more private companies, investors, academic institutions and research organisations to join”, Ploughshare CEO Hetti Barkworth-Nanton CBE said in a statement. 

The company told DSEI Gateway that “membership applications are open to UK-registered organisations without foreign adversary ownership”. 

For smaller companies, they are will be represented through either the CBI or ADS as founding members, with Ploughshare adding that single-company applications will not be considered. 

In terms of its activities, the alliance will involve regular forums, working groups, and initiatives based on company expertise.  

Barkworth-Nanton said that the specifics of how the alliance will operate are still being worked out but she expects significant progress in the coming months. 

Ploughshare added that “membership does not require financial contributions or commercial commitments”, but participants will be invited to share “insights, opportunities, and challenges”, whilst addressing “systemic blockers collectively and champion innovation”.  

Benefits of joining the alliance may include contact and consultation with “UK-based investors and venture builders, UK accelerators and entrepreneurs and UK civilian industries seeking innovation”.