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<p>With an equipment plan worth £180 billion over 10 years, a rising Defence budget
and a Defence Innovation Fund of approximately £800 million, there are great opportunities
for innovative suppliers. We have extended the Defence Growth Partnership Innovation
Challenge, to address areas such as persistent surveillance, autonomy and big data.
With the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Invest Northern
Ireland we will also pilot a new Defence Technology Exploitation Programme to help
Northern Ireland's vibrant defence Small and Medium - Sized Enterprises to access
research and development investment of approximately £1.2 million and develop stronger
links and new routes to market through primes and upper tier companies across the
UK. Alongside this initiative, the Ministry of Defence's Defence and Security Accelerator
is creating a post covering Scotland and Northern Ireland to help companies access
its innovation programmes.</p>
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