He saw first-hand the science and research under development for the future of Defence. Among the science on display was a robotic canine, dubbed Ghost Dog. Dstl is using the US-made technology to carry out research in the area of human-machine teaming. The aim is to develop systems that are relevant to operational requirements, and that can support troops by removing them away from potentially dangerous tasks, including surveillance and reconnaissance.

Dstl experts also shared research on armour and protection capabilities, by displaying the latest novel armour system currently in development for the Challenger 3. This system will save lives by providing improved performance, with more protection. The novel technology comes in a series of armour packs, aiming to optimise the design of side armour by reducing its weight. This saved weight can then be integrated into the rest of the vehicle, improving the overall performance with no additional penalty.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said:

It’s been brilliant to be here at Dstl to see the science inside UK defence and security. Dstl’s work gives Defence the edge in capability and decision-making, it creates prosperity, and crucially saves lives. I’ve been impressed by the breadth of activity, the depth of the technology, and the mullti-disciplinary approach that ensures the Armed Forces, and importantly, the nation have a winning edge over those who want to do us harm.

As well as the research, design, testing and support to the integration of new armour systems, Dstl scientists have also developed novel methods to capture and analyse information from the battlefield. This information is fed directly back into future armour system development, ensuring systems remain optimised to the changing operational environment. The Scene Capture And Reconstruction (SCAR) tool, developed by the Dstl’s Combat Incident Exploitation Team, has recently been deployed with Dstl Scientific Advisers to benefit UK troops on the front line.

Dstl’s Chief Executive, Paul Hollinshead, said:

It has been a great honour to have the Chief of the Defence Staff here so he can see, up close and behind the scenes, what Dstl does for the Armed Forces and Homeland Security. We have been able to share with him the impact and benefit of Dstl’s work for our Armed Forces, both with our science to support decision-making, deliver capability to our Armed Forces and of course save lives. It has filled me with huge pride to hear him say thank you to our incredible scientists and show his appreciation for what they do for the nation.

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has been working with government departments to explore how policies can be assessed against the levelling up agenda.

The government’s high-profile paper White Paper on the levelling up agenda sets out the principles of spreading opportunity more equally across the country.

Progress will be measured using 12 long-term ‘missions’ which span multiple government departments and relate to topics such as education, health, and housing.

Mapping the country

GAD works with government departments to assess how policies can best effect the levelling up principles in specific geographical areas. If the policy results in new funding being channelled to more deprived areas, that can provide evidence of support for the levelling up agenda.

An example solution is based on publicly available data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Their series of deprivation indices can be mapped to many of the long-term missions.

These indices are built up from small geographic areas – Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOA). There are approximately 30,000 in England. Each LSOA is ranked according to its index score, and these rankings are used to split the country into 10 equally sized categories (or deciles).

The diagram provides a visual summary of the levelling up challenge in England. The areas in red are ranked as the most deprived.

Better interventions

This collaborative approach between GAD and other government departments allows departments to assess policies against deprivation. It helps them to design better interventions that support the levelling up agenda.

Project lead Matt Kirkpatrick said: “We’re working closely with clients on this key government policy. We provide support by using our actuarial skills to help them assess the effectiveness of their policies in line with the levelling up agenda”

GAD continues to support government clients on this policy. As a result, we build up intelligence on which policy mechanisms are likely to encourage the distribution of funds to the areas which need them most.

• The finance from UK Export Finance and HSBC UK helped them secure a £4m contract beating off competition from larger, more established businesses.
• The Northern Irish start-up is now looking to expand to new markets in North America, Europe and Asia, with exports expected to soar to 75% over the next 36 months.
• Circular Group’s wet processing systems are environmentally friendly, maximising natural resources such as natural sand & aggregates – helping to extend reserves of this finite material for future generations

A Northern Irish-based start-up has secured a major recycling contract, on the back of a £2.1m support package from HSBC UK with an 80% guarantee from UK Export Finance (UKEF). The business is now seeking to expand across North America, Europe and Asia and create extra jobs in Northern Ireland and key export markets.

Circular Group designs, manufactures, delivers and installs systems for the sand, aggregates and construction and demolition waste recycling sectors – with the latter re-directing significant volumes of waste from landfill and reprocessing into valuable sand and aggregates for commercial resale. Launching in March 2020, just as the pandemic took hold, Circular Group was given the opportunity to tender for a £4 million contract.

Up against three established companies, Circular Group’s innovative approach, coupled with the most advanced technology on the market put them in pole position. As part of the tender process the end customer required advance payment guarantees to form part of the purchase contract. Circular Group quickly approached HSBC and UKEF for support, given the company’s limited trading history. Circular Group was able to secure the contract with the support of UKEF’s General Export Facility (GEF). The Group is now looking to new global export markets and expects the export portion of its revenue to grow to 75% in the next 36 months.

Sand is the world’s second most-used raw material after water – the UN estimates as much as 40 billion tonnes is extracted and consumed globally per year in the construction industry alone. However, sand mining is having a major impact on rivers, and coastal and marine ecosystems. Wet processing construction waste that is currently directed to landfill produces commercial grade sand from construction waste, thus protecting the natural reserves of this resource for future generations.

Liz McCrory, UKEF Export Finance Manager for Northern Ireland said:

Highly advanced, innovative systems like that produced by Circular Group are crucial in protecting our planet’s natural reserves for future generations.

The fact that it could stand its ground in a highly competitive market demonstrates the strength of its proposition. With GEF support it’s incredible to see this start-up now ready to expand around the world and help more countries in their efforts to drive a more sustainable future.

Eoin Heron, co-owner of Circular Group said:

We are passionate about promoting a circular economy and protecting our environment for future generations. The support from UKEF and the GEF facility has been a genuine game-changer. By ensuring we could be a serious contender for a major project, it helped our business unlock multi-million-pound contracts, grow exponentially in a relatively short time, and create more jobs in the process.