Showcasing real-world defence innovation at landmark NATO industry event

Solent University will join global defence and aerospace leaders in Portsmouth from 23–25 June 2026 as an exhibitor at the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) Plenary.

The event is the Alliance's principal forum for industrial advice on capability development, armaments cooperation, and defence industrial policy.

The Portsmouth Plenary marks the first time in at least a century that the UK has hosted this high-level gathering, taking place just two weeks before a pivotal NATO Summit in Ankara.

Solent is one of only three universities represented at the event, alongside major industry partners such as Airbus and GKN, underscoring the University's growing role as a real-world research and innovation partner to industry and government.

The University will be represented at the event by Vice-Chancellor Professor James Knowles, Professor Laurie Wright (Applied Sustainability Science), and Professor Zakirul Bhuiyan (Maritime Simulation and Autonomy).

Solent will highlight its extensive industry partnerships, its degree apprenticeship programmes delivered in collaboration with major defence employers, and its contribution to the UK's defence industrial base.

"Defence is one of the most strategically significant sectors in the UK economy, and Solent University engages through our education, skills development and applied research. As a practice-led university, our work is shaped in close collaboration with industry and our partners,” says Prof Wright.

“Our degree and apprenticeship programmes are developing the next generation of professionals, and our researchers are working with our partners to address complex operational challenges. The NIAG Plenary provides an important opportunity to showcase the role universities like ours can play within the defence ecosystem."

The NIAG Plenary comes at a significant moment for UK defence industrial policy, with the Strategic Defence Review 2025 having established a new empowered National Armaments Director Group within the Ministry of Defence.

The Portsmouth event provides a platform for UK industry to demonstrate how collaboration and applied innovation can translate directly into operational capability.

Solent's commitment to building strong partnerships that support economic growth, is reflected in its presence at an event that highlights the wider region as a centre of maritime heritage, industrial strength, and forward-looking innovation.

The University continues to build the partnerships and applied expertise that help students, businesses, and communities thrive in a rapidly changing world.