Webinar Free

Defence Materials 2050 Webinar

10am – 12pm 20 November 2025

Webinar Invitation: Shaping the Future of Defence Through Resilient Materials and Strategic Collaboration

Join us for an insightful webinar exploring the future of defence through the lens of resilient materials, robust supply chains, and collaborative innovation.

Materials are at the heart of defence capability—from advanced armour systems to critical electronic components. However, transitioning innovations from the lab to operational deployment can take decades. This journey is further challenged by global supply chain vulnerabilities and evolving REACH legislation, which requires the replacement of certain substances throughout the lifecycle of defence platforms and components.

This event will convene experts from industry, academia, and government to examine these pressing challenges and identify key themes for a follow-on seminar series. The goal is to develop more resilient, future-proof approaches to defence materials.

The upcoming seminar series will be hosted across the UK by various organisations, each focusing on a specific challenge identified during the webinar. Through these sessions, IOM3 aims to foster collaboration, share insights, and build a sustainable community of interest in defence materials science and technology.

With national defence a strategic priority—particularly for the UK and Europe—these events are designed to support long-term security through informed, materials-focused dialogue.

3 key takeaways:

An overall and shared view of the topic – A deep understanding of the challenges associated with materials exploration which is essential for preparing for future defence and security needs.
An expanded network of contacts/community of interest – This seminar series brings together like-minded small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from industry, academia, and government to foster a collaborative and enduring community focused on advancing materials for UK Defence and Security.
By uniting diverse expertise and perspectives, the community aims to drive innovation, share knowledge, and address the evolving challenges of defence materials across their lifecycle. This collective effort will not only strengthen the UK’s defence capabilities but also ensure a resilient and forward-looking approach to materials development, aligned with long-term strategic goals Insight into the way forward to address the problem(s)

Proposed Seminar Series Dates:

Mid-March 2026: Henry Royce Institute, Manchester
Early July 2026: National Composites Centre, Bristol
Mid-November 2026
Early March 2027
Early July 2027
Mid-November 2027

Agenda

25-minute presentations + 5-minute Q&As

10:00	Welcome Introduction by Martin Swan
10:05	Matt Lunt, Dstl Advanced Materials for the UK’s Defence, Security and Prosperity
10:35	Army HQ, Army Futures spokesperson
11:05	Interactive Question Session
12:00	Close of webinar