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Today Defence Minister Lord Drayson officially opened the MoD Grand Challenge, a groundbreaking science and technology competition to discover new ideas for a system to improve the detection of threats – from roadside bombs to rooftop gunmen – faced by soldiers patrolling in urban areas.
The Grand Challenge invites innovators to compete for the chance to create a system that will deliver benefit for our Armed Forces on the front line. Entrants have a year to work up their prototypes, which will need to combine the latest technologies, before a competitive trial at the MoD's urban training area at Copehill Down, Wiltshire, to find the winner.
The launch event coincides with National Science and Engineering Week, which aims to celebrate science, engineering and technology and its importance in our lives. In keeping with this, the Grand Challenge will engage a wider range of scientists and innovators than normal in the exciting technological challenges thrown up by defence issues.
Lord Drayson said:
“The MoD is already one of this country's largest investors in research and development, spending around
