St Mary’s Awarded £1.2m Funding to Develop Defence Programmes

St Mary’s University, London, is one of 24 universities awarded funding by the Office for Students and the Ministry of Defence to develop new academic programmes to support the development of the defence workforce in the UK.

The funding, which exceeds £1.2m, will support the University to develop specialist facilities and deliver an additional 60 student places between 2026 and 2029 on new and enhanced defence-focused programmes. This will see the University introduce new BSc Defence Systems, BEng Defence Systems Engineering, and Digital & Technology Solutions Professional Apprenticeship programmes, alongside an expansion of existing computing and engineering programmes.

The University will use the funding to develop specialist facilities, including a new Cyber and Defence Simulation Laboratory, and to upgrade existing computing and engineering laboratories. These facilities will provide hands-on learning in cyber defence, embedded systems, robotics, AI-enabled systems, digital twins, and secure network environments.

The new facilities will enable students to develop practical skills aligned to defence and wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) industries, as they build expertise to support national priorities in cyber security, AI, secure digital infrastructure, autonomous systems, and advanced engineering.

Responding to the funding announcement, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran said, “I am delighted that the University has been awarded this significant funding to develop these programmes, which are critical to the future resilience of defence infrastructure in the UK. Increasingly, the defence threats we face are digital, and we are proud to play our part in the development of the defence workforce of the future.”

Speaking in the announcement, Minister for Skills Jacqui Smith said, “By expanding access to high-demand courses in the defence sector, we are creating new opportunities for learners across the country while helping employers access the skilled workforce they need.

“This is a clear example of education and industry working together to deliver growth, strengthen Britain’s defence capability and support the jobs of the future.”

The University will also establish a Defence Industry Advisory Board with defence and industry specialists to support curriculum design, mentoring, and applied projects.

St Mary’s has a proud history of supporting the defence industry and is a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. Last year, as part of its 175th Anniversary celebrations, St Mary’s launched the inaugural Remembrance Cup rugby fixtures with Royal Artillery, with the next fixture planned for later in the year.