New world-leading lab to be built at secretive UK research site

• £580 million funding for Dstl infrastructure, including building a new laboratory to expand work against biological warfare threats.

• New lab named after former British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, one of founders of NATO.

• Organisation renowned for new technologies and chemical weapons analysis, including DragonFire laser, drone technology for Ukraine and Novichok nerve agent response.

Expert UK scientists working on the most innovative defence technologies will be backed by £580 million of infrastructure funding over the next four years, including to build a new world-leading new laboratory and expand their research.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is dedicated to cutting- edge research into new science and technologies for defence, and in 2018 its site at Porton Down notably analysed samples of the military-grade Novichok nerve agent used by Russia on UK soil.

This funding, allocated as part of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, will help develop a new laboratory in Porton Down to enable the organisation to expand its work on biological threats. The lab will be named after former British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, one of founders of NATO.

This support will ensure the UK continues to be a global leader in innovative research.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

Our scientists and experts working at Dstl do so much, often unseen, to keep our country and our allies safe at this increasingly dangerous and unpredictable time.

The £580 million investment will create the facilities needed at Porton Down to expand their vital work, delivering for our Armed Forces and our national security.

For the last 25 years Dstl has led the UK's defence science and technology research from Artificial Intelligence to underwater systems.

From developing smart 'find and strike' systems for faster battlefield decisions, providing cutting-edge technology used by the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers and their F-35 Lightning fighter jets, to trialling the UK's first high-energy laser weapon DragonFire, and supporting operations worldwide, Dstl plays a vital role in keeping the UK safe at home and strong abroad.

Dstl Chief Executive, Paul Hollinshead said:

This investment reinforces the essential work delivered daily by Dstl to protect the UK Armed Forces and defend the nation.

As part of a broader infrastructure programme at Dstl, this new laboratory will strengthen our capacity to stay ahead of evolving biological threats and maintain the UK's leading edge in defence and security.

To further bolster the UK's leadership in science and technology, the UK has also ringfenced £1.6 billion investment by 2030 for the UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) fund to accelerate innovation, strengthen security, and grow UK defence technology.

UKDI funding played a crucial role in delivering the UK's first fully autonomous full-sized helicopter, Proteus, in a major milestone for the Armed Forces, which will support the Royal Navy's anti-submarine warfare efforts.