This week I was fortunate to spend two days at DSEI 2025, the Defence and Security Equipment International show, as part of my role within the Shadow Defence Team and in an ambassadorial role for Huntingdonshire and our plans to create a Defence Technology Cluster.
DSEI is held in London every two years and is part of a global circuit of four defence technology showcases that take place. The show takes over the entirety of London’s Excel and is difficult to convey just how vast its scale is; the German Navy frigate moored outside should give you an idea.
I was able to meet with a multitude of defence companies regarding the plans to create a Defence Technology Cluster at RAF Wyton, and it was hugely encouraging to receive such positive interest from firms, both around the sector specific aims of the cluster but also about the wider defence eco-system we are aiming to create.
It was also fantastic to have the opportunity to speak to Marshall Land Systems who have recently applied to move to a premises in Huntingdon as you may have seen reported locally. Cambridge Precision, a Huntingdonshire company based in St Neots, also announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with Beretta Defence Technologies to manufacture components if Beretta are successful in winning the contract for the new British Army rifle, Project Grayburn (one of the rival rifles is seen in the pictures).
This is a hugely exciting time for Huntingdonshire as we push forward with building out these plans, backed by the MOD and the defence industry. I will continue to push hard to seize this opportunity for local jobs and businesses. Look out for what might hopefully be an exciting announcement in a few weeks time.
