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October 30th 2008 - General Dynamics’ EDGE™ UK facility officially opened by COO of MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support organisation
Edge™ UK will provide a collaborative environment for business technology innovation between industry, academia and the government
General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited opened its pioneering defence innovation centre today, Thursday 30 October 2008. The opening ceremony was conducted by Andrew Tyler, Chief Operating Officer of the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation.
EDGET™ UK provides a collaborative environment for Britain’s knowledge-based industries to join new equipment and software with existing defence communications and information technology systems, facilitating speedy assessment and refinement of emerging capabilities for the armed forces and security services. Fifteenhigh-tech companies, including Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), are already involved.
“EDGE™ UK enables SMEs to gain a competitive edge in developing their innovations rapidly into capability that can be fielded,” said Dr Sandy Wilson, President and Managing Director of General Dynamics UK. “This research and demonstration environment is a first for Britain’s high-tech industries.”
Andrew Tyler said: “In procuring the best kit for the armed forces, it is vital for us to stay at the cutting edge of technology. To do this, we must develop the physical and virtual infrastructure that will enable the defence community to work more closely with small niche businesses, academia and the major defence companies. EDGE™ UK is an excellent initiative with great promise, and I am delighted to declare it open for business.”
For more information about EDGE™ UK, please visit www.the-edge-uk.co.uk
Notes to editors
The original EDGE® initiative, successfully developed in the United States by General Dynamics, provides a physical and virtual environment for collaboration projects between industry, academia and the US government. The initiative has been adapted for the UK by General Dynamics UK, a leading nurturer of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), in accordance with the UK’s Defence Innovation Strategy, which calls for a “new environment for innovation within the defence supply chain” and notes that innovation is essentially “the successful generation and exploitation of new or, where appropriate, novel applications of existing technology.”
As well as helping innovative SMEs bring new capabilities to market, the EDGE™ UK facility will further develop the partnership-based concept of the UK’s unique Joint Systems and Joint Networks Integration Bodies (JSIB and JNIB). The Joint Integration Bodies, pioneered by General Dynamics UK and the MoD in delivering the UK’s flagship Bowman communications programme, bring together industry and the MoD to integrate key networks and systems .
ABOUT GENERAL DYNAMICS
General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), is a leading player in the UK’s knowledge economy and industrial base. Established in the United Kingdom for over 46 years, it employs around 1,700 people at eight facilities. A prime contractor and complex systems integrator, working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and other allies, growing key intellectual property, skills and capabilities in its UK research facilities and workforce, whilst harnessing world-leading technology.
General Dynamics UK leads a key MoD Defence Technology Centre research consortium and, together with a growing C4I export programme, plays a central role manufacturing and developing technology to deliver Network Enabled Capability and ISTAR in the battlespace, together with key infrastructure for deployed operations and security technology for the military and civil markets. More information about the company is available online at www.generaldynamics.uk.com
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 84,600 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com
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