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January 23, 2023

October 31, 2023

Defence Innovation Unit team up with PUBLIC to scale innovation training across Ministry of Defence

23 January 2023 - LONDON - The Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) has launched a three-tiered innovation training programme to bolster the pan-Defence skills necessary to deliver departments that are “innovative by instinct.”

Between January and June this year, PUBLIC will deliver ‘Innovation in Defence’: three pan-Defence training programmes funded by the DIU. PUBLIC is one of three selected suppliers delivering innovation training, alongside Korn Ferry and the Innovation Training Network. The training aims to equip trainees with the skills, processes and resources to solve complex problems, and test and scale-up innovative ideas to capability in Defence.

Accessible to the whole of the Ministry of Defence, the three-tiers of the programme are aligned to the Pan Defence Skills Framework (PDSF), helping Defence professionals track their proficiency levels across knowledge, skill applications, experiences, and behaviours. 

PUBLIC launched recruitment in late November with over 250 MOD personnel applying in less than a month to one of the three programmes offered by ‘Innovation in Defence’: 

  • Innovation Fundamentals - a 2-week agile design course, providing training and mentoring on the foundations of innovation, user research, prototyping, and planning use-case experiments. 
  • Innovation Practitioners’ Programme - a hybrid part-time course for disruptors wanting to develop, refine, and scale their innovation toolkits in the defence context. 
  • Strategic Innovation Programme - an executive leadership course for MOD leaders seeking to create and enable strong cultures, environments and structures so that innovation can thrive across their teams and organisations.

PUBLIC School of Technology was selected for its unique experience in innovation learning design, its ecosystem approach to bringing the best minds together to solve society’s challenges, and its access to a network of expert faculty, mentors and GovTech startups. Since 2020, PUBLIC has delivered the Percy Hobart Fellowship (PHF) to over 110 personnel from the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and US Navy. The 12-week programme taught fellows how to integrate new technologies in defence, accelerate transformation around citizens’ needs and acquire startup methodologies to initiate lasting change. 

From January 2023, DIU and PUBLIC School of Technology have launched the three programmes to Defence personnel from all services and across a broad range of experiences. Speakers such as William Green (DIU) and Pete Williams (Rowden Technologies) contributed to the Innovation Fundamentals course, in which 40 participants graduated, having explored topics including the importance of adopting a people-centred approach to driving innovation in the MOD. 

CEO and Founder of PUBLIC, Daniel Korski

“In today’s uncertain threat environment, characterised by live conflict, rapid technological developments and transnational challenges, the ability to generate and deploy game-changing ideas is critical to maintaining the UK’s military and strategic advantage over its adversaries. PUBLIC School of Technology is uniquely positioned to accelerate the digital backbone of personnel at all levels of the MoD through our defence innovation learning programmes. We are proud to embark on this mission with DIU and deliver the best possible learning environment to champion the defence ecosystem at a time needed most.”

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Authors

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Natasha Wren

Head of Communications

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Elina Lam-Gall

Former Team Member

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