The UK security and resilience sector underpins our prosperity and secures UK advantage against a range of malicious and non-malicious threats, contributing £12.2 billion in value add to the UK economy in 2023.
The ADS Security and Resilience Team supports members with their business development at home and internationally, providing assistance around government stakeholder engagement and input into a wide range of security-related government policies and initiatives. We help members to navigate a security and resilience landscape that is characterized by complexity and a diverse mix of organisations, including (amongst others): government departments, law enforcement and other security agencies, first responders, critical infrastructure operators, wider business sectors, academic institutions, think tanks and trade associations.
To help members in this sector, ADS aims to identify opportunities for them to ensure ‘resilience’, both in the UK and internationally, which in essence means increasing the capability of any country to predict, prepare for, respond to and recover from a wide range of threats, risks and civil emergencies. Materials such as our programme guide and a paper on how we define resilience are available in the Members Area.
Through its work, ADS provides members with:
As the digital and physical realms increasingly intertwine, the cybersecurity of critical national infrastructure (CNI) has emerged as a paramount concern. Advanced cybersecurity solutions are called for to shield the nation’s vital services from cyber threats and in 2024 the UK’s cyber resilience will depend heavily on increased collaboration between the sector and government.
The growth in the use of artificial intelligence (Al) across all spheres of life will pose ever more questions for society. Al in national security and public safety offers unprecedented capabilities for threat detection and response while also igniting debates on error and bias. A balanced approach that fosters innovation without compromising privacy is called for.
The threat of terrorism to the UK remains substantial, set against the backdrop of a disturbing rise in antisemitism and lslamophobia. The speedy implementation of the Martyn’s Law legislation to strengthen protective security in public spaces, must be a focus in Parliament over the course of the next year.
The salience of border security will remain high in 2024, driven by climate change and conflict. The sector will continue to work closely with UK Border Force
and international counterparts to provide technical capabilities such as advanced screening and detection and biometric technologies to provide secure border management solutions.
The second pillar of the AU KUS alliance (covering areas such as quantum computing and Al) presents the sector with unparalleled opportunities to help develop next-generation security solutions. This calls for key departments including the Ministry of Defence and Home Office to work with the sector to strengthen the UK’s prominence in AU KUS and on the global stage.
Amidst the geopolitical tumult in Europe and the Middle East, the sector is uniquely positioned to contribute to global security efforts. The need for public- private partnership to secure major security export opportunities has never been more critical, as a core way to sustain export-led growth and strengthen the UK’s influence and international partnerships.
ADS operates the following Special Interest Groups to support the UK security industry’s activities:
The ADS Security and Resilience Team works closely with our in-house Policy Team, within which dedicated policy advisers for the sectors we represent work to shape the political, economic and business environment within which our members operate. ADS is founding member and strong supporter of the work of the UK Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers’ Community (RISC), for which we provide secretariat support and through which we work with partners to advance our members’ objectives within the policy environment.
We facilitate the showcasing of security capabilities by co-ordinating UK Pavilions at key global Security exhibitions. Many of these are hosted in partnership with the UK Government.
ADS organise the annual Home office Security and Policing event together with a series of Public Security Exhibitions throughout the year.
We also host topical monthly Member briefings cover key domestic and international security related programmes and initiatives.
Contact us to find out more about any of the areas that you may be interested in.
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