The purpose of the Delivery Partnership Engagement is to enable Dstl to build and maintain the key relationships that are effective in enacting organisational and departmental strategies and support current science and technology delivery and future capability needs. For Fergus’s team, this means an intelligence-led focus on understanding the ecosystem, leading outreach across industry, PAG and international, and building skills, delivery capacity and longer-term capabilities.

Event overview

For Dstl’s delivery partners, this means:

  • better communications to enable them to plan and contribute efficiently to projects
  • a widening of relationships across industry
  • dedicated relationship managers for strategic suppliers along with other dedicated roles for SMEs and critical suppliers
  • a focus on building value-added relationships to maximise the impact of science and technology and growing a skilled workforce, fit for the future

Fergus will explain what Defence Reform has meant for Dstl within the National Armaments Directorate Group and how Delivery Partnership Engagement fits into the wider Dstl model.

Speaker

Fergus was appointed as Head of Business Intelligence and Outreach at Dstl in July 2025. He leads strategic relationships with organisations that have people, facilities or other technical capabilities that enable Dstl to efficiently deliver science and technology projects and corporate functions.

Fergus has 23 years of experience within defence, law enforcement and national security, working in industry before joining the Civil Service in 2009. He has previously undertaken senior strategic roles in Dstl and has served as Capability Advisor, Principal Advisor, Deputy Division Head and Strategic Partnerships Leader.

Fred Sugden

Fred Sugden

Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK

Jeremy Wimble

Jeremy Wimble

Senior Programme Manager, Defence, techUK

Defence Programme activities

The Defence programme works to help the UK’s defence technology sector align itself with the MOD. techUK members are able to navigate and better understand the UK Defence sector to successfully align their own investment and resources to take advantage of business opportunities. Visit the programme page here.

 

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Meet the team  

Fred Sugden

Fred Sugden

Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK

Fred is responsible for techUK's activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working to provide members with access to key stakeholders across the Defence and National Security community. Before taking on the role of Associate Director for Defence and National Security, Fred joined techUK in 2018, working as the Programme Head for Defence at techUK, leading the organisation's engagement with the Ministry of Defence. Before joining techUK, he worked at ADS, the national trade association representing Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space companies in the UK.

Fred is responsible for techUK’s market engagement and policy development activities across the Defence and National Security sectors, working closely with various organisations within the Ministry of Defence, and across the wider National Security and Intelligence community. Fred works closely with many techUK member companies that have an interest in these sectors, and is responsible for the activities of techUK's senior Defence & Security Board. Working closely with techUK's Programme Head for Cyber Security, Fred oversees a broad range of activities for techUK members.

Outside of work, Fred's interests include football (a Watford FC fan) and skiing.

 

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
07985 234 170

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Jeremy Wimble

Jeremy Wimble

Senior Programme Manager, Defence, techUK

Jeremy manages techUK's defence programme, helping the UK's defence technology sector align itself with the Ministry of Defence - including the National Armaments Directorate (NAD), UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and Frontline Commands - through a broad range of activities including policy consultation, private briefings and early market engagement. The Programme supports the MOD as it procures new digital technologies.

Prior to joining techUK, from 2016-2024 Jeremy was International Security Programme Manager at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) coordinating research and impact activities for funders including the FCDO and US Department of Defense, as well as business development and strategy.

Jeremy has a MA in International Relations from the University of Birmingham and a BA (Hons) in Politics & Social Policy from Swansea University.

Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-wimble-89183482/

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