QinetiQ is a leading international provider of technology-based services and solutions to the defence, security and related markets. A FTSE250 company, it develops and delivers services and solutions for government organisations, predominantly in the UK and US, including defence departments, intelligence services and security agencies. In addition, it provides technology insertion and consultancy services to commercial and industrial customers around the world. With around 14,000 employees, QinetiQ operates principally in the UK and North America and has also entered the Australian defence consulting market.

Rohde & Schwarz is a company with an international presence in the fields of Aerospace and Defence, Radio Communications, Broadcasting and Test and Measurement. Our Test and Measurement and Secure Radiocommunications solutions promote mobility, security, efficiency and reliability around the world in the Aerospace and Defence Market.

Rohde & Schwarz will support our customers with test solutions throughout the whole value chain – from development up to component production then onto final system test and finally through to service field testing, ensuring an unequalled quality test trail throughout the whole life of a system.

The Nanoscience and Technology Centre at the University of Sheffield is a purpose built £6.6 million complex, fully equipped (>£10 million) clean-room for the production of state-of-the-art semiconductor epitaxy and device fabrication using III-V semiconductors. It is home to the internationally known EPSRC National Centre for III-V Technologies. The Centre provides the ideal environment for collaborative R&D, offering expertise in both MBE and MOCVD epitaxy, comprehensive wafer characterization, advanced technologies for device fabrication, and the provision of custom optoelectronic and electronic devices. Of particular importance to Defence related research is the epitaxial capability for antimonides, nitrides, and semiconductor nanostructures (QDIPs and QWIPs) enabling optoelectronic devices across a range of wavelengths from the UV to far-IR. Our mission is to provide collaborative access to world class expertise and facilities, thus enabling top-rate scientific research; currently the University is involved in several MoD funded projects. For further information please contact: n.gerrard@sheffield.ac.uk.

The Signal and Image Processing Joint Research Institute is part of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering and Mathematics, which is a joint venture between the Universities of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt. The institute has 22 academic staff, supported by over 100 research staff and students, whose aim is to deliver outstanding research and technology transfer in several strategic areas, including::

• the theory of digital signal processing in several dimensions
• the representation and modelling of sensors and scenes
• innovative image and signal processing technologies
• CVR(T) Sabre – tracked semi-autonomous – 30 mph
• image and signal controlled autonomous systems
• the development of interactive systems
• signal and image coding and compression

This institute encompasses the activities of the four research groups, two from the University of Edinburgh and two from Heriot-Watt University. These are the Institute for Digital Communications (IDCOM) and the Centre for Communication Interface (CCIR) at Edinburgh University, and the Vision Image and Signal Processing Laboratory (VISP) and the Oceans Systems Laboratory (OSL) at Heriot-Watt University.

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace and Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2009 the company generated revenues of £11.5 billion (12.9 billion euros) with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners.

In the UK Thales employs 8,500 staff based at 40 locations. In 2009 Thales UK's revenues were around £1.5 billion.

Thales UK touches all of our lives, every day. Our expertise in secure network communications, for example, safeguards as many as 3.7 billion BACS transactions, worth around £1 trillion, every year. We are a leader in onboard equipment for civil and military aircraft. And every time you take a train journey you’re relying on Thales to help you arrive safely.

The simple fact is that, every single day, organisations in all areas of government, defence, aerospace, banking, finance, energy and air travel are trusting Thales UK to deliver safety, security and seamless information management.

With over 120 years of experience in the defence business, Thales UK is now a world leader in the design and manufacture of complex electronic and electro-optic equipment and systems including radars, sonars, radio communications systems, lasers, infra-red cameras, TV cameras and image intensifiers.

Our proven expertise has enabled us to integrate these equipments and systems into a wide variety of platforms for Land, Sea and Naval applications. For example, Thales integrates a sophisticated range of equipment into Armoured Fighting Vehicles, which includes Night Vision equipment for Local Situation Awareness, Surveillance, Fire Control and Radio Frequency (RF) equipment for Communications and Electronic Countermeasures.

An outstanding example of our capability in the Airborne domain is the Watchkeeper programme, providing Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAV) capability for the British Army. The Watchkeeper airborne surveillance platform with Infra-Red and TV cameras, Laser Rangefinders, Surveillance Radar, Avionics and Communications Systems, will provide UK and coalition forces with a world-class surveillance capability.

ThinkTank Maths (TTM) provides mathematics-based technologies aiming to break the boundaries of conventional solutions in the defence, space and energy sectors.

Autonomous systems and Command and Control decision aids based on TTM's novel autonomy architecture can learn, explain their reasoning and highlight subtle anomalies in sensor data.

TTM's fundamental results in quantum game theory demonstrate how quantum information technology will transform multiagent systems, notably target assignment and formation control.

ThruVision Systems Ltd is a manufacturer of security screening products that incorporate proprietary passive terahertz imaging technology to detect person borne concealed objects. ThruVision Systems is based near Oxford, UK. Its security screening products are deployed in various locations in Europe, North America and the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. Installations have included airports, border checkpoints, entrances to public buildings, shopping malls, sporting events and police deployments.

All ThruVision Systems’ products are passive. Images of concealed objects on people are formed by receiving low energy waves known as terahertz waves. Terahertz waves occupy part of the electromagnetic spectrum between radio waves and infra-red (heat). Terahertz waves are naturally produced all of the time by all objects and people. ThruVision Systems’ products only receive, they do not transmit. ThruVision Systems’ products do not illuminate people with any radiation such as X-rays or millimetre wave microwaves. The products provide imaging solutions for real time use on people either close by or at distance, indoors and out.

WFS Defense is a division of WFS Technologies and are the world’s leading supplier of through-water and through-ground wireless radio frequency (RF) technology for communication, navigation and power transfer. Our field proven expertise in wireless connectivity is delivering cost savings and new capability to Homeland Security & Defense worldwide.

Our wireless technology is revolutionising command & control and communications in challenging environments. WFS radio modems will pass through concrete, rock, mud, earth and materials normally considered impenetrable; into the air to provide secure communications. This removes the need for impractical cabled solutions and enables such applications as emergency communications in underground public transport networks, and extended command and control of Unmanned Underground Vehicles. To find out more about the technology and our applications please visit our website.

Waterfall Solutions Ltd (WS) provides advanced systems technology and bespoke processing solutions for a wide range of markets, including security, defence and government. The majority of our business lies in the defence sector where we have gained an enviable reputation for innovative research, novel systems development and technical excellence.

Based in Guildford, Surrey, the company was founded in 1999 and has carefully managed its growth to ensure the recruitment and retention of the highest-quality engineers, physicists and mathematicians who bring substantial experience in modelling, processing, sensors and systems engineering.

Our expertise in developing and delivering state-of-the-art processing algorithms and complex sensor systems for defence applications is harnessed in the products and solutions that we offer to the security and surveillance market. These include 24-hour all-weather wide-area imaging systems, automatic alerting of anomalous objects and behaviours, 3D imaging, and reliable detection and tracking of multiple objects of interest.