DSEI 2025: The new age of defence
Earlier this month, we attended DSEI in London for the first time. The scale was impressive, but beyond the physical hardware, the key message was clear: defence is going digital.
The rise of the CSOC and a new focus on data
A central theme of the event was the new Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC). For anyone who works in IT, the name can be a bit confusing, as it's often used to refer to a Cyber Security Operations Centre. But at DSEI, the CSOC represented a major shift.
DSEI now has eight zones, including a new one for Tech. Many of the keynote speeches took place from the new Tech Zone CSOC stage and were broadcast to the rest of the stages, which we think signifies a strong intent to make digital technology a central focus.
In addition to data, we heard a lot about how AI is here and needs to be made use of, which came as no surprise.
General Sir Jim Hockenhull's keynote speech highlighted the transformative role of technology and AI in modern warfare. A key initiative he discussed was an AI-driven ecosystem designed to enable faster decision-making and increase lethality in warfighting. Hockenhull stressed the necessity of a "whole of society approach" and emphasised partnerships with industry and academia to advance these capabilities and combat cyber threats.
Agile: Beyond doing things fast.
Many spoke of "agile" at the conference, but almost always in reference to doing things fast. This is an interesting point of awareness for us, for Naimuri agile development isn't just about speed. It's about working closely with real users to explore solutions and deliver what they actually want, not what in our experience is deemed needed by leaders distant from the problem space. It's a key distinction that we bring to our work.
What we noticed on the show floor
While the Tech Zone was given center stage for talks, it was at the back of the Excel Centre. The other zones, full of physical hardware, took up much more space. It will be interesting to see how this evolves over the next two years. We predict a more integrated picture will evolve over the coming years
A few other observations from the show floor:
- Cloud: Cloud did not feature as prominently as it does at other events, possibly a sign of the current focus on frontline hardware. Naimuri is skilled at balancing hybrid needs across different tech stacks.
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes was talked about by several of the excellent speakers and present on several stands in the Tech area. We ❤️ kubernetes at Naimuri and understand how it can play an important role in getting the best out of data in a variety of environments.
- Quantum: Quantum was mentioned less than we expected, the opportunities and threats of this amazing technology are starting to become a reality. QinetiQ is at the forefront of this space and helping to shape the UKs future.
- AI: AI is here, is already being utilised and was prominent throughout the conference. Understanding how to get the most out of data for AI is what we do. This is a really positive sign for Naimuri and the many other AI companies working alongside UK Defence.
DSEI 2023 was a powerful glimpse into the future of defence. While hardware still had the main show, the conversation has clearly shifted. We're excited to see how this digital focus continues to grow.
