Position statement
The University of Portsmouth is proud of our connections to our local region and the partnerships we enjoy with businesses and civic institutions. We work with organisations and institutions across a wide range of sectors, including those operating in the defence sector. We believe in providing transparency about our defence and security partnerships and activities.
Our city is the home of His Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth, which supports two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s surface ships. The Portsmouth region is also a major defence industry hub and the University has responded to these opportunities by developing extensive expertise and experience in the field of defence and security. We are proud to be actively contributing to national security objectives and driving one of the nation’s key growth sectors. We already provide world-leading R&D to the defence and national security sectors and help to ensure that our region’s workforce receives the necessary skills, training, and education needed for our regional economy to thrive.
In July 2026, we joined 34 other leading UK universities as members of the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA) to boost industry skills and support research into new technologies.
The University has partnerships with many companies and organisations operating in the UK’s defence sector. Along with being vital to the defence of the country, the commercial defence sector is also a vital part of our regional economy. There are approximately 17,000 FTE defence jobs associated with HMNB Portsmouth, a figure that rises to 35,000 across the greater Portsmouth area. These jobs include both armed service personnel, MOD staff, and the employees of approximately 120 companies operating in the region. These organisations form a critical facet of the local economy, our key agents of growth, and they offer valuable career opportunities for our students and graduates.
The work of these companies is hugely varied. Our work with these organisations is often related to civil sectors, for example, work to enhance robotics research and development, leadership development, personnel operating in extreme environments, satellite technologies, and communications. The University has also taken a leading role in supporting the MOD with developing the ethical standards and policies that MOD applies to defence R&D. This demonstrates how academics play an important role in promoting and strengthening ethical standards in defence research.
The University of Portsmouth has a clear duty to maintain academic freedom and a legal obligation to ensure freedom of speech within the law. As long as the activities are lawful, the University will not prohibit a member of our community from:
- Maintaining open communications, links, and research collaborations with universities around the world, or any public, private, voluntary, and commercial organisations, or;
- Employing a particular research methodology, or;
- Working with the defence industry.
The University recognises, supports, and promotes the rights of its students and staff to exercise their freedom of speech and expression within the law, and this includes peaceful protest. The University encourages and promotes constructive dialogue in response to peaceful protests from student communities.
The University encourages and promotes those wishing to organise or participate in a peaceful protest should liaise in the first instance with the Students’ Union for guidance. For more advice, contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre and access the information provided MyPort.
The University of Portsmouth is committed to pursuing partnerships with organisations recognised for strong ethical standards.
It adopts an ethical and sustainable approach to its investments by integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into its investment decisions. The University is committed to investing in a manner that is aligned with the delivery of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In addition, the University does not hold investments in companies that derive greater than 5% of revenue exposure to weapons / civilian firearms, does not invest in any companies with revenue exposure to nuclear weapons, or any companies tied to controversial weapons (including cluster munitions, land mines, biological weapons). With reference to the University’s ‘Treasury and Investment Management Policy’. This Policy is reviewed and updated annually and approved by the University’s Infrastructure and Finance Committee.
Careers events and wider employability engagement activity are a highly visible method by which the defence sector and the University publicly engage.
The University of Portsmouth is committed to providing career development events within an environment that is safe, friendly, and professional for all students, staff, and visitors.
As members of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), the Careers and Employability Service at the University of Portsmouth supports an approach that requires the University to act with impartiality in the delivery of career development services. This gives all students and graduates the freedom to explore and develop career paths based on their interests.
In determining which employers and organisations we engage with, including for career activities and events on campus, we use a range of factors to inform our decisions. This includes allowing our students to explore a wide range of career paths so that they can make personal and informed decisions about the organisations to which they apply. It is also part of our civic commitment, as an anchor institution, to support the recruitment and skills needs of employers in the regions in which we operate.
Whilst it is understood that some of the companies or sectors we engage with would not be employers of choice for some, we ask all our students and staff to respect the rights of others to engage with any employer or organisation without abuse, interruption, or interference. Notices to this effect will be placed on our web pages and at events.
The Defence Universities Alliance (DUA)
In July 2026, the University joined 34 other leading UK universities as members of the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA), and their mission is to boost industrial skills and support research into new technologies.
The Alliance is a long-term collaboration between the MOD, the UK Armed Forces, the Office of the Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security, and the Higher Education sector. It will help defence and academia work together across research, skills and developing the future defence industry workforce.
The DUA forms part of the Government’s £182 million defence skills package, strengthening the UK’s talent pipeline, supporting economic growth, and ensuring every region benefits from the MOD’s historic £298 billion defence investment over the next four years.
Our membership of the DUA requires us to uphold and promote the objectives of the DUA charter, which are:
- Defence Research - Advancing Defence and National Security research and development within UK institutions, enabling the Higher Education sector to become a global leader in defence research and innovation.
- Defence Skills and Career Promotion - Ensuring that the Higher Education sector develops and equips graduates, students and other emerging talent with the skills required for careers in defence and national security, while encouraging a greater proportion of skilled graduates to consider pursuing roles in the defence sector.
- Collaboration - Fostering partnerships between government, academia and industry to ensure a whole of society approach to defence and national security challenges.
By signing the DUA Charter, founding members have committed to supporting defence and national security research, promoting careers across the defence sector and strengthening collaboration between academia, government and industry. The Alliance will also provide universities with opportunities to engage more closely with the MOD, policymakers and defence partners to help shape future research, skills development and innovation.
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