This October, Lucion will take its place as a Gold Supplier at the Defence Summit 2026 (DPRTE), joining government, prime contractors, SMEs and new market entrants to explore how record-breaking UK defence investment is translating into real opportunity across the supply chain.
The UK defence sector is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. The government has confirmed a £15 billion funding increase, forming part of a wider £300 billion, four-year defence investment programme. Alongside this, sweeping procurement reform is reshaping how the Ministry of Defence (MOD) engages with suppliers, creating fresh routes to market for SMEs, mid-tier organisations and innovators in fields such as AI, cyber security, advanced manufacturing and energy.
This year’s DPRTE UK National Defence Procurement and Supply Chain Summit agenda reflects that shift directly. Attendees will hear a Ministerial Opening Address from Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, followed by sessions decoding the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), a keynote from Admiral Sir Tony Radakin on the UK and European strategic landscape, and dedicated panels on commercial reform (SSCR, Invitation to Negotiate, and the IPM in practice), accessible routes into the supply chain via mid-tier organisations, and dual-use technologies and regional clusters. Speakers including Victoria Cope (Commercial Director, Defence Digital) and Tim Ketton-Locke (Director, Defence Office for Small Business Growth) will unpack exactly how policy change is opening doors for suppliers of all sizes.
View the full summit programme by clicking here.
For a business like Lucion, where multiple of our businesses already deeply embedded in defence infrastructure and support, this is a moment to demonstrate not just capability, but credibility built over nearly two decades of delivery.
Lucion’s Track Record in Defence
Since 2006, our business Lucion Services Ltd has delivered asbestos compliance and hazardous materials services to Aspire Defence, one of the largest Private Finance Initiatives ever undertaken by the MOD, supporting the construction, improvement and maintenance of soldiers’ living and working accommodation across multiple Army garrisons, with the partnership running through to 2041. That relationship was recognised with a Special Recognition Award at Aspire Defence’s Safety and Sustainability Conference in October 2025, in acknowledgement of Lucion’s support across 521 live projects.
Adam Norgrove, Account Manager for Aspire Defence at Lucion, reflects on the partnership:
“Our work with Aspire Defence is a great example of what long-term, trusted partnership in the defence sector looks like. Nearly twenty years on, we’re still finding new ways to support their mission, whether that’s through day-to-day compliance work or collaborative initiatives like our Hazardous Materials Workshop, which gave teams real insight into managing asbestos in high-risk environments.As Aspire’s programme runs through to 2041, we’re committed to being there every step of the way.”
Beyond land-based defence infrastructure, Lucion, who hold various clearances to operate on secure sites including BPSS, SC, DV, also supports the MOD’s ship fleet. Drawing on our long-standing expertise in marine and ports environments, our team deliver hazardous materials, Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) surveys, asbestos management for vessels and UKATA asbestos training, services already trusted by operators such as DFDS, P&O Ferries and Norwegian Cruise Line, and backed by classification approvals from Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas and the American Bureau of Shipping.
Kevan O’Neill, Lucion’s Principal Consultant for Marine & Offshore, who leads this work, says:
“Supporting the MOD’s fleet brings together everything we’ve built in the marine sector over more than two decades, technical rigour, classification society approval, and a genuine understanding of the operational pressures facing vessel operators.
As the government invests significantly in defence capability, ensuring that ageing and new vessels alike meet the highest standards of hazardous materials compliance and safety is more important than ever.”
Why This Matters Now
The scale of government investment (£15 billion in new funding within a near-£300 billion four-year programme) is a clear signal that the defence supply chain is being deliberately widened and restructured.
For established suppliers like Lucion, this creates an opportunity to extend proven expertise into new programmes. For SMEs and new entrants, it lowers the barrier to entry through reformed procurement routes and mid-tier partnerships. Lucion’s own journey, from a specialist asbestos compliance provider into a multi-disciplinary environmental and hazardous materials partner spanning accommodation, infrastructure and maritime fleets, mirrors exactly the kind of supply chain evolution the Summit is designed to showcase.
As a Gold Supplier at the Defence Summit 2026, Lucion will be on hand to share this experience directly with delegates, discuss how compliance and risk management underpin safe, resilient defence infrastructure, and explore how our capabilities can support the next generation of defence programmes coming through the pipeline.
