NMITE and British Army to launch Autonomous Systems undergraduate degree
Above: Students outside the NMITE Skylon Campus.
Courtesy NMITE
Built on NMITE’s pioneering, hands-on pedagogy, the new degree will lead to a Masters in Engineering (MEng) in three years, rather than the normal four years in traditional universities and will prepare students to be broadly trained, highly effective engineers with a specialised focus on drone technologies.
The programme responds to the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy and its Strategic Defence Review, which have both highlighted the urgent need to develop new skills in priority areas, at a faster pace, while ensuring that defence and security investment delivers positive economic impact in left-behind regions.
Minister for the Armed Forces, Al Carns, has supported this venture from the start: “We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for defence skills. Our Armed Forces must have the skills and experience to tackle the modern-day threats head on - including with engineers who can design, build and operate cutting-edge drone technology to defend our country. Through our Strategic Defence Review we are doubling investment in autonomous and uncrewed systems this parliament, putting the UK at the leading edge of innovation in NATO and training a new generation to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton commented: “Developing skills in autonomous technologies is critical to both defence and the Army. Backed by the British Army, NMITE will train the next generation of drone warfare specialists and help make the Army more lethal in an increasingly dangerous world.”
The programme will place a strong emphasis on the dual-use potential of drone technologies. Just as many technologies originally developed for defence are now commonplace in civilian life, from GPS to the internet, NMITE’s Autonomous Systems degree will equip graduates to drive innovation for civilian, commercial and humanitarian applications as well as for defence.
James Newby, President and CEO of NMITE said: “This partnership demonstrates NMITE’s unique ability to move quickly to meet national skills needs. We are proud to be shaping this innovative new degree in Autonomous Systems, one that will not only serve defence priorities but also unlock enormous civilian and humanitarian benefits”
Jesse Norman MP, co-founder and Chair of NMITE, commented: “This degree marks an important step forward for NMITE. It will create huge opportunities for our students, bring significant investment into Herefordshire and support the county's new defence ecosystem, for the benefit of local people and businesses, and the nation as a whole.”
Leading the development and delivery of the degree is Professor Alexandru (Alex) Stancu who has joined NMITE as Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Academic Lead. Stancu brings over 25 years of international experience in robotics, AI and autonomous systems, including leading the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Research Group at the University of Manchester and founding Manchester Robotics Ltd. He is an internationally recognised expert in drone and autonomous vehicle technologies, with substantial research, industrial impact and high-profile deployments in various defence and civilian sectors. He has secured more than £10 million in funding and contributed pioneering work that has advanced both the theory and real-world application of autonomy. His robotics and AI curricula are used in several universities in the UK and worldwide and he has a strong track record of educational innovation.
NMITE will enrol its first students in 2026 so those interested in joining the programme should get in touch to express an interest in applying for a place here: https://nmite.ac.uk/form/register-your-interest-in-autosy
