Science and Innovation as a part of the UK’s Counterterrorism Strategy

Maintaining a culture of innovation is difficult under the best of circumstances and within very big organizations and governments it is probably easier to through up your hands in frustration than to build in a system that properly finds, funds, and rewards innovators.

The role of science and innovation in the UK’s security and counter-terrorism strategy takes two forms.

"The first is about forging an environment that fosters creativity and innovation in
order to generate the knowledge and technologies that can reduce the risk from
terrorism. The second is about providing the best available scientific evidence and
advice to support Government’s aims. Science and innovation provide support, both at the strategic/policy level (Government departments) and at the end-user tactical level (e.g. emergency responders)." (UK Security & Counter-Terrorism Science & Innovation Strategy)

The UK has a strategy to use developments in science to fight terrorism that utilizes four pathways:

• Expanding a cross-departmental analytical approach to identifying Government’s research priorities;



• Horizon-scanning for future threats and new scientific developments and inventions to counter such threats;



• Working more effectively with business and academia to ensure that research is delivered and exploited through the cultivation of a strong and innovative counter-terrorism research market;



• Collaborating with international partners, allowing increased sharing of knowledge and technology.

Implementation
The Research, Analysis and Development Working Group (RADWG), has responsibility for the coordination and delivery of this strategy. The UK knows that the best way to approach this is through the cross-departmental Counter-Terrorism Science & Innovation Programme. This programme focuses on using to the fullest extent inter-Governmental research. International partnerships also enable the UK to meet its goals and a number of exchanges and groups meet to tackle this challenge together. Here are some recent examples of how the UK is using science and innovation to combat terrorism:

• Facial recognition technology;



• The development of hand-held devices for the rapid detection of chemical and
  biological warfare agents;



• Research into explosive blasts in tunnels and other confined spaces, in order to
  mitigate the effect of terrorist attacks on the London Underground.