Prototype warfare: A defence prime’s playbook for turning technology into battlefield capability
Tech.eu Cate Lawrence
Leonardo’s UK Capability Development Director Prof. Simon Harwood outlined how defense primes innovate by partnering with SMEs, funding projects over multiple years, and embedding emerging tech into deployed systems via repeated trials. Leonardo UK recorded €19.5 billion in 2025 revenue and £500 million a year in UK R&D investment, which Harwood said supports combining SME speed with prime-scale reliability requirements. As a result, Leonardo shifts from traditional M&A toward alliances and collaborations, then routes prototype-tested capabilities toward commercialization beyond defense through partnerships like Ploughshare.
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