Security and Resilience

The ADS Security and Resilience Team supports members with their business development at home and internationally, providing assistance around government stakeholder engagement and input into a wide range of security-related government policies and initiatives. We help members to navigate a security and resilience landscape that is characterized by complexity and a diverse mix of organisations, including (amongst others): government departments, law enforcement and other security agencies, first responders, critical infrastructure operators, wider business sectors, academic institutions, think tanks and trade associations.

To help members in this sector, ADS aims to identify opportunities for them to ensure ‘resilience’, both in the UK and internationally, which in essence means increasing the capability of any country to predict, prepare for, respond to and recover from a wide range of threats, risks and civil emergencies. Materials such as our programme guide and a paper on how we define resilience are available in the Members Area.

Through its work, ADS provides members with:

  • Deep security sector market insight (UK and international)
  • Access to decision-makers and customers at home and internationally
  • Influence over, and understanding of, industry-related security policy decisions
  • Cost-effective, high quality security events, both in the UK and overseas
  • The ability to develop partnerships across the security and resilience landscape

ADS operates a domestic UK security industry business development programme across central government departments and agencies, the police, emergency services and the critical national infrastructure (CNI). This programme includes facilitating pre-procurement engagement for major projects, organising a regular series of briefing events with stakeholders and potential customers, maximising business development opportunities around the exhibitions and events we support, and providing market analysis around customer priorities and acquisition strategies.

Overseen by our Security Exports Focus Group (SEFG), ADS operates a dedicated programme of activity to support companies already operating in, or seeking to establish their businesses in international security markets. We work with partners including the Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK Embassies around the world to provide members with international market analysis and access, regional and country insight and briefings, and the delivery of focused trade missions and Public Security Exhibitions (PSEs) in priority markets.

ADS organises the official UK Government global security event, Security & Policing (S&P), on behalf of the Home Office. The ‘closed’ nature of the event enables exhibitors to not only showcase world leading products and technologies to specific relevant audiences, but also to discuss solutions to security issues with government departments, law enforcement agencies and security personnel from around the world. The show takes place in the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre, a new 20,000sqm multi-purpose events venue.

Priority initiatives

  • Supporting the Security and Resilience Growth Partnership (SRGP) and the Joint Security and Resilience Centre (JSaRC): ADS works with JSaRC and the enhanced SRGP to coordinate procurement, innovation, exports and skills policy and to provide the government with the necessary technologies, expertise, and services to help deliver national security objectives. 
  • Promoting a ‘Virtuous Circle’ from research to commercialisation: In line with the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, ADS works with a range of Government departments to promote greater transparency of security requirements and to foster coordination between R&D investment and subsequent procurement opportunities.  
  • Strengthening UK Security Exports: To promote a whole-of-Government approach to security exports, particularly working with UKDSE and JSaRC, to ensure that UK export policy supports the UK security industry. 
  • Leading the UK Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers Community: ADS has a leading role in bringing the wider security and resilience sector together under the alliance of RISC, providing a unified voice for the sector in engagement with the Security Minister-led SRGP. 
  • Maximising the Security Sector’s Engagement with Government: Engaging with government on behalf of the security industry to help develop and implement policy, including the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy, the forthcoming national resilience strategy, and the next cyber security strategy. 

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

ADS operates the following Special Interest Groups to support the UK security industry’s activities:

Policy work

The ADS Security and Resilience Team works closely with our in-house Policy Team, within which dedicated policy advisers for the sectors we represent work to shape the political, economic and business environment within which our members operate. ADS is founding member and strong supporter of the work of the UK Security and Resilience Industry Suppliers’ Community (RISC), for which we provide secretariat support and through which we work with partners to advance our members’ objectives within the policy environment.

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Events

We facilitate the showcasing of security capabilities by co-ordinating UK Pavilions at key global Security exhibitions. Many of these are hosted in partnership with the UK Government.

ADS organise the annual Home office Security and Policing event together with a series of Public Security Exhibitions throughout the year.

We also host topical monthly Member briefings cover key domestic and international security related programmes and initiatives.

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Contact us

Contact us to find out more about any of the areas that you may be interested in.