7 APRIL 2025
The 2025 Defence Capability Plan highlights increased investment into research and development in science and technology. This investment will help Defence Science & Technology (DST) to continue to provide specialist support to current and future operations and capabilities while offering expertise to minimise risks and maximise opportunities from emerging technologies.
This uplift will ensure the NZDF can operate and compete alongside partners in contested and congested environments.
This is important because DST provides specialist support to current and future operations and capabilities. We provide expertise to minimise risks and maximise opportunities from emerging technologies.
In addition, a technology accelerator will be established to enable New Zealand’s high technology sector to quickly develop advanced platforms and systems specifically focused on New Zealand defence problems, and the ability to deliver these rapidly where needed. It would help transition technology from the prototype phase to ‘service ready’ capabilities that could be readily acquired by the NZDF (at limited scale). This will include funding for projects and people to investigate new ways of delivering military effects.
The accelerator will improve industry’s understanding of NZDF requirements, which will allow for rapid technology adoption by facilitating technology transfer and integration across classification. The accelerator will also increase national resilience.