Under a new Prosperity Framework, the UK Government and Lockheed Martin will work together to identify new opportunities to generate value to the UK and to Lockheed Martin. The Framework will work on the creation and exploitation of innovative ideas and technologies; strengthening supply chains; and supporting the development of the advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. This will bring considerable benefits to the wider defence, aerospace and space sectors of the UK economy, creating and sustaining high-level technology jobs and skills in key industries.

Supported by investment of £38 million from Lockheed Martin, opportunities for potential collaboration will be identified across defence and commercial sectors including in autonomous systems, space, artificial intelligence, cyber security, electronic warfare and underwater technologies.

Defence Minister Guto Bebb said:

Lockheed Martin’s commitment clearly demonstrates how they view the UK as a top country to work with, with our world-class defence industry, supported by powerhouse universities and a wealth of high-tech and innovative small businesses.

As we look to our post-Brexit future, it is crucial that we create, develop and strengthen our relations with international partners across defence. Foreign investment in defence stimulates robust growth across a host of sectors in the British economy so this should be at the forefront of our international aspirations.

Lockheed Martin has been a partner in UK Defence for almost 80 years and currently adds £1 billion to the economy every year, supporting 1,000 suppliers (75% of which are SMEs) and 10,000 jobs. This mutually beneficial relationship provides the company with its second largest international market. Both the government and Lockheed Martin want this partnership to grow from strength to strength.

Rick Edwards, Executive Vice President for Lockheed Martin International said:

We greatly value our partnership and see this agreement as a way to strengthen our relationship and help the UK to prosper. Our expertise in developing new technology like autonomous systems and exploring new frontiers like space will be invaluable in helping the UK to be a world leader in defence and aerospace.

Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart said:

This partnership with Lockheed Martin, a major global defence company, is great news for the UK, and further reinforcement of this country’s position both as the European leader in technology and the number one foreign direct investment destination across the EU.

This is a vote of confidence in the UK’s R&D capabilities, its innovative companies and a fantastic commitment from Lockheed Martin to support the development and expansion of their UK supply chain. It is also good news for current and future jobs in the sector whilst ensuring the UK can continue to develop its world leading defence and aerospace industries.

Phillip Dunne’s independent review of the prosperity benefits that flow from defence, reinforced the importance of building strong relationships with companies such as Lockheed Martin. This Framework will drive growth and investment in the UK and develop technologies and capabilities which can be exploited for the benefit of defence, the 500,000 jobs it supports, and for the broader UK economy.

Initial objectives for the Prosperity Framework include:

• Activities to assist UK companies to understand Lockheed Martin’s business, and technology roadmaps, enabling them to contribute to Lockheed Martin programmes worldwide.
• Activities to improve the performance, resilience and competitiveness of UK supply chains, which will inform Government’s wider business and supply chain improvement initiatives.
• Building on Lockheed Martin’s work with the UK Space Agency and £13 million investment to develop launch and small satellite capabilities.
• Growth of the UK investment pipeline for LM Ventures, Lockheed Martin’s $200 million venture capital fund.

Dame Martina Milburn, the new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, is appointing a new team of commissioners to join her in driving action on social mobility around the country.

Commissioner roles are open to people from all backgrounds and all areas of the country. We are looking for people who are passionate about creating a fairer society. We are seeking diversity of thought – from experts in the field of social mobility, to young people on their social mobility journey, to people with a drive to make change happen, to current apprentices. We encourage you to put forward an application even if you don’t think a public appointment is for you – this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for to make a real difference to people’s lives.

Each role is for approximately one day a month, paid at £250 a day plus travel and other expenses. The applications process is open until 11pm on Wednesday 25 July. You can find out more about the role and apply on the Centre for Public Appointments website.

These roles are an exciting opportunity to shape the social mobility agenda over the coming years, helping the achievement of the government’s goal of improving social mobility and acting as an advocate for this important issue.

Successful candidates will be responsible for helping the chair fulfil the commission’s remit promptly and properly.

As a commissioner, you will:

• actively engage with the business of the commission, contributing your knowledge and experience in order to shape and enhance its work
• comment on and contribute to the commission’s major research reports and publications, including its annual report which is laid before Parliament
• build and maintain effective working relationships with the chair, the other commissioners, and the Secretariat, to ensure that the commission works effectively to fulfil its remit
• act as an advocate for the social mobility agenda, helping to drive a culture of change both within and outside government and building effective relationships with relevant stakeholders *act as a representative of the commission, espousing its values and work

Dame Martina Milburn said:

This commission matters, because its purpose is to help people enjoy better lives.

My first priority is to recruit my team of commissioners and we’re looking for people from all walks of life. I want to engage real people, with real life experiences, who can challenge government, business and society as a whole, to create a fair system where people can thrive.

Location and property data start-ups could be in line to receive funding, business support and the strategic backing of Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry.

Start-ups using location or land and property data in their products and services can now apply to the Geovation Programme and applications to the Programme close on Monday 27 August. If selected, the start-ups will each receive up to £20,000 in funding and a range of resources and services, including access to experienced software developers, geospatial expertise from Ordnance Survey, property expertise from HM Land Registry, and mentoring to assist with business proposals and investor relationships.

Geovation has been specially designed to offer the best possible support to SMEs, start-ups and individuals that are using geospatial technology and data to create new products and services. In two years it has supported 72 new start-ups, which has created 152 new jobs and seen the companies raise £17m in investment. Those on Geovation’ s Programme have been using location and property data and new technologies to help transform a variety of sectors, including property, mobility and transport, infrastructure, energy, health and connectivity.

Orla Shields is the founder of GetRentr, a PropTech company using artificial intelligence to track all UK property licensing regulations and consultations in real-time to ensure property portfolios are compliant. After a successful application, Orla’s company was selected to join the Geovation Programme. In the twelve months that have followed, Orla and GetRentr have raised over £500,000 in funding and are currently working with letting agents and landlords via a partnership with the National Landlord Association. GetRentr is also about to launch a partnership with ARLA, the largest association of lettings agents in the UK.

Orla says of Geovation:

Geovation has been life changing. The grant money has helped us do things we couldn’t have done while we were waiting to secure our investment. Free office space in Clerkenwell is a major benefit for any business – early stage or not. It’s great environment, with numerous other inspiring start-ups in a similar field. Geovation’s network and connections with major people in this industry and in the government is priceless to us.

The team is very pro-active, and their support and experience is really helpful and always available. One of the best benefits has been the ability to use Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry data. This gives us the option to reach out to more people who are looking to invest and be strategic with their portfolios. It has also helped us predict where regulations will be implemented. Overall, the culture at Geovation is one of collaboration and support.

Jillian Kowalchuk, whose safety app, Safe & The City, launched in March this year and already has thousands of users, was another accepted onto the Geovation Programme. Jillian says:

Geovation is filled with world-class minds and inspiring businesses. I have received a lot of support in growing my business during the Geovation programme. The resources to learn, create and test during critical stages of business. They actively promote, connect and raise their accelerator’s profile to give you and your business a great head start. It is an amazing community to learn and be inspired by on a daily basis.

Head of Geovation, Alex Wrottesley, said:

We offer a founder-friendly environment, great mentors, support from Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry, high-quality workshop content and, almost uniquely, a dedicated software development team in house, who work hand in hand with our companies to build and release their first products. This is something very few accelerators can offer and it means the businesses joining us can move faster and further than they otherwise would have been able to.

We’re very much future focused and are looking forward to meeting and working with next group of Programme members and being a part of their story and them ours. We can’t wait to meet them.

For further information, examples of businesses, interviews and images contact Keegan Wilson, on 02380 055332 or email keegan.wilson@os.uk.

About Geovation

Geovation is an Ordnance Survey Initiative in association with HM Land Registry, which is dedicated to supporting open innovation and collaboration using location and property data. Location is at the heart of many of the most successful digital products and services. Land and property is the foundation of our national economy. Read more on Geovation website.

About HM Land Registry

HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.

HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles, which show evidence of ownership, for some 85% of the land mass in England and Wales.

For further information about HM Land Registry visit our website.

Follow us on Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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We, the G7 foreign ministers, of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in our condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, a civilian aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014.

MH17 was carrying 298 crew and passengers, nationals of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

We fully support the work of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), an independent criminal investigation led by the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine. The JIT’s findings on Russia’s role in the downing of MH17 are compelling, significant and deeply disturbing. The G7 recalls that UN Security Council Resolution 2166 demands that all states cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. We are united in our support of Australia and the Netherlands as they call on Russia to account for its role in this incident and to cooperate fully with the process to establish the truth and achieve justice for the victims of MH17 and their next of kin.

In a rules-based international order, those responsible for unacceptable actions, such as the firing or launching of the BUK missile of Russian origin, which intercepted and downed a civilian aircraft, must be held accountable. To this end, we call on Russia to immediately engage with Australia and the Netherlands in good faith to explain and to address all relevant questions regarding any potential breaches of international law.

We express once again our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of MH17. We stand together against the impunity of those who engage in aggressive actions that threaten the rules-based international order, anywhere, anytime, and under any circumstances.