UK to invest £580 million in DSTL laboratory against biological warfare threats

The UK government has announced that it will invest £580 million over the next four years to build new infrastructure for their Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, or DSTL.

More specifically, the funding will be put to the creation of a new "world-leading" laboratory to expand the organisation's work against and research into biological warfare threats.

This funding is being allocated as part of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, and the laboratory will be built at the Ministry of Defence's Porton Down facility. The lab will be named after former British foreign secretary Ernest Bevin, one of founders of NATO. 

According to the UK government, DSTL is "dedicated to cutting-edge research into new science and technologies for defence", and in 2018 its site at Porton Down notably analysed samples of the military-grade Novichok nerve agent used by Russia on UK soil.

The organisation is also renowned for new technologies and chemical weapons analysis, including DragonFire laser and drone technology for Ukraine.

"Evolving biological threats"

Defence secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said that the £580 million investment will "create the facilities needed at Porton Down to expand their vital work, delivering for our Armed Forces and our national security".

Meanwhile, DSTL chief executive, Paul Hollinshead said: "This investment reinforces the essential work delivered daily by DSTL to protect the UK Armed Forces and defend the nation. 

"As part of a broader infrastructure programme at DSTL, this new laboratory will strengthen our capacity to stay ahead of evolving biological threats and maintain the UK’s leading edge in defence and security."

To further bolster the UK’s leadership in science and technology, the UK has also ringfenced £1.6 billion investment by 2030 for the UK Defence Innovation fund to accelerate innovation, strengthen security and grow UK defence technology.