Defence Growth Partnership
The Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) is a partnership between the UK Government and the British defence industry. It is jointly led by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Defence Industry, with "the support of the Ministry of Defence as the UK customer". It was endorsed by the then Prime Minister, David Cameron and is currently co-chaired by Allan Cook CBE, and the Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Richard Harrington (politician). The DGP was first announced at Farnborough Airshow in 2012. Aims of the Partnership. The Defence Growth Partnership Website states : ""We are working in partnership to secure a truly competitive, sustainable and globally successful UK Defence Sector that provides affordable leading-edge capability and through-life support for our Armed Forces and international customers, as well as bringing wider economic benefits to the UK."" British defence companies have been working within the partnership to address issues such as shortage of engineers; draw up a strategy on how to increase defence exports; and set priorities for the Defence Sector. Centre For Maritime Intelligent Systems. As part of the DGP initiative a Centre for Maritime Intelligent Systems (CMIS) was announced in July  2014. CMIS is a £4m defence research centre, based at the Portsdown Technology Park in Portsmouth. The centre will bring together academics, scientists, engineers and naval specialists to research unmanned marine systems. The centre was officially opened on 17 November 2014 by Matthew Hancock, MP Defence Solutions Centre. As part of the DGP a UK Defence Solutions Centre was opened in Farnborough in 2015. Its current CEO is Mark Barclay, with independent Chairman Brian Burridge.