edgar|consulting

Defence Technology Strategy | Programme Delivery | Government Advisory

Helping sovereign defence technology companies navigate the UK landscape, scale with government, and deliver operational capability

ABOUT

Edgar Consulting is led by Tommy Edgar, a defence technology strategist and transformation leader with 15+ years of experience across UK government, defence, and high-growth technology sectors.Tommy bridges the gap between defence innovation and operational delivery. He has led classified programmes within the Ministry of Defence, designed technology incubation for UK Special Operations, and served as the Robotics and Autonomous Systems SME for Land Special Operations Forces. He combines this with commercial scaling experience across aerospace, fintech, and enterprise digital transformation -from a £2.6bn innovation portfolio to standing up a venture-backed NewCo as COO.An active British Army Reserve Infantry Officer and graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Imperial College London, Tommy brings a rare combination of operational credibility, strategic depth, and commercial acumen to every engagement.

CAPABILITIES

  • Defence Technology Strategy
    Positioning sovereign and dual-use technology companies against UK defence requirements. Mapping capability to live programmes, procurement pathways, and strategic demand signals.

  • Government & MOD Navigation
    Navigating the UK defence procurement landscape from DASA and UKDI through to DE&S and Front Line Commands. Building relationships with military and civilian stakeholders at all levels.

  • Programme Delivery & Scaling
    Designing and delivering technology programmes from incubation through to deployed operational capability. Governance, commercial structuring, and benefit realisation at scale.

  • Strategic Advisory
    Board-level advisory for early-stage and growth-stage defence technology companies. Investment positioning, market entry strategy, and coalition engagement.

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

Digital Service Owner, Ministry of Defence - Leading a classified intelligence exploitation and dissemination service. c90 personnel, £130M annual budget.Technology Incubator-Accelerator, UKSF - Designed and delivered a combined incubator-accelerator within a specialist frontline HQ, unifying defence and industry initiatives to deploy bleeding-edge technology to live operations.RAS/AI SME, Land Special Operations Force Brigade - Defence Technology Subject Matter Expert for the robotics, autonomous systems and AI transformation of a Special Operations formation.Strategic Portfolio Director, Aerospace Technology Institute - Oversaw a £2.6bn innovation portfolio of 300+ aerospace R&T programmes. Strategy lead for the ATI-Boeing Accelerator.Chief of Staff / COO, Standard Chartered Ventures - Led the stand-up of a NewCo spin-out. Governance, investor engagement, operational design, and launch planning.Strategic Consultant, Home Office International - Principal strategist for multi-agency operations across East Africa and the Middle East, reporting to Ministers and Civil Service leadership.British Army Reserve, Infantry Officer incl. AMA to Deputy Commander Field Army (2* General)

Strategic Perspective: Building the UK into a Sovereign DefTech Powerhouse

The UK has an unprecedented opportunity to establish itself as a sovereign defence technology powerhouse by 2030.With a growing ecosystem of high-potential dual-use companies, strong academic and industrial clusters, and increasing government commitment to defence innovation, the conditions are right - but only if the strategy is bold enough.Tommy has authored a strategic concept note outlining a mission-driven approach to sovereign defence technology development. The paper was requested by and shared with with senior UK government advisors informing recent policy development in this area, and covers six pillars:1. a consolidated Sovereign Defence Innovation Office with real authority and budget autonomy;2. a blended Defence Growth Fund supporting companies from Series A through to deployment;3. sovereign testbeds and fielding pathways linked to live capability programmes;4. procurement reform with dedicated start-up and scale-up pathways;5. strategic IP retention and protection frameworks;6. a national talent strategy anchoring regional innovation clusters to academic and industrial strengths.The paper argues that without broader authority, budget autonomy, and streamlined delivery mechanisms, the UK's current innovation apparatus cannot deliver sovereign capability at the pace or scale required.