The New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) has reached an agreement with the UK armed forces to develop a new undergraduate degree in autonomous systems that will be set to welcome its first students in September 2026.
Built on NMITE’s hands-on pedagogy, the new degree will lead to a Masters in engineering (MEng) in three years, rather than the normal four years in traditional universities, and will prepare students to be broadly trained, effective engineers with a specialised focus on drone technologies. The programme has been put together in response to the UK government’s Industrial Strategy and its Strategic Defence Review, which have both highlighted the urgent need to develop new skills in priority areas, at a faster pace, while ensuring that defence and security investment delivers positive economic impact in left-behind regions.
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‘We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for defence skills,’ said Al Carns, minister for the armed forces. ‘Our armed forces must have the skills and experience to tackle modern-day threats head on – including with engineers who can design, build and operate cutting-edge drone technology to defend our country. Through our Strategic Defence Review, we are doubling investment in autonomous and uncrewed systems this parliament, putting the UK at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, and training a new generation to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.’
The programme will place a strong emphasis on the dual-use potential of drone technologies. Just as many technologies originally developed for defence are now commonplace in civilian life, from GPS to the internet, NMITE’s autonomous systems degree will equip graduates to drive innovation for civilian, commercial and humanitarian applications, as well as for defence.
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‘This partnership demonstrates NMITE’s unique ability to move quickly to meet national skills needs,’ said James Newby, president and CEO of NMITE. ‘We are proud to be shaping this innovative new degree in autonomous systems, one that will not only serve defence priorities but also unlock enormous civilian and humanitarian benefits.’
‘This degree marks an important step forward for NMITE,’ said Jesse Norman MP, co-founder and chair of NMITE. ‘It will create huge opportunities for our students, bring significant investment into Herefordshire, and support the county’s new defence ecosystem, for the benefit of local people and businesses, and the nation as a whole.’
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Leading the development and delivery of the degree is Professor Alexandru (Alex) Stancu, who has joined NMITE as professor of mechanical engineering and academic lead. Stancu brings more than 25 years of international experience in robotics, AI and autonomous systems, including leading the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Research Group at the University of Manchester and founding Manchester Robotics Ltd. He is an internationally recognised expert in drone and autonomous vehicle technologies with substantial research, industrial impact and high-profile deployments in various defence and civilian sectors. He has secured more than £10million in funding and contributed pioneering work that has advanced both the theory and real-world application of autonomy. His robotics and AI curricula are used in several universities in the UK and worldwide, and he has a strong track record of educational innovation.
NMITE will enrol its first students in the programme in 2026, so those interested in joining should get in touch to express an interest in applying for a place here.