The Strategic Defence Review identifies chemical and biological defence R&D as the “essential and urgent activity” for UK Defence. AI systems are increasingly able to assist with the development of biological weapons. Managed access and model safeguards alone will not prevent AI-enabled biological misuse.
The UK must actively shift the offence–defence balance in biology through defensive acceleration: prioritising technological development for critical biosecurity technologies so they advance before offensive applications mature. Supporting cutting-edge R&D in priority areas helps grow the economy, creates high-skilled jobs and enhances UK national security.
This report provides a framework to strategically prioritise the most urgent defensive technologies and applies it to the chemical and biological domain. We identify 22 promising interventions and develop four concept notes in detail: UK SONAR for AI-enabled pathogen surveillance; UK PROVE to validate next-generation biosecurity technologies; UK SCAN for automated screening of access to biological tools; and UK TRUST to secure privileged frontier AI access for defensive actors.
The UK possesses genuine comparative advantages—world-leading pathogen genomics, the AI Security Institute, and centralised NHS infrastructure—to lead globally in AI-enabled biosecurity. Together, these programmes would cost an estimated £40–65mn per year, representing significant value for money, considering Covid-19’s £310bn+ cost to the UK. The four priority interventions address critical market failures and would generate exportable capabilities for AUKUS and NATO partners.
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To read our full report, click ‘DOWNLOAD‘ below.
Suggested citation: Moulange, R. et al., 2026. ‘Defensive acceleration: the strategic pivot needed for UK biological resilience’. The Centre for Long-Term Resilience. Available at: https://doi.org/10.71172/x093-veqz
Contact: Dr Richard Moulange, AI Policy Manager, richard@longtermresilience.org
