A significant partnership between a Bristol-based defence technology company and a London manufacturer is set to create approximately 100 new jobs across the South West of England over the coming year.
Boosting Sovereign UK Manufacturing
The collaboration, announced as a joint effort between West Country firm Rowden Technologies and Bristol's Isembard, aims to scale up the sovereign UK manufacturing of advanced sensing systems. These systems are critical for national security applications. Rowden Technologies, which was established in 2016 by former Army corporal Rob Harper, has a core mission to reduce the government's reliance on multinational defence contractors.
The company has seen remarkable growth, with sales reaching £20.4 million last year. This success earned Rowden a place on the prestigious Sunday Times list of the UK's fastest-growing companies this year.
A Multi-Million Pound Investment
This new alliance forms a key part of Isembard's multi-million-pound investment into expanding the domestic production of advanced sensing technology. The partnership will strategically combine Rowden's expertise in system design, integration, and in-house manufacturing with Isembard's innovative, software-defined production facilities.
Jake Reynolds, Vice President of Product for Rowden Technologies, commented on the venture, stating: "This marks an exciting expansion of our supply chain, built around shared engineering ambition and outstanding British engineering talent."
He added, "Working with innovative businesses like Isembard, we're creating a production base capable of delivering assured UK variants of critical sensing systems - a real step forward in sovereign capability that can be exported and deliver meaningful operational value to users in Europe and beyond."
Foundations for Future Export
Andrew Kramer, from Isembard's strategic deployments team, emphasised the immediate and future benefits of the collaboration. He stated that the partnership delivers "sovereign capacity now" and lays "the foundation to export British engineering at scale."
Kramer powerfully concluded, "Industrial strength is national strength. By combining MasonOS-driven factories with Rowden's world-class mission systems, we can turn years into days and prototypes into production – here in Britain." This initiative represents a substantial boost for the regional economy and the UK's broader defence and technology sector.
