United Kingdom Defense Seeks Innovative Technical Solutions to Model & Monitor Conflict Wounds

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Medical Services are seeking to explore the current research environment and identify technologies that can model and monitor traumatic wounds.

‘Wound’ in this context is an injury to skin, muscle or bone, or any combination of these. This does not include injuries to internal organs, traumatic brain injury, ocular injury or hearing loss.

Conflict wounds are challenging to manage from initial injury through recovery, particularly when high level care is delayed. The MOD is seeking innovative approaches to model and monitor injuries to improve understanding of wound progression and healing.

Proposals should feature modelling methodologies, whether in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo, that can capture complex injury scenarios, such as mixed injury types or cell types, and support the principles of the 3Rs. Of particular interest are models encompassing physical or thermal injury. The MOD is also seeking novel monitoring technologies that can rapidly and efficiently assess, track, and predict wound severity and healing using imaging, sensing, biomarkers, or AI-driven data analysis.

Proposed solutions should consider the typical challenges of collecting clinical data in theatre during wartime, including limited digital connectivity and access to power, and demanding environmental conditions, for example light levels, temperature, and physical space.

The MOD does not want novel therapeutic approaches, or literature reviews, paper-based studies, consultancy, non-technical solutions or marginal improvements to existing capabilities. Research or models based on chronic wounding related to a comorbidity or with a genetic basis without clear theoretical or empirical evidence for how the approach could be applied to a traumatic wound in a healthy individual, are not of interest. Technologies at TRL 2 or below are also not desirable.

U.S. companies have a worldwide reputation for innovative products, after sales service, and training which makes them competitive in the UK market and with the MOD. The U.S. and UK also share similar business cultures and business practices, which makes the UK an attractive market for U.S. suppliers.

If you have a proposal which provides innovative technical solutions that could be used to model or monitor conflict wounds, or if you would like to learn more about security and defense opportunities in the UK, please contact PJ Menner at the U.S. Embassy London via PJ.Menner@trade.gov.