Europe is waking up to a new era of warfare, one defined not by physical scale, but by speed, adaptability and intelligence.
As hybrid threats intensify across borders, we’re still relying on outdated procurement mindsets. Meetings. Frameworks. Committees. We’re treating innovation as a process when it should be treated as a weapon.
But this isn’t just a procedural issue - it’s cultural.
We’ve built the wrong hierarchy.
Across the defence ecosystem, we label companies like Whitespace as SMEs or start-ups - terms that imply fragility or immaturity. In reality, these organisations are developing the systems that will define our next generation of defence capability.
At Whitespace, we’ve stopped using those labels.
We call ourselves a Tier One Asset.
It’s a term borrowed from Special Forces - small in number, elite in capability, mission-critical in impact. Tier One assets aren’t “junior partners.” They’re force multipliers. They operate fast, adapt in real-time, and pull in the right partners, from hyper-scalers like Google and Oracle to primes and integrators - when the mission demands it.
We don’t need hand-holding. We need autonomy, respect and access.
The UK already has world-class, sovereign AI companies capable of delivering at pace across Defence, Government and National Security. What they need is recognition and the cultural permission to lead.
That means:
- Funding for outcomes, not frameworks
- Procurement built for capability, not company size
- Partnerships based on speed, trust and mission relevance
Because in this era of distributed, intelligent warfare, the fast will shape the future.
The slow will simply watch it happen.
Written by Paul Jenkinson, CEO at Whitespace
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