On the 18th January 2022, the RN, RAF, and US Navy have announced that following on from the success of previous years, 43 selected Fellows have hit the ground running with their 12-week immersive education to drive innovation in defence with The Percy Hobart Fellowship.
Since the onset of the pandemic, prioritisation of the cultural and technological transition required to support the modernisation of the military’s digital assets has never been greater. To rapidly realise the benefits of digitisation, a growing cadre of defence personnel equipped and empowered to deliver change at an unprecedented pace is essential. This year, The Percy Hobart Fellowship promises to develop Fellows’ intrapreneurial skills, furthering their ability to turn their ideas for innovation in defence into high-impact, tangible solutions by the end of the programme.
"The Royal Air Force must be ready to face the threats and challenges of the future. This fellowship will inspire aviators from across all ranks to think differently, challenge the status quo and innovate to ensure our competitive edge in a fast-changing world."
Air Chief Marshall Sir Mike Wigston
Chief of the Air Staff
This year’s edition of The Percy Hobart Fellowship sees for the first time, a mixed cohort, showcasing a united enterprise seeking to strengthen their digital foundations through collaboration. PUBLIC has brought together a selection of first class speakers to deliver weekly workshops, lectures and sessions, featuring talks by Rear Admiral (Ret’d) John Kingwell CBE, David Eaves, Elisabeth Braw and many more.
"In the face of some of the most challenging conditions since the end of the Cold War, the country’s fighting forces are moving relentlessly to accelerate the pace of innovation. The Percy Hobart Fellowship, set to deliver its fourth cohort, has grown to become the Ivy League of innovation training, up-skilling defence personnel digitally and empowering them with the knowledge, tools and network to champion innovative and digitally-enabled solutions to problems across defence."
Daniel Korski
CEO and Co-Founder of PUBLIC
The cohort’s startup placement will see Fellows gain a first-hand, immersive education on how to be fit for the digital age from startups at the cutting edge of disruptive technological change. Fellows will gain a further advantage through the diversity of the startup ecosystem on offer, with Palantir, Logically, Big Health, and Awen Collective amongst the hosts this year. Throughout the programme, Fellows will also receive one-to-one weekly mentoring and coaching sessions from a faculty of expert coaches, including serial entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and performance coaches to cement and translate their key learnings into the defence landscape.
During the course, Fellows will cover a curriculum focused on:
- Integrating new technologies in defence
- Accelerating transformation around citizens’ needs
- Acquiring agile methodology to initiate lasting change
- Adopting a startup mindset to galvanise innovation
Each Fellow has been chosen for their curiosity, commitment and drive and each is fuelled by a desire to develop, to adapt and to make the Royal Navy even better. I welcome their admission to the Fellowship and look forward to the skills they will bring back to the Service when they return after 12-weeks immersion in different ways of thinking and doing.”
"I congratulate all of those selected for this 3rd cohort of the Percy Hobart Fellowship, a one-of-a-kind programme which gives our personnel a cutting edge as we embrace innovation, technology and entrepreneurship."
Admiral Sir Ben Key
First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff