根据律师事务所White & Case的最新研究，英国国防企业计划在未来12个月内合计投入197.5亿英镑用于发展。
UK defence companies plan to invest a combined £19.75bn over the next 12 months, according to new research from law firm White & Case.
这项研究由Censuswide调查公司负责实施，调查时间为9月17日至24日，共对250名英国国防企业及国防科技初创企业的决策层人士进行了问卷调查。这197.5亿英镑即为这250家企业的计划投资总额，平均每家企业计划投入7900万英镑。
Research company Censuswide surveyed 250 senior decision-makers at UK defence companies and defence technology start-ups for the study between 17 and 24 September. The £19.75bn is the total for those 250 firms, which plan to invest an average of £79m each.
多数企业都打算加大投入力度：超过四分之一（27%）的企业计划投资超过1亿英镑，另有67%的企业预计投入金额在5000万至1亿英镑之间。
Most expect to spend heavily. More than a quarter (27%) plan to invest over £100m, while another 67% expect to spend between £50m and £100m.
半数企业将“保持竞争力”作为投资的主要动因。紧随其后的是对下一代国防技术的需求（42%）、出口机遇（38%）以及政府国防开支的持续增长（33%）。
Staying competitive was the most common reason, cited by half of the firms. Demand for next-generation defence technology (42%), export opportunities (38%) and rising government defence spending (33%) followed.
约56%的企业计划投资国防科技领域。其中，46%的企业希望研发新技术，44%的企业则计划扩大生产规模。网络安全被列为首要投资方向（46%），其次是先进传感器技术（45%）以及太空技术（39%）。
Just over half of the companies (56%) plan to invest in defence technology. Among them, 46% want to develop new technologies and 44% want to increase production. Cybersecurity was their top priority (46%), followed by advanced sensors (45%) and space technology (39%).
不过，传统国防装备并未被弃用。调查显示，57%的企业仍计划投资传统国防硬件，这一比例在初创及早期发展阶段的企业中更是高达46%。
However, older kit has not been dropped. The report found that 57% of companies also plan to invest in traditional defence hardware, including 46% of start-ups and early-stage firms.
这些传统装备的主要用途为防空及反无人机系统，选择这两项用途的企业比例均达到68%。
Air defence and counter-drone systems were the main uses for that technology, each cited by 68% of those firms.
White & Case的增长资本与科技并购业务合伙人安格斯·纳恩指出：“过去五年间，冲突的形态发生了根本性变化，如今强化防空体系已成为当务之急。”他还表示，目前市场上最抢手的产品是那些能以远低于传统装备的成本拦截无人机与导弹的低成本系统；人工智能也在改变现有国防系统的运作方式。
“The nature of conflict has changed completely in the last five years and strengthening air-defence systems is now a major priority,” said Angus Nunn, a growth capital and technology M&A partner at White & Case. He added that some of the most wanted products are low-cost systems that can stop drones and missiles for a fraction of the cost of older equipment. AI is also changing how existing defence systems work, he said.
几乎所有受访企业（97%）都认同：英国是欧洲最具吸引力的国防科技投资目的地。
Almost all of the firms (97%) also said the UK is Europe’s leading destination for defence technology investment.
此外，76%的企业计划在未来一年内拓展英国市场。相比之下，55%的企业打算进军欧洲其他地区，27%计划进入美国市场，中东和亚太地区也各有26%的企业计划扩张。
In addition, 76% plan to expand in the UK over the next year. By comparison, 55% plan to expand elsewhere in Europe, 27% in the US, and 26% each in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
为谋求发展，大多数企业倾向于寻求合作。战略合作伙伴关系是最受欢迎的方式（占比44%），其次是自然增长（42%）、合资经营（40%）以及并购（38%）。
To grow, companies are mostly looking to work with others. Strategic partnerships were the most popular route (44%), followed by organic growth (42%), joint ventures (40%) and acquisitions (38%).
许多企业还需要外部资金支持。报告显示，97%的企业计划在未来12个月内筹集大量外部资金。
Many will also need outside money. According to the report, 97% of the firms plan to raise significant external funding over the next 12 months.
纳恩还预计交易活动会进一步增加。他表示，随着此前的限制措施逐步放宽，越来越多的投资者希望涉足该行业，这将推动英国及欧洲地区的融资、投资以及并购活动蓬勃发展。
Nunn also expects more deals. More investors now want exposure to the sector as earlier restrictions ease, he said, which should lead to more fundraising, investment and M&A across the UK and Europe.
担任伟尔律师事务所英国公共并购业务负责人的帕特里克·萨奇指出，英国拥有“充裕的资本储备”，还有实力雄厚的国防与科技企业。
Patrick Sarch, who leads UK public M&A at White & Case, said the UK attracts “deep pools of capital” and strong defence and technology businesses.
不过他也强调，仍有大量工作亟待完成。随着私人资本不断涌入该行业，当前的挑战在于确保英国企业“能以合适的条件持续获得所需资金，从而实现规模扩张并具备全球竞争力”。
Even so, he said there is more work to do. As private money flows into the sector, the challenge now is to make sure UK companies “continue to have access to the right funding on the right terms in order to scale and compete globally.”