Naval Engineers Forum 2026

FutureNEST attended the Royal Navy’s “Naval Engineers Forum 2026” last month!

CNEO was a really interesting opportunity, providing an accessible and informative opportunity to understand the Royal Navy thoughts and attitude towards the technology of tomorrow and most importantly how it enables (not replaces) the core of RN Engineers. The tag line of “engineers are the capability” was certainly the core of discussion with challenges throughout the day, not only in the presentations but in particular the syndicate sessions. These were break out rooms mixing up attendees in terms of discipline, rank and particular specialty and the industry attendees – although smaller in number – were similarly invited to participate openly with the discussion. For FutureNESTers, the day was a comprehensible insight into the considerations and the opportunities the Navy see with the advent of these new enablers and allowed them to cycle through different syndicate rooms to get a broad flavour of the type of discussion at the heart of hybrid navy. Throughout the day, the forum was a friendly atmosphere with a number of RN staff taking the time to fully engage with the FutureNEST attendees and encourage them to get involved to get the most from the experience.

Hear it from the FutureNEST attendees below!

• We recently attended the Naval Engineering Forum 2026, which focused on the role of AI in shaping the future Hybrid Navy. The event was highly informative and gave us valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges of implementing AI in defence. Key discussions highlighted the complexity of assurance, verification, which are critical when deploying AI in high-consequence operational environments. The forum provided great networking opportunities, including engaging with other members of the FutureNEST community and speaking with industry partners about how we are contributing to making the Hybrid Navy a reality. Overall, it was an insightful and worthwhile event, encouraging open conversations about the future of AI enabled naval capability. – Chelsie, Nandita and Megan (SEA)
• “I thought it was useful to help understand what the RN were envisioning their plan for the Hybrid navy to look like”. – Matt Clinch (BMT)
• The day provided an excellent chance to connect with engineers from both the industry and the Royal Navy. Visiting the Defence Academy was a real privilege, and I felt fortunate to attend. What stood out most during the presentations and conversations was the significant changes expected in the industry as the fleet moves towards a new hybrid model combining crewed and uncrewed platforms. The morning sessions on this subject were the highlight for me. Participating in a FutureNEST event for the first time was also enjoyable, especially meeting other early-career professionals in the network. I think that these experiences are vital for boosting my confidence and keeping both myself and BMT informed about the latest developments in the industry, and I look forward to the
  next event. – James Fawcett (BMT)