Capabilities

York specialises in the assurance of autonomous systems, making sure that AI and robotics are not only technologically innovative but dependable, ethical, and ready for the real world. 

This work is grounded in the Institute for Safe Autonomy (ISA), one of York’s four flagship interdisciplinary institutes, connecting over 100 academics across disciplines essential to the safe design, deployment and operation of autonomous systems. ISA is a focal point for engagement with industry and government partners working in safety- and security-critical domains.

York’s High Integrity Systems (HIS) group in the Department of Computer Science has worked with the Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems for nearly 40 years. Our expertise ensures that complex, AI-enabled systems are technically advanced and certifiably safe for deployment in military and civil operations.

York delivers security solutions by ensuring sensing and communication technologies remain resilient, secure, and available under extreme conditions across space, sea, and air: 

• Housed at ISA, the York Optical Ground Station  provides high-fidelity tracking to protect critical orbital infrastructure and advance quantum-secure satellite communications
• Our Underwater Information Systems group in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology develops pioneering adaptive acoustic communication and networking technologies designed to overcome the extreme constraints of underwater environments
• Our world-class anechoic and reverberation chambers test how sensitive electronics behave under severe electromagnetic interference. This work is vital for safeguarding positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems and developing robust shielding capabilities.

York hosts a globally significant concentration of nuclear, plasma, and chemical research, bridging the gap between fundamental physics and operational readiness. We are training the next generation of nuclear scientists who will help maintain the UK’s sovereign deterrent and energy systems:

• York leads the UKRI Physics-led Applications for Nuclear Technology (PLANET) programme. In direct collaboration with industry, it equips the next generation of researchers with specialist skills in nuclear data and instrumentation essential to the UK’s defence and energy resilience
• The York Plasma Institute (YPI) provides high-performance computational modelling and experimental diagnostics which are fundamental to the development of fusion energy. They uncover how matter behaves under extreme pressure and temperature
• The Nuclear Physics Group works closely with industrial partners like the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), to develop advanced nuclear detector technologies including gamma-ray detectors for homeland security, nuclear safety, and decommissioning applications
• The Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry and Analytical Chemistry Facilities enable the rapid analysis and detection of emerging chemical and biological threats 
• We pioneer land remediation techniques, using advanced plant engineering (phytoremediation) to safely clean up explosives and contaminants from military and industrial sites.

At York, we consider the entire lifecycle of security, conflict and global risk. Driven by our mission for public good defined in our strategy, we look beyond technology, with experts who examine the historical drivers, legal frameworks, and long-term human consequences of instability and conflict. 

Led by our Department of Psychology, this research investigates human performance, stress, and decision-making under threat scenarios. This expertise forms a core component of international training frameworks, including the NATO DEEP programme.

The Centre for Conflict and Security is York’s hub for understanding and investigating the causes of global risk, the alternatives to armed conflict and understanding the long-term impacts of conflict on communities around the world. Our specialisms include engaging directly with communities directly affected by conflict, as well as policy-makers, think-tanks, charities and practitioners, including the UN, the Foreign Office, the EU, and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). 

Funded with UK International Development from the UK government, York leads the Beyond Compliance Consortium, a research partnership between three universities and six humanitarian and human rights organisations. The Consortium explores how to encourage armed actors to comply with humanitarian laws, ensure military operations and new technologies remain aligned with international legal standards and humanitarian principles.