UK’s James Bond-style spy tech base points name to Christmas pantomime designers
His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) – founded on the eve of World War Two – is looking for new ways to hide secret tech in clothing
Britain’s top spy tech base is urging experts including Christmas pantomime costume designers to help inspire the next generation of gadgets.
His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre (HMGCC) – founded on the eve of World War Two – is looking for new ways to hide secret tech in clothing. Engineers at the James Bond-style base are reaching out to experts in TV and film alongside panto designers and technicians for help on how the tech could be used and worn.
The agency has previously invited experts to apply to help to design prosthetic facial disguises using skin-like materials to avoid detection systems.
Founded 1938 the secretive agency in Hanslope Park was first tasked with creating secure communications for overseas spies and diplomats. Hero Alan Turing worked with HMGCC on speech encryption during World War Two after his work on cracking the Nazi’s Enigma code at Bletchley Park.
The base now works on the UK’s tech security needs for operations in the UK and across the globe, including intelligence gathering. Hundreds of scientists and engineers work at HMGCC, which falls under the responsibilities of Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper.
Stephen Doughty, a Foreign Office minister, said: “The national security challenges we face are changing every day right before our eyes. It’s vital that we innovate and design the best tech we can to counter these threats and keep our country safe.
“That is why engineers at HMGCC are reaching out far and wide, to find untapped talent from the UK’s world-leading TV, theatre and film sectors to protect our national security.”
HMGCC’s CEO George Williamson added: “The sheer breadth of technology types covered in our Co-Creation challenges can be amazing – anything from quantum sensing, to electronics, to AI. Recently we have had challenges which could reach into even broader and more unusual sectors, such as film or fashion, where many people may never imagine their creations could have any relevance to national security work.
“We really want to encourage inventors from companies large and small to reimagine their technologies and think about how their skills could cross sectors and be repurposed in new and interesting ways.”
