Defence and security have the government’s ear. So why is the industry still struggling to be understood by civil servants?

Defence and security have the government’s ear. So why is the industry still struggling to be understood by civil servants?

Security and defence executives appear to have more influence over government policy than almost any other sector. Our recent research, conducted with Censuswide, found that more than two-thirds of civil servants working in security and defence believe industry engagement “often” or “always” influences policy development. Eight in ten defence executives agree.

Across the five sectors surveyed – including energy, healthcare, transport and technology – defence engagement stood out by far for its perceived influence on policymaking.

Yet 82% of defence executives believe elected politicians understand the sector better than civil servants in the UK and Ireland. Perhaps more surprisingly, 56% of civil servants share that view.

If security and defence is so effective at influencing policy, why does such a significant understanding gap persist among those shaping and implementing it?

Are defence executives talking to the wrong people – or relying on the wrong channels?

One explanation may lie in whom defence executives choose to engage.

Nearly a third (32%) of business leaders cited engagement with elected politicians as their preferred route for influencing policy, second only to trade associations.

Political relationships matter, but they are only one part of policymaking. Civil servants develop policy, advise ministers and turn political priorities into practical decisions. Overlooking them risks undermining an entire engagement strategy.

Our research also found that civil servants favour direct meetings and written consultations over trade bodies and even the media. This suggests a mismatch between how businesses seek to influence government and how officials prefer to receive industry information.

The picture becomes more complex when we consider how civil servants research issues and form their views. While regulators, fellow officials and trade associations remain their most trusted sources, social media is their most widely used channel for researching companies and sectoral issues – ahead of stakeholder meetings and direct industry communications.

This distinction between trusted sources and more widely used channels matters. Effective engagement requires more than securing meetings or responding to consultations. Defence businesses need to understand where officials get their information and ensure their messages reach them through the right channels.

Business and government disagree on the sector’s most pressing issues

The understanding gap is also reflected in their priorities. Skills shortages are the most frequently cited challenge among almost a third of business leaders, compared with just 20% of officials. Security and defence businesses are twice as likely to identify cyber security as a major challenge (24% versus 12%). And conversely, civil servants are twice as likely to highlight investment (16% versus 8%) as a priority issue.

These differences suggest a disconnect between the challenges businesses face and those receiving policymakers’ attention, with potential consequences for policy development across the sector.

How can businesses close the gap between influence and understanding?

For many security and defence businesses, the challenge goes beyond securing access. It is about ensuring the machinery of government understands the sector’s challenges and opportunities. Our data suggests this is not yet happening.

As security and defence rises the political agenda and investment decisions become increasingly consequential, businesses need a more sophisticated approach to engagement.

That means looking beyond traditional lobbying and engagement with senior ministers by building sustained relationships with civil servants, using the channels that shape their views and demonstrating how business strategy aligns with government priorities.

Businesses that get this right will be better placed to influence policy and shape the future of the UK and Ireland’s defence industry.

Fenton Fitzwilliam has teams in Dublin, London, Glasgow and Brussels. It is part of Paritee, an international network of specialist communications consultancies.

If your business is looking to engage, get in touch with the team at info@fentonfitzwilliam.com.

By Fraser Briton, Senior Account Manager

Image credit: Politics Home

Research methodology:

This research was commissioned by Fenton Fitzwilliam and conducted by Censuswide among 375 respondents in the UK and Ireland across the defence and security, energy, healthcare, technology, telecoms and data, and transport sectors. The research comprised 50 civil servants in Ireland and 75 civil servants in the UK, surveyed between 11 and 21 August 2026, and 250 business leaders spread evenly across the UK and Ireland, surveyed between 11 and 19 August 2026. 

Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society and the British Polling Council and is a signatory to the Global Data Quality Pledge. The research was conducted in accordance with the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.