A blog by Chris Buckland, HERSA Co-Chair, and Ellen McGhee, Midlands Innovation Operations Manager
For a decade Midlands Innovation has led transformational initiatives recognising and developing the role of the technical workforce in Higher Education – from the national Papin Prize awards, the Higher Education Technicians Summit – the UK’s largest conference for technicians – our TALENT programme, the MI Technical Teaching Network, plus much more. Recently we’ve had the pleasure of working with the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), which sits under the umbrella of MI5, and the Higher Education Research Security Association (HERSA), formally the Higher Education Export Control Association (HEECA), to help both engage with the technical workforce and with supporting to keep the UK’s research safe.
Technicians play a vital role in safeguarding the integrity and security of UK research. As universities face increasing risks from hostile actors, cybercrime, and misuse of sensitive technologies, national bodies such as the NPSA and HERSA emphasise that research security must be embedded across the whole institution – not just at leadership level.
NPSA’s Trusted Research campaign highlights growing threats to UK research and stresses the importance of protecting sensitive data, intellectual property, and international collaborations. Technicians, who manage lab environments, equipment, and day‑to‑day research processes, are often the first to notice unusual activity or potential vulnerabilities. Their operational insight makes them critical contributors to creating secure research ecosystems.
At the same time, HERSA supports universities in navigating and operationalising complex export control regulations that apply to dual‑use technologies, specialist equipment, and sensitive knowledge. Given their hands‑on work with materials and technology that may be regulated, technicians are essential for ensuring compliance and preventing accidental or unlawful exports.
Chris Buckland – HERSA Co-Chair:
“At the heart of HERSA’s role supporting research security is the collaborative design philosophy involving subject matter experts across government, academia, funding bodies and industry to deliver substantive outputs to support the sector. The technician community reflects a critical component of that eco-system, and this represents a great opportunity to engage and contribute to research security through the technician lens.
“All HERSA resources, events and activities are freely accessible to ensure parity of opportunity for our community to engage with peers navigating this space. By engaging with HERSA we ensure a consistent approach to research security at a national level, facilitating both in-person and online events that promote key discussions and best practices.
“Technicians are at the forefront of innovation and are a critical community at the coalface of the research security agenda and landscape. Through collaboration and engagement, we can deliver a transformative impact to protect our research and our staff.”
In short: involving technicians in Trusted Research is critical. Their expertise strengthens institutional security and protects the research that drives innovation.
If your team hasn’t yet engaged with NPSA and HERSA’s national frameworks, events, resources and training, now is the perfect time to start. Technicians are central to building mature and resilient research security practices and keeping our research safe and globally respected.
The HERSA 5th Annual Conference Research Security Conference will take place 3rd & 4th June 2026 at the Leonardo Hinckley Island Hotel with registration opening shortly and attendance free to all UK Higher Education and Research Organisations.
Visit the HERSA website to access resources and event registration, when it opens, and follow HERSA on LinkedIn to learn more. Sign up to Join HERSA and receive their monthly newsletter and access our e-learning resources.
