PA Consulting and Jacobs-led consortium supports…

PA Consulting (PA), the global innovation and transformation consultancy, in strategic partnership with Jacobs (NYSE: J) has secured a £16 million, four-year contract extension from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) to continue leading the National Security Science and Research (NSSR) programme which accelerates innovation across air, road, and rail security.

This win strengthens PA, Jacobs, and their consortium partners – QinetiQ, TNO, Iconal Technology, Cambridge University Technical Services Limited and Prometheus Policing Services – as trusted experts in delivering innovative science and technology solutions that safeguard the UK’s transport infrastructure.

Over the next four years, the team will deliver cutting-edge science and technology solutions that work to strengthen the security and resilience of the UK’s transport sector. PA brings deep innovation and science expertise as well as its programme management, quantum and aviation security skills, while Jacobs contributes proven capabilities in transport infrastructure and resilience planning, seeking to ensure a comprehensive approach to safeguarding critical infrastructure. Other consortium members bring expertise in human factors, canine training and academic rigour to provide a world-class end-to-end capability for DfT.

Over the past four years, PA has helped DfT’s NSSR programme bring structure and momentum to a dynamic portfolio and deliver more than 80 projects that work to strengthen national security. These included digitising competency testing for approximately 15,000 airport security screeners, supporting the safe travel of more than 238 million passengers; advancing science-based methods for complex cargo screening; and training detection dogs to identify emerging threats.

We’re proud to continue our collaboration with DfT and Jacobs on the NSSR programme. We’ve doubled productivity over the last four years, and this initiative has brought the best of science, technology and delivery to the UK’s transport system. This strategically important work sits at the intersection of innovation, security, and public impact. The renewed contract demonstrates the power of collaboration in tackling complex national security challenges and enables us to scale that impact across critical themes like cyber, standards and characterisation, and behavioural science. Together we are working to strengthen national security while building a more resilient transport network and keeping the UK’s transport systems moving safely, every day.”

Steven Carden Transport and innovation expert, PA

This program applies science, technology and agile delivery discipline to real-world transport security challenges. Continuing this work supports the Department for Transport’s goal of maintaining a secure, resilient and adaptable transport network over the long term.”

Richard Sanderson Executive Vice President, Jacobs

The NSSR programme exemplifies how government and industry can work together to accelerate innovation and amplify impact. By leveraging science, technology, and agile programme management, PA and Jacobs will help DfT maintain a secure, resilient transport network over the long term.

Together, PA and Jacobs help transport clients plan, develop, finance, design, construct, maintain and operate smart infrastructure that connects people and communities around the world. Work includes advising The Copenhagen Metro on operations and safety for its high-capacity urban system, and partnering with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to design an AI-powered intelligent airport foundation that improves efficiency and passenger experience.

Combining deep sector knowledge with proven delivery of complex programmes in government, PA’s work in global transport spans the full innovation pipeline, from early-stage scoping and characterisation, through rapid testing and standards, to operational deployment, focusing on measurable outcomes for passengers and operators. PA helps transportation clients navigate the full lifecycle of smart infrastructure, for example developing a rapid innovation programme for Network Rail within its R&D unit, accelerating decision-making by 83%; unlocking lasting improvements in punctuality through data-driven insights and optimising operations for Heathrow Airport; and helping Eurostar harness AI to reshape operations and enhance passenger experience.

Jacobs supports complex transport projects globally, including the Elizabeth line and the Transpennine Route Upgrade in the UK, Melbourne Metro in Australia, and The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Grand Central Madison program in New York.