Impact Acceleration? University of Cambridge research, Israel's military supply chain and the war on Gaza
New report published documenting Cambridge collaborations with F-35 supply chain, Boeing's Phantom Works and Israeli military manufacturer Plasan
The Impact Acceleration report presents evidence that research conducted by the University of Cambridge shares those risks of complicity because of its proximity to the Israeli military supply chain. It argues that the University’s previous and ongoing relationships with corporations directly engaged in arms transfers and the provision of military services to Israel creates heightened risks of complicity in genocide and other crimes highlighted by the UN experts in their May 2025 appeal.
The report presents detailed case studies on research in collaboration with BAE Systems, Boeing and Tortech NanoFibers all of which have been celebrated by the University as examples of the “impact” of fundamental research applied to industrial problems. These case studies show how both publicly-funded and contract research at the University risks placing either individual researchers or the institution as a whole into relationships with the Israeli armed forces which could be considered as enabling serious international crimes.
This report asks whether University of Cambridge research in collaboration with arms companies is:
Speeding up the process of manufacturing spare parts for the F-35 fighter jet being used by Israeli forces in the bombing of Gaza through a collaboration with BAE Systems and Renishaw PLC on a novel 3-D printing process
Developing hybrid forms of propulsion for drones with Boeing's Phantom Works, a supplier to the Israeli army, allowing them to carry heavier payloads and fly for longer
Accelerating procurement processes and easing supply-chain disruption in the provision of heavy munitions to Israel through collaboration with Boeing
Improving the performance of military vehicles used by Israeli forces in occupying Gaza through by allowing Tortech Nano Fibers, a subsidiary of Israeli military manufacturer Plasan Sasa to exploit University of Cambridge patents for ultra-long carbon nanotubes.
In addition the report presents two case studies illustrating how arms companies have long been embedded in University departments. In one case, the Isaac Newton Institute continues to be led by a current non-executive director of BAE Systems, while the other example highlights how a student-led campaign challenged Palantir’s paid-for access to the Department of Computer Science and Technology.
The report gathers evidence from academic studies, media reports, UN bodies and NGOs demonstrating how these partners and collaborators of the University have provided weapons and military services essential to the Israeli forces' war crimes and other crimes against humanity in Gaza including:
Indiscriminate aerial bombardment
Mass surveillance of an occupied population
‘Human target’ selection through weaponised statistical inference
Deliberate destruction of civil infrastructure
Download a full copy of the report here: https://tinyurl.com/ImpactAccelerationCambridge