ADS Group, the leading aerospace and defence sector trade association, has released a report on the security sector showing two-thirds of companies are expecting over 10% growth in the year ahead. It reveals the sector grew by a fifth in 2013 and has grown five times faster than the rest of the UK economy since 2010.

The sector has an annual turnover of £7.9 billion, 40% of which is generated through exports. The industry comprises 11,500 companies, 90% of which are SMEs, reflecting the diverse and specialist nature of the products and services it designs and creates to tackle threats to individuals and communities in the world today.

The Security Industry Outlook report offers an in-depth view of the sector’s employment, investment, export and growth trends, incorporating data provided by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and a comprehensive survey of security industry leaders.

Paul Everitt, Chief Executive of defence trade organisation ADS Group, commented: “The UK security industry touches almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives, from cyber systems protecting our online banking details; to counter-terrorism; to our proven expertise in effective major event security through the successful 2012 Olympic Games, and much more besides. This vibrant sector has carved a global reputation and the pace of growth revealed in this report demonstrates it is already taking advantage of new demand.”