COMPANIES across the North-East are being invited to make the most of research and technology carried out by the Ministry of Defence.

The Defence Diversification Agency (DDA), part of the MoD, is rolling out its Exploiting Defence Technology programme, giving 250 companies across the region a chance to make use of cutting-edge defence technology.

The DDA is hosting a breakfast seminar next week, in collaboration with the North-East Chamber of Commerce, to demonstrate how the programme can help companies improve competitiveness and productivity.

The DDA's Mark Snell said: "Small and medium-sized enterprises are hard-pressed to survive and rarely have the time to really think about the future of their business and identify what might be holding them back. We meet companies and encourage them to stop and think."