Soteria Battery Innovation Group has licensed QinetiQ's Q-TRED thermal event detection technology for its Battery Safety IP Exchange platform. The technology uses coatings that emit detectable volatile compounds when battery cells reach elevated temperatures, enabling early warning of potential thermal runaway events before fires occur. Unlike traditional temperature monitoring at limited points, Q-TRED supports distributed sensing with volatile sensor molecules on every cell. Commercially available gas sensors can detect these compounds to alert systems of abnormal thermal conditions. The technology will be integrated into Soteria's IPX, a licensing platform bringing together battery safety innovations across cell materials, detection, mitigation and design. Soteria will partner with supply chain companies to develop Q-TRED for electric vehicles, energy storage systems, aerospace applications and other battery-powered devices.

QinetiQ Group reported revenue of just over £1.9 billion for full year 2026, with operating profit of £218 million and an operating margin exceeding 11%. Free cash flow surged over 40% to £159 million, whilst earnings per share increased 21% to 31.5p. The defence technology company achieved record order intake of £3.6 billion and an order backlog of £4.8 billion, up more than 40%. The company announced enhanced shareholder returns, increasing its dividend 24% to 11p and extending its share buyback programme by £200 million through 2029. However, QinetiQ faced challenges in the US defence services market due to budgetary pressures and undertook restructuring that included cutting approximately 1,000 roles. The company expects revenue growth of 3% to 5% for the coming year, with margins between 11% and 11.5%.