BAE Systems joins the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre as an Affiliate Partner

BAE Systems joins the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre as an Affiliate Partner

The NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre has announced that BAE Systems is joining its thriving technology development community as an Affiliate Partner.

The NOC and BAE Systems have collaborated on a number of exciting Marine Autonomous Systems and oceanographic research projects, and this partnership builds on our joint commitment to investing in science and technology research.

Matt Gleed, BAE Systems Maritime’s Senior Technologist, said: “At BAE Systems we take a collaborative approach to technology and innovation. We work with partners and colleagues to innovate and embrace disruptive technologies, focused on those that will ensure our customers, including the Royal Navy, are equipped to face present and future threats.

“Our partnership with the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre will enable us to leverage the strength of our combined skills and capabilities across a number of projects in the marine domain, in areas such as autonomy, data gathering & analysis and modelling & simulation."

Aidan Thorn, the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre manager, said: "The NOC and BAE Systems have been involved in a number of previous collaborations around Marine Autonomous Systems and oceanographic research projects, and over the past 18 months have been exploring how to further enhance the collaboration into science and technology research projects in the future. BAE Systems has renewed this collaboration intent through its new membership with the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre in what we both hope will lead to a strong working partnership together supporting the BAE Systems programmes and other stakeholders."

The Marine Robotics Innovation Centre was established in 2015 with the aim of providing an innovation hub, bringing together a range of industries to develop the next generation of pioneering marine autonomous technologies. The Centre hosts a community of innovative companies developing technology for platforms, components and sub-systems in order to aid and advance oceanographic research for the benefit of both science and industry. 

The community is able to access unique facilities and services at the Innovation Centre, and shares the specialised space with the NOC’s Marine Autonomous and Robotics Systems group, which has extensive experience of the deployment of pioneering marine autonomous systems in some of the planet’s most challenging marine environments.

The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. NOC undertakes and facilitates world-class agenda-setting scientific research and technology development to understand the global ocean by solving challenging multidisciplinary, large scale, long-term marine science problems to underpin international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes. The NOC is a company limited by guarantee set up under the law of England and Wales (11444362) and registered as a charity (1185265).

The NOC has been in existence in its various forms for over six decades, is one of the largest charities in the UK, has an annual turnover of over £60 million, employs over 600 staff and is one of the few research organisations globally that has the equipment and expertise to operate at full ocean depth.

The NOC operates the Royal Research Ships James Cook and Discovery and develops technology for coastal and deep ocean research. Working with its partners the NOC provides long-term marine science capability including: sustained ocean observing, mapping and surveying; data management; and scientific advice.

Among the resources that the NOC provides on behalf of the UK are the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), the Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) facility, the National Tide and Sea Level Facility (NTSLF), the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) and British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF).

About BAE Systems:

We provide some of the world’s most advanced, technology-led defence, aerospace and security solutions and employ a skilled workforce of some 85,800 people in more than 40 countries. Working with customers and local partners, we develop technology that helps to save lives, protect borders and people, strengthen nations, and keep critical information and infrastructure secure.