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The signature was hosted by Innovation Norway, Norway’s official Trade and Investment Promotion Organisation, at the Norwegian Club of Paris.
The agreement lay the foundation for cooperation on advanced research and innovation in key digital and maritime defense technologies. The cooperation will include areas like communication systems and digital transformation, all highly important for modern naval capabilities.
For Naval Group, the collaboration is part of a broader effort to deepen cooperation with trusted research institutions to support the technological needs of the Royal Norwegian Navy and allied forces.
“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to excel in digital innovation and national security,” said Sébastien Rousset, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Naval Group. “Inria and Simula bring unique strengths in scientific research, and we are proud to work with them on solutions that benefit not only Naval Group but also our partners in Norway and Europe.”
Strengthening scientific expertise for defense technology
Inria (inria.fr), which is the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology, plays a pivotal national role in advancing digital science and supporting defense and security policy. Since January 2024, it has led the Program Agency for Digital Technologies, with a growing emphasis on contributing its scientific expertise and digital capabilities to national defense and security stakeholders. “This agreement is fully aligned with our strategic partnerships, respectively with Naval Group and Simula. Together with Naval Group and Simula, we aim to accelerate digital technologies that serve both our national interests and the European defense ecosystem” said, Bruno Sportisse, Chairman and CEO of Inria.
Simula (simula.no), owned by the Norwegian government, is a renowned institution for digital research with a mandate to address societal and industrial challenges through science, innovation, and educating next generation experts. Its research in several technology areas is of high relevance to defense and security applications, making Simula a natural partner for Naval Group. “This collaboration gives us the opportunity to further our research contributions within the maritime and national defense sectors. We look forward to collaborating with Naval Group and our long-standing research partners at Inria to jointly pursue research and innovation that benefit society » said Lillian Røstad, CEO of Simula Research Laboratory.
Sigrun Daireaux, Director France of Innovation Norway, added: " Innovation Norway and Team Norway support and promote French-Norwegian industrial and commercial cooperation. France and Norway have a long-standing history of joint industrial development, and a great potential for future cooperations. We are therefore proud to host this Cooperation Agreement's signature between leading players in the field of digitalization and maritime research".
Spark Innovation
The agreement provides a structured path for identifying joint research topics, evaluating potential projects, and negotiating further collaboration. It also signals Naval Group’s continued investment in collaborative innovation as it positions itself as a key supplier for the Royal Norwegian Navy and a long-term defense partner in Norway.
About Naval Group
As an international naval defence player, Naval Group (naval-group.com) is a partner for countries seeking to maintain control of their maritime sovereignty. Naval Group develops innovative solutions to meet its customers’ requirements. The group is present throughout the entire life cycle of vessels. It designs, produces, equips, integrates, supports and upgrades submarines and surface ships, as well as their systems and equipment, right up to the final phases of deconstruction and dismantling. Naval Group’s unique know-how in autonomous systems, underwater weapons and drones place it in pole position to become European leader in the sector. As a high-tech company, it draws on its outstanding expertise, unique design and production resources and ability to establish strategic partnerships, in particular within the framework of transfers of technology. It also provides shipyard and naval base services. Ever mindful of the issues concerning corporate social responsibility (CSR), Naval Group is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact. Located on five continents, the group generates revenue of 4.355 billion euros and has 16,722 employees (Full-Time Equivalent average annual workforce - figures as on 31 December 2024).
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