The consortium Belgium Naval & Robotics has presented its industrial cooperation plan

Monday, December 17 2018

On the 13th of December, Belgium Naval & Robotics gathered its Belgian industrial and research partners as well as several elected officials to present the industrial cooperation plan that the consortium wishes to implement as part of the Belgian-Dutch mine hunter programme This plan includes 39 partnerships established with partners throughout the Belgian territory and will generate hundreds of jobs over the next 20 years.

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Over 30 years of experience in the mine action activities

On the proposition made by Belgium Naval & Robotics is in particular based on Naval Group and ECA ROBOTICS’ acknowledged industrial and operational expertise, both in the naval sector as in mine counter measures (MCM) activities.

Naval Group and ECA Group collaborate since the ‘70s on naval mine clearing and on the mine hunter programme (Belgian-Dutch-French tripartite programme With its industrial cooperation plan, Belgium Naval & Robotics offers to accompany Belgium in the strengthening of its strategic autonomy and its leadership on international level and within the NATO, in the field of MCM activities.

The growth of the Belgian industrial base related to high-tech and key products for this sector will help create jobs with high added value in a sustainable way.

Guiding Belgium in the evolution of the systems

Belgium Naval & Robotics will set up an industrial centre of excellence in Belgium, positioned on activities with very high added value. The main objective of this centre will be to ensure Belgium’s autonomy and strategic excellence.

The centre will also be able to accompany Belgium in the evolution of the systems in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence or acoustic discretion and cyber security and this for the duration of the programme and beyond. These structuring partnerships have already been signed in order to accomplish this project.

Involve the Belgian economic structure – create sustainable jobs

Belgium Naval & Robotics have already set up nearly forty Belgian partnerships around the key aspects of the programme and its future developments. The consortium now presents a plan to the Belgian authorities to create hundreds of jobs over 20 years.

The activity will generate significant added value related to the number of jobs but also on a technological level and will be evenly distributed over the three regions: Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels. Flanders Ship Repair, a major partner of the project, will ensure 100% of the maintenance on the twelve vessels in Zeebrugge. Belgium will thus have full autonomy to maintain and develop its vessels and the mine warfare system for the duration of the programme.

ECA Robotics Belgium can carry out the maintenance of the drones (“Tools”) in Zeebrugge should the Belgian navy express this wish.

39 PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT BELGIUM

Service Providers & Industrials

Partnerships in the field of R&D (MCM Lab, Cyberlab) & Engineers Associations

CHUBB
MULTI
IDP
VENNEKENS
DE MEYER
PRETEC
CAPAUL
GRAIFE
MOCKEL
TKM INDUSTRIE
PORT OF ZEEBRUGGE
MEUSE ET SAMBRE

UNIVERSITÉ LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
UNIVERSITÉ DE LIÈGE
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL (VUB)
RBINS
VLIZ
BATS
SPACE APPLICATIONS
DOTOCEAN

NVISO
AKKA
CMI DEFENCE
ROYAL BELGIAN SHIPOWNER ASSOCIATION (RBSA)
ABC
IE-NET
FABI

About Belgium Naval & Robotics

BELGIUM NAVAL & ROBOTICS is the name of the Naval Group-ECA Group consortium as a part of the response to the Belgian-Dutch consultation for the replacement and initial support of their mine warfare capability

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About Naval Group

Naval Group is the European leader in naval defense. A high-tech company, Naval Group uses its exceptional know-how, unique industrial resources and ability to establish innovative strategic partnerships to meet its clients’ requirements. The Group designs, produces and maintains submarines and surface vessels. It also provides services for naval shipyards and bases. Always at the forefront of innovation, in recent years the company has led various developments regarding drones, their integration and their supervision on vessels. Committed to corporate social responsibility challenges, Naval Group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact. In 2017, the Group generated revenue of €3.7 billion and had 13,429 employees

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About ECA Group

ECA Group ECA Group is an expert in naval drones and unmanned systems and one of the global leaders in this sector for the last 50 years. Moreover, the beginnings of ECA Group in naval robotics took place alongside Naval Group: ECA Group had been tasked with creating a free submarine model at the end of the 60s, which was implemented by Naval Group in St-Tropez. Following that, Naval Group and ECA Group collaborated on developing the first MIDS (Mine Identification and Destruction System) in the world, the PAP guided self-propelled mine clearance ROV. Still used by the French Navy, this robot has been sold in several hundred copies across more than 30 countries. Today, ECA Group masters underwater drones just as well as surface or air drones, enabling it to offer a very wide and complete range of UMIS^TM drone systems suited to all types and sizes of military vessels.