Naval Group and LASIGE Sign Agreement on Collaboration in R&D

Naval Group and the Portuguese research unit LASIGE from the faculty of sciences of Lisbon’s University have signed a partnership cooperation agreement to explore future collaboration in the field of research and development (R&D) in the naval and defence fields.

This agreement has been signed onboard Naval Group’s FDI frigate during its port-of-call in Lisbon on November 6, in presence of Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and director of the LASIGE research unit, Alysson Bessani and Naval Group’s SVP for sales and business development in Europe and North America, Guillaume Weisrock.

This strategic partnership aims to leverage the complementary expertise of both organisations to support innovation in the maritime and defence sectors, and sets a formal framework for cooperation on topics of mutual interest related to the digital transformation of naval systems: intelligent systems for naval applications, computer vision for naval applications, simulation frameworks for naval digital systems, smart energy systems applicable to the naval environment, human-machine interfaces and human factors related to the digitisation of naval systems, digital systems related to drones, cybersecurity of naval systems and sensors.

With this agreement, Naval Group aims to foster joint innovation in support of future naval capabilities with the academic and research community in Portugal. “The agreement reflects our shared ambition to drive innovation through cooperation. LASIGE’s expertise and close connection with the Portuguese Navy make them a natural partner for research & development as we deepen our engagement in Portugal,” said Guillaume Weisrock.

“LASIGE’s commitment to rigorous research with high scientific and societal impact requires collaboration with key players in industry and government. We see Naval Group as a strategic partner for future R&D projects in defence technologies, which has become increasingly critical for Europe’s security and technological sovereignty,” said Alysson Bessani.

LASIGE has a recognised expertise in the fields of computer science and engineering, and as a trusted stakeholder of the Portuguese Navy, is a valuable partner well-positioned to contribute to cutting-edge research and development efforts in collaboration with Naval Group.

Naval Group brings decades of experience in the design, construction and integration of advanced naval platforms and systems, and has several research projects that could be of interest to LASIGE.

This MoU is part of Naval Group’s broader ambition that benefits the Portuguese DTIB and academic centres, should the Portuguese Navy choose the FDI frigate to renew its frigate fleet. Naval Group’s collaboration with the Portuguese industry goes back to 2019, when it collaborated with 16 Portuguese companies on 15 European projects, promoting the integration of the national industry into high-value international initiatives. More recently, on October 22, Naval Group and AED Cluster Portugal have hosted an Industry Day in Lisbon to strengthen industrial and technological cooperation in defence, and met with more than 45 companies, industrials and academic institutes to participate in the supply chain associated with the FDI frigate programme, as well as other areas such as advanced engineering, naval digitalisation, and systems integration.