Simula, Naval Group and Inria sign Partnership Cooperation Agreement
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On June 5th, Simula signed a partnership cooperation agreement with Naval Group and Inria to strengthen Franco-Norwegian research cooperation in defense technology.
The signature was hosted by Innovation Norway at the Norwegian Club of Paris.
The agreement lays 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 Simula, this collaboration gives us the opportunity to further our research contributions within the maritime and national defense sectors,” said Lillian Røstad, CEO of Simula Research Laboratory.
"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."
Strengthening scientific expertise for Defense Technology
Naval Group is a French defense company specializing in naval systems and shipbuilding, including the design and construction of submarines and surface ships. The company works closely with the French Navy and international partners to deliver advanced maritime defense solutions.
“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.”
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.
Inria, 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.
Inria and Simula have a long-standing collaboration with a wide scientific footprint. Currently, several departments at Simula are also connected with Inria through associated teams.
Spark innovation
The agreement provides a structured path for identifying joint research topics, evaluating potential projects, and negotiating further collaboration.
Sigrun Daireaux, Director France of Innovation Norway, said: "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".
Image, from left: Sébastien Rousset, Chief AI Office, Naval Group, Lillian Røstad, CEO, Simula Research Laboratory, and Bruno Sportisse, CEO for Inria.