Saab today acquired the UK-based company BlueBear Systems Group Ltd.
The acquisition of all shares in BlueBear is part of Saab’s ongoing international growth journey in key markets including the UK, Australia, the US and Germany. BlueBear is the world’s leading supplier of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defense and security applications. BlueBear employs 65 people at its facility on the outskirts of Bedford, England, with a turnover of £8 million by 2022.
The combination of Saab’s world-leading products, services and solutions and BlueBear’s experience as an agile integrator of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems will be a powerful driver of Saab’s future capabilities. BlueBear will contribute to Saab’s activities worldwide and Saab will benefit from BlueBear’s expertise in autonomy and swarming, as well as command and control systems.
Understanding that emerging and disruptive technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and autonomous systems – have the potential to reshape entire industries, Saab adopts a proactive strategy of selected acquisitions. Through acquisitions and strategic partnerships with companies specializing in new technologies, Saab’s capabilities are enhanced, thus increasing the solutions offered for a wider range of defence needs. AI will enable Saab to further enhance system capabilities and increase efficiency in its world-leading product portfolio.
“This acquisition is another step in support of our international growth strategy, as we seek to ensure that Saab is well-positioned in key markets and sustain our competitive advantage. BlueBear, as the world’s leading supplier of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defense and security applications, fits well with our approach of leveraging emerging technologies in the areas of autonomous systems and AI,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab. Within Saab, BlueBear will be a Rapid Concept Development center, providing expertise and innovation at scale.
“For BlueBear, this is an important step in our journey as we now move forward as part of Saab. We see many enhanced opportunities around naval, air and ground autonomy, payload integration, next-generation command and control, defense-enabled AI clouds, as well as next-generation platforms,” says Dr. Yoge Patel, CEO of BlueBear.