Exail and UNH launch maritime autonomy innovation hub
Exail, a global innovator in maritime autonomy, has opened a new innovation hub that will engage in all aspects of marine autonomous operations to help meet the challenges of the growing blue economy.
Exail will use the new centre to deliver increased operational advantage to US civil and government customers. This includes the US production of its uncrewed surface vessel (USV) DriX, the housing of a remote operation centre to conduct worldwide remote autonomous operations, the establishment of local operations, maintenance and training facilities, and the provision of expertise on maritime autonomy while also training future generations on the use of autonomous vessels.
The new hub will be at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), a recognized leader in the field of ocean mapping research, and located in UNH’s Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center in Durham, to facilitate collaborative work with UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM).
Capitalizing on pioneering uncrewed technologies
“We’ve been working together with UNH for the past six years to pioneer uncrewed technologies, and are now capitalizing on our common achievements with the opening of this new innovation hub,” said Marine Slingue, president at Exail. “We’re very proud and excited to take this next step in our US adventure, and we would like to thank UNH, CCOM and NOAA for their great support, leadership and vision on the use of uncrewed technologies that brought us where we are today. We look forward to our continuous partnership with them and all the great work we will achieve together to keep advancing maritime autonomy in the US.”
“This exciting collaboration will not only be good for Exail and UNH students and researchers, but also for New Hampshire and the nation,” stated Larry Mayer, director of CCOM. “We anticipate that it is just the start of bringing many of our other industrial partners and government colleagues to the state as we create a local engine for the new blue economy.”
The opening of the new maritime autonomy innovation hub was celebrated on 15 July in the presence of UNH president Jim Dean, US Senator Maggie Hassan and assistant administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Nicole LeBoeuf.
