Saab recently announced that it acquired BlueBear Systems Group Ltd, based in the United Kingdom. The acquisition of all shares in BlueBear is part of Saab’s international growth journey strategy across key markets, which include the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and Germany.
BlueBear is a leading provider of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defense and security applications. And BlueBear employs 65 employees at their site outside Bedford, England, with a turnover of £8 million as of last year.
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 is going to contribute to Saab’s existing activities worldwide, and Saab will benefit from BlueBear’s expertise in autonomy and swarming, as well as command and control systems.
With emerging and disruptive technologies like AI, machine learning, and autonomous systems having the potential to reshape entire industries, Saab embraces a proactive strategy of selected acquisitions. Through acquisitions and strategic partnerships with companies specializing in new technologies, Saab‘s capabilities are enhanced, thereby increasing the comprehensive solutions offered for broader defense needs. And AI will enable Saab to improve system capabilities further and increase efficiency across our world-leading product portfolio.
Within Saab, BlueBear will be a center for Rapid Concept Development, providing expertise and scaling-up innovation.
KEY QUOTES:
“This acquisition is another step in support of our international growth strategy as we seek to ensure Saab is well positioned in key markets and to sustain our competitive advantage. BlueBear, as world-leading provider of AI-enabled autonomous swarm systems for complex defense and security applications, is a good fit with our approach of leveraging emerging technologies in the fields of autonomous systems and AI.”
— Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab
“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 land autonomy, payload integration, next generation command and control, AI-enabled defence clouds as well as next generation platforms.”
— Dr. Yoge Patel, CEO of BlueBear
