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Dutch deep-tech company Optics11 and Swedish defence firm Saab have signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement to advance European underwater sensing and maritime security capabilities.
The agreement establishes a framework for closer cooperation between the two companies, combining Optics11’s specialized passive fibre optic sensing with Saab’s extensive background in defence technology, underwater systems, and naval integration. This partnership reflects an increasing emphasis on European maritime protection amid mounting concerns surrounding hybrid warfare and the vulnerability of critical underwater infrastructure.
Optics11 develops passive fibre optic sensing systems for underwater intelligence and energy grids, designed to provide earlier detection and classification of underwater threats. Its OptiArray system was recently selected by the Dutch Ministry of Defence for its ASWINABO programme, introducing advanced underwater sensing capabilities to a wider range of vessels for anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. The company will also highlight its sensing technologies at the Euronaval exhibition from November 3-6 in Hall 6, booth number F62.
Paul Heiden, CEO of Optics11, commented, “Signing a Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Saab is a significant milestone for Optics11 and reflects the importance of bringing together Europe’s leading defence and technology specialists. Protecting our seas and the critical infrastructure beneath them requires increasingly sophisticated capabilities, but no single company can deliver every part of the solution. By combining our breakthrough passive fibre optic sensing technology with Saab’s extensive defence expertise and broad portfolio of underwater systems, we have an opportunity to establish entirely new standards in underwater protection, strengthening the capabilities available to European nations and their allies.”
Åsa Schöllin, Head of Underwater Systems at Saab, said, “By combining our expertise with Optics11’s innovative sensing technology, we enhance awareness and protection beneath the surface.”
