Partnership Establishes Regional Autonomous Survey Operations

A newly completed five-day operator-certification program has established local operational capability for Bedrock’s autonomous ocean intelligence platform in the UK and Europe, following a multi-year strategic partnership with First Marine Solutions.

The training initiative took place at First Marine Solutions’ headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland, combining two days of classroom instruction with three days of water-based testing from a quayside base in Montrose. Developed to support a regional deployment model, the curriculum was led by Senior Survey Operators Sam Candio and Sean Nagle, with training design by Head of People Ops Maggie Elkin and materials prepared by Senior Assembly Technician Eddie Miguel. The initial cohort included survey operators representing First Marine Solutions, Hydroconsult, and Ocean Ecology.

Participants were trained across the entire operational stack, focusing on mission planning in Mosaic, command and control using Trident, interpretation of autonomous underwater vehicle onboard reports, and vehicle launch and recovery. This operational strategy allows regional teams to independently run Bedrock-owned equipment, reducing the logistical burden of shipping hardware and flying specialized personnel globally for offshore survey jobs.

“I found the user-friendly software packages particularly appealing,” said Grant Lafferty, Survey Workshop Manager at FMS. “Having used a variety of different interfaces and configurable packages, I appreciated how clear, accessible, and easy to navigate the layout was. The support from Bedrock was excellent too. Staff and engineers were quick to respond to any concerns and always open to feedback.”

For Olivier Calmon, Deputy Operation Manager at Hydroconsult, the design left the strongest impression, saying, “What stood out was the innovative, lightweight design. The AUVs are highly modular and easy to handle. Even the most advanced tools are designed to be user-friendly, which is rare in the industry. I plan to offer Bedrock’s technology to my clients for lightweight survey operations, reducing both crew and equipment requirements from structural inspections to as-laid pipeline surveys.”

Achieving operational status within weeks of the partnership announcement demonstrates how regional teams can quickly gain access to seabed data collection tools. By stationing systems regionally and certifying local partners, the collaboration aims to provide faster ocean data insights for offshore clients across the UK, Europe, and beyond.