Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems partner on Autonomous Maritime Operations

Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems have entered into a partnership to advance the deployment of unmanned and autonomous vessels in both civil and defence sectors. The collaboration begins with the development and integration of containerised Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) for USVs and UUVs. This solution enables operators to deploy autonomous and remote‑controlled vessels more easily and safely in existing operations and under varied conditions.

Both companies note that the current containerised LARS solution is the starting point of a broader collaboration. Their shared goal is to support scalable and sustainable deployment of autonomous systems, lowering barriers to wider use of USVs, UUVs, and automation technologies.

Royal IHC contributes expertise as a system integrator and shipbuilder for complex and automated work vessels. Demcon unmanned systems brings technologies and experience in remote control and autonomous vessel operations. Together, they provide a foundation for growth toward multiple autonomous vessel types in the future.

🎤 Fedor Ester, Managing Director and Co‑founder of Demcon unmanned systems, commented:
“This Dutch collaboration is an important step towards the future for us, allowing us to make optimal use of each other’s competencies. Starting with LARS solutions for our USV portfolio is a logical first step, as it enables us to deploy our vessels more efficiently and on a larger scale. This makes it possible to deploy unmanned vessels quickly and safely from workboats, pontoons and other equipment. This increases deployability and opens up new areas of application, which will further accelerate the adoption of these innovations and increase their added value.”
🎤 Derk te Bokkel, CEO of Royal IHC, said:
“This is a natural fit: our vision is shared, our technologies plug in seamlessly, and our markets amplify each other. Together we can move maritime autonomy from promising pilots to industrial scale.”
The partnership between Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems represents a step in the ongoing development and industrialisation of autonomous maritime operations.

📃📷 Source : Demcon unmanned systems