Unmanned Systems Technology (UST), the leading global online marketplace and network for businesses in the uncrewed and autonomous systems industry, has announced an extended partnership agreement with BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.
Building upon a successful collaboration initiated in 2022, this partnership aims to empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and technology providers by placing them at the forefront of BAE Systems Digital Intelligence’s plans for Small Uncrewed Systems. UST will play a vital role in facilitating closer engagement between SMEs and BAE Systems.
During a networking event attended by over 150 members of UST’s ecosystem, Jonny Gilchrist, Business Development Executive at BAE Systems, emphasized the significance of this new venture and outlined future plans for the partnership. These plans include hosting bespoke events that provide SMEs with opportunities to showcase their cutting-edge technologies and foster increased collaboration within the industry.
Caroline Rees, CEO of UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com, expressed her enthusiasm for the extended partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to strengthen our close working relationship with BAE Systems, and we are delighted that the UST platform can offer additional opportunities for SMEs in the industry to engage with a vendor-agnostic Prime. This collaboration marks an important step forward for the sector, and we eagerly anticipate the development of new technologies resulting from this partnership.”
Jonny Gilchrist further elaborated on the value of UST’s role, saying, “UST’s work in connecting the SME community with larger organizations like ours and fostering knowledge-sharing from both sides of the ecosystem is invaluable. The UST platform is an exceptional resource for the industry, and there is a natural synergy between our organizations as we envision the future of uncrewed and autonomous systems.”
He continued, “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to SMEs and will shape the future of the small uncrewed systems market. SMEs bring numerous benefits, such as agility in responding to market needs and developing innovative technologies, areas that large organizations recognize the value of but may struggle to progress internally at the same pace. UST boasts an incredible ecosystem of innovators, and we are excited to support that community and meet SMEs at our upcoming events with UST as we strive to enhance collaboration within the uncrewed systems sector.”
UST, established in 2011, collaborates with hundreds of technology and engineering-focused businesses throughout the global supply chain, ranging from SMEs to multi-billion-dollar original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). With a presence in over 200 countries across all continents, UST boasts the largest professional global audience within the uncrewed and autonomous systems sector. It effectively showcases the technical capabilities of each partner, generating year-round exposure and demand.
This groundbreaking partnership will provide engineers at BAE Systems with direct access to a wide range of innovative and emerging technologies, enabling the enhancement of small uncrewed systems platforms under development.
