Naval Group and LASIGE sign a partnership cooperation agreement to advance R&D collaboration

Naval Group and the Portuguese research unit LASIGE from the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon's University have signed a Partnership Cooperation Agreement under the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore future collaboration in the field of Research and Development (R&D) in the naval and defense fields.

This agreement has been signed onboard Naval Group's FDI frigate during its port-of-call in Lisbon on November 6th, 2025, in presence of Alysson Bessani, Professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon and director of the LASIGE research unit, and Guillaume Weisrock, Naval Group's SVP for Sales and Business Development in Europe and North America.

Supporting naval innovation

This strategic partnership aims to leverage the complementary expertise of both organizations to support innovation in the maritime and defense sectors, and sets a formal framework for cooperation on topics of mutual interest related to the digital transformation of naval systems: intelligent systems for naval applications, computer vision for naval applications, simulation frameworks for naval digital systems, smart energy systems applicable to the naval environment, human-machine interfaces and human factors related to the digitisation of naval systems, digital systems related to drones, cybersecurity of naval systems and sensors.

With this agreement, Naval Group aims to foster joint innovation in support of future naval capabilities with the academic and research community in Portugal.

"The agreement reflects our shared ambition to drive innovation through cooperation. LASIGE's expertise and close connection with the Portuguese Navy make them a natural partner for Research & Development as we deepen our engagement in Portugal" - Guillaume Weisrock.

"LASIGE's commitment to rigorous research with high scientific and societal impact requires collaboration with key players in industry and government. We see Naval Group as a strategic partner for future R&D projects in defense technologies, which has become increasingly critical for Europe's security and technological sovereignty" - Alysson Bessani.

LASIGE has a recognized expertise in the fields of computer science and engineering, and as a trusted stakeholder of the Portuguese Navy, is a valuable partner well-positioned to contribute to cutting-edge research and development efforts in collaboration with Naval Group.

Naval Group brings decades of experience in the design, construction and integration of advanced
naval platforms and systems, and has several research projects that could be of interest to
LASIGE.

A strong industrial partnership with the Portuguese industry

This MoU is part of Naval Group's broader ambition and dynamic that benefits the Portuguese
DTIB and academic centres, should the Portuguese Navy choose the FDI frigate to renew its
frigate fleet. With a strong industrial base and a long-standing tradition of delivering high-end
solutions to navies worldwide, Naval Group is committed to strengthening its presence in
Portugal, establishing industrial and research partnerships that will create value for the
Portuguese defense and maritime sectors, supporting the Portuguese Navy's evolving needs.
There are real complementarities between Naval Group and the Portuguese defense industry and
research centres, that could lead to joint achievements strengthening innovative defence
capabilities in the European Union.

The collaboration with the Portuguese industry goes back a long way; since 2019, Naval Group
has been collaborated with 16 Portuguese companies on 15 European projects, promoting the
integration of the national industry into high-value international initiatives. More recently, on
October 22nd, Naval Group and AED Cluster Portugal have hosted an Industry Day in Lisbon to
strengthen industrial and technological cooperation in defense, and met with more than 45
companies, industrials and academic institutes to participate in the supply chain associated with
the FDI frigate program, as well as other areas such as advanced engineering, naval digitalization,
and systems integration.

Press Contact:
Bénédicte MANO
Tel. : +33 (0)6 76 46 17 77
[email protected]