Page 22: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2011)
Ocean Observation
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How would you best describe your management style? Grant I surround myself with people I trust; I set the tone, and give them space to get on with the job ? leaving me space to see the bigger picture and a clear vision for the future. While many of our readers know your company well, can you give a brief overview, discussing your position in various markets? Grant Having sold over 500 systems, Saab Seaeye is the world?s largest manufacturer of electric underwater vehi- cles with about 60% of the working electric ROV?s in the offshore energy market and is represented in 28 countries around the world. We are the leading supplier of electric ROVs to the off- shore energy industry, and a major ROV resource to defence forces, marine science and hydro-engineering. Since Seaeye started in 1986, it has pioneered many inno- vations in the ROV industry. For instance, it overcame the widespread problem of thruster reliability that had dogged electric ROV credibility by inventing the first reliable brushless DC thruster for use on an ROV. It also overcame corrosion by introducing the polypropylene chassis; and our most recent innovation, iCON the intelligent con- trol of nodes has made the ROV smarter and able to ?think? for itself, and allow remote access to an ROV from anywhere in the world over the internet. You recently added a new division? Grant Saab?s recent decision to transfer its underwater vehicle defence manufacture to the UK and integrate the engineering and marketing functions into Saab Seaeye?s operations will create a powerful platform for growth and innovation that will better serve both the civilian and mil- itary market. It?s the kind of synergy that will bring cost savings to the defence industry from volume production economies and proven reliability solutions, at a time when defence budg- ets are under scrutiny and will allow us to be more com- petitive. For the commercial market it introduces autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUV) technology adapted from the defence industry, in the shape of the new Sabertooth, with other hybrid ROV/AUV vehicles to follow. The technology of hovering hybrid AUVs, reconfigured for the oil and gas market, will find a use in autonomous 22MTRSeptember2011 The new Sabertooth AUV. MTR#7 (18-33):MTR Layouts 8/29/2011 9:47 AM Page 22