Rolls-Royce Submarines has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Siemens to advance digital optimisation and improve efficiency across its engineering operations, according to the company.
The agreement, signed during the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) event in London, aims to reduce time to production for new Rolls-Royce technologies while cutting costs and risk in increasingly complex manufacturing and operational environments.
Rolls-Royce stated that the collaboration will also strengthen UK sovereign defence capabilities through enhanced digital integration and data-led design.
Rolls-Royce Submarines, which employs more than 5,000 people, designs, manufactures, and supports the nuclear reactors that power all Royal Navy submarines. The company said the partnership with Siemens would use the Siemens Xcelerator open business innovation platform to accelerate innovation, improve productivity, and enhance efficiency.
Lee Warren, Engineering and Technology Director at Rolls-Royce Submarines, said in the press release: “Harnessing the power of digital, and collaborating with global experts such as Siemens, will make us more efficient and ultimately provide an enhanced service to the Royal Navy by getting submarines in the sea quicker and accelerating the maintenance of those already in service.”
Adam Raine, IT and Digital Director at Rolls-Royce Submarines, added: “This collaboration will further enhance our capabilities in the digital space and unlock key improvements in how we deliver on our commitments. We can, in essence, create a ‘digital backbone’ that supports the full lifecycle of nuclear naval reactors.”
Brian Holliday, Managing Director for Digital Industries at Siemens UK and Ireland, said: “The agreement strengthens and formalises a 25-year long Siemens and Rolls-Royce relationship. As technology and the external environment develops at pace, the imperative for closer collaboration and best practice sharing is clear.”
Nicole Sturm, Global Head of Aerospace and Defence at Siemens, said: “By sharing best practice and working together to enhance skills, Rolls-Royce Submarines and Siemens are accelerating productivity and laying the foundations for factories of the future that are underpinned by cutting-edge digital technologies.”
You can try and solve the problems digitally or you can hold a proper stock of spares.
If you don’t have the spares to hand and the capacity to fit them Mr Long Tail will show up with Mr Failure and you have a broken submarine waiting for parts etc.