EXAIL is sponsoring Sea Tech Week® for the first time this year, yet your company is already very familiar with the event. Could you tell us more about your long-standing involvement? 

Ludovic Bazin

Ludovic Bazin (LBA): Exail has been participating in Sea Tech Week® for many years, first under the iXblue and ECA brands, and now under the Exail identity. We have regularly attended as an exhibitor and contributed to several editions through workshops, technology demonstrations, and exchanges with maritime ecosystem stakeholders. 

With the growth of our activities in Brest and the increasing importance of challenges related to seabed mastery, maritime robotics, naval defence, and renewable marine energies, it felt natural to strengthen our commitment to this benchmark event. Sea Tech Week® plays a vital role in uniting industrial, academic, and institutional actors around the technologies shaping the future of the maritime sector. As a French high-tech company, we aim to support this momentum by showcasing innovations that enhance ocean knowledge, protect critical infrastructure, and reinforce European maritime sovereignty. It is also an opportunity to highlight Brittany’s industrial excellence, attract new talent, and foster future collaborations.

What special connection does EXAIL have with Brest? 

LBA: Exail has been deeply rooted in Brest for over 60 years. Our Brest Technopôle site brings together research, engineering, and production teams specialising in navigation, underwater positioning, and maritime robotics technologies. 

Brest benefits from a dynamic ecosystem, bringing together key players in oceanographic research, naval defence, and the maritime industry. We regularly collaborate with Ifremer, IUEM, the French Navy, the DGA, Naval Group, Thales, and many other industrial and academic partners. We also engage in numerous projects and exchanges with Brest’s engineering schools (ISEN, ENSTA, IMT Atlantique, ENIB, etc.), allowing us to host interns and apprentices specialising in our fields. 

This proximity fosters innovation and accelerates the development of solutions to address major maritime challenges: deep-sea exploration, underwater infrastructure security, energy transition, and naval systems autonomy. Today, Brest is one of Europe’s strategic hubs for maritime sovereignty technologies, and Exail is proud to contribute to this dynamic.

What message would you give to a company still hesitating to register for Sea Tech Week®? 

LBA: Sea Tech Week® is a fantastic opportunity to meet the entire international maritime community in one place. It is an event where innovative SMEs, mid-sized companies, major groups, research centres, institutions, and public decision-makers come together to address the key issues of the maritime sector. 

In a context marked by accelerating technological innovation and growing maritime sovereignty needs, the ability to form partnerships and share experiences has become essential. Participating in Sea Tech Week® means accessing a network of leading actors and identifying new opportunities in strategic fields such as the blue economy, defence, maritime systems autonomy, and ocean knowledge. 

Photo taken during the 2024 edition of Sea Tech Week®  Credit: Campus mondial de la mer

International delegations from Portugal (guest country), India, Canada, and Germany have already confirmed their attendance. Do you collaborate with actors from these countries in R&D or innovation? Could you share some examples? 

No direct R&D collaborations as such, but we do have many clients in these countries, including research institutes to which we supply equipment for certain research projects. 

Which themes do you prioritise for discussion at this event? 

LBA: We primarily aim to engage in discussions around seabed mastery, high-precision underwater navigation and positioning technologies, and the robotics and autonomy of maritime vehicles. 

These topics address major challenges for the years ahead: understanding the marine environment, protecting critical underwater infrastructure, securing offshore activities, developing renewable marine energies, and strengthening maritime sovereignty capabilities. Innovation in these areas is now indispensable to meet the economic, scientific, and strategic challenges of maritime spaces. 

Where and when can attendees meet you during Sea Tech Week®? 

LBA: We will have a stand at the exhibition, and we will also participate in the evening events. 

Do you have any recent news to share with our readers? 

LBA: To support its growth and meet strong demand in these strategic markets, Exail is launching the construction of a new building in Brest. This expansion will strengthen our research, development, industrialisation, and production capabilities in the fields of navigation, underwater positioning, and robotic systems, particularly for mine warfare. 

This investment reflects our confidence in the vibrancy of the Brest ecosystem and our commitment to developing cutting-edge technologies in France for ocean knowledge, maritime security, and European sovereignty. It also underscores our ambition to consolidate Brest as a global centre of excellence for underwater technologies.