SAES begins the celebration of its 35th anniversary with the exhibition ‘Women in Engineering’

The public company SAES, SME commemorates its 35th anniversary this year with a series of events that aim to highlight the strategic contribution of the company over more than three decades. The first of these events has been held in commemoration of The International Women’s Day (8th March), with an exhibition in the Heroes of Cavite square in Cartagena. SAES shows its commitment to gender equality and recognises the achievements of illustrious women in the world of engineering who contribute to inspire future scientific vocations.   

The exhibition can be visited at the port this weekend and will then move to the facilities of the UPCT until the month of April. 

SAES has today kicked off the celebrations for its 35th anniversary with the exhibition “Women in Engineering”. The event took place today at 12:30 pm in the Heroes of Cavite square, in Cartagena (Spain). The exhibition, which showcases the legacy of ten women who have marked the history of engineering, was presented by the President and CEO of SAES, Joaquín López Pagán. “It is a pride for us to commemorate our anniversary by highlighting the fundamental role of women in engineering. We want to motivate future generations and help increase female presence in this sector,” said López Pagán during the presentation.

The event was attended by several authorities, including Mariola Guevara, Government Delegate of Spain in the Region of Murcia, and Rosa Badillo Amador, Secretary General of the UPCT, as well as members of the SAES Management Committee, like Sara García Ruiz (Telecommunications Engineer), Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation, and Esther Corbalán (Mathematician) Head of People Development.

Other authorities present: Caridad Rives Arcayna, national deputy and deputy spokesperson of the Socialist Group in the Defense Committee of Congress; Carmina Fernández, regional deputy of the Socialist Group; Pedro Contreras Fernández, councilor and spokesperson for the PSOE Cartagena; Isabel María Andreu, councilor of the Cartagena City Council; and Manuel Torres, general secretary and spokesperson for the PSOE Cartagena.

The exhibition “Women in Engineering” is a further demonstration of SAES’s commitment to gender equality, the promotion of scientific vocation and innovation, and marks the beginning of a year of celebrations for the company’s 35th anniversary.

SAES continues to work on high-level technological development and solutions in more than 20 countries and participates in major strategic projects for national defence led by Navantia, such as the S80 class submarines and the F110 frigates.

SAES successfully hosts a real-time connection initiative with Antarctica for children from the TALENTOS association

The TALENTOS association, which brings together parents with children diagnosed with high intellectual abilities, has joined the 37th Antarctic Campaign on Deception Island along with several educational centres and participated in a video call with the scientific base at the SAES facilities. This collaboration is a unique opportunity to foster scientific vocation among the youngest and bring them closer to the research carried out in one of the most remote places on the planet.

Today, Monday 4th of March, SAES has hosted a real-time connection initiative with Antarctica for a group of 30 children from the ‘TALENTOS High Intellectual Abilities Region of Murcia‘ association: a collective of parents with children diagnosed with high intellectual abilities. The video conference connection with the civilian and military personnel stationed at the Spanish Antarctic Base “Gabriel de Castilla” has allowed the children to learn first-hand about the scientific activity taking place in the XXXVII Antarctic Campaign on Deception Island.

During the connection, which began at 10 o’clock sharp in the morning and lasted approximately two hours, the children were able to ask questions to the scientists and learn more about their daily life and their activity in Antarctica.

The scientists told the children present, from various educational centres and associations, among other things, about the long journey with the Hespérides ship [built for multidisciplinary scientific research in any sea or ocean, including Arctic and Antarctic Areas] or how they prepare for a year before starting the mission (in the months of the Antarctic summer). In addition, the base personnel talked about their daily life, the importance of waste management to leave no trace of their passage, and interesting details of small daily missions or even the lack of trees and plants there. In this task, they have the logistical support of the Army, which also protects and preserves the area. Among the local fauna, they highlighted the sea lions, the crab seal, Weddell seal, the elephant seal and a wide variety of birds. Although, according to their words, “the chinstrap penguins are the kings of Deception Island.”

The scientists of this year’s campaign arrived at the base on December 31, 2023, and return in March: the arrival of the Hespérides ship in Cartagena (Spain) is expected for the month of April.

The possibility of sponsoring a penguin from Deception Island was also mentioned, an initiative of the Spanish Ministry of Defence that seeks to promote environmental care.  

For Esther Corbalán, Head of People Development at SAES, “this event has been a unique opportunity to foster scientific vocation among the youngest and bring them closer to the research carried out in one of the most remote places on the planet”. In addition, this initiative “is aligned with the promotion of STEM vocations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in children from an early age in which SAES has been committed for years”

In addition to the children from the TALENTOS association, a dozen Primary and Secondary students whose parents are part of the SAES staff, a company specialised in underwater technology that innovates for a safer world, have joined this activity.

SAES’s underwater technology leads the naval and defence industry

SAES is celebrating a 2023 full of successes, with a constantly growing order book and a renewed brand image. Our General Manager, César Solano Márquez, shared these achievements and future goals in a recent interview with Cadena SER radio. “We have closed significant agreements and we also remain committed to innovation, with 11 R&D+i European projects underway”, highlights César Solano.

 

César Solano,,director General de SAES

Looking ahead to 2024, César Solano points out that “our goal is to continue our growth trajectory and strengthen our alliances with local companies and shareholders. This year is also our 35th anniversary, it’s another opportunity to give more visibility to SAES. In addition, we hope to continue creating jobs in the coming years through our European defence and innovation projects.”

 

Listen to the full interview here (audio in Spanish):

 

Several SAES officials have participated in the radio program “Hoy por hoy Cartagena” to showcase their capabilities in underwater security and protection, both in the civil and defense sectors. Consuelo Lázaro Ruiz, Chief Operating Officer, has explained the management of a project like the S80 submarine, as well as sonar technology and signature management. Sara García Ruiz, Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation at SAES, responds to the importance of innovation in a technological company like SAES, and how it has been used in the recently delivered submarine to the Navy. Ernesto Eulogio, head of the Engineering Services Line Manager at SAES, talks about the SIMTAC, the tactical simulator of the S81 submarine ‘Isaac Peral’, and what it is used for.

SIMTAC: the innovative tactical simulator for training crews of the new S-80 submarines

The S-80 class submarines have a tactical training simulator, known as SIMTAC, which the Spanish Navy uses to prepare submarine crews for various situations they may encounter at sea. Ernesto Eulogio, Engineering Services Line Manager at SAES, explains in a recent interview on Cadena SER radio all the details about this high-tech training tool, which allows crews to practice and perfect their skills in a safe and controlled environment.

For Ernesto Eulogio, “the simulator of the S-81 submarine is like a driving school for the crew, where they learn to use the submarine’s acoustic systems, sonars and radars. In addition, it allows to simulate extreme situations that cannot be reproduced in the real submarine without danger to the crew, such as evading torpedoes or navigating with breakdowns on board”.

The simulator has been developed by SAES in collaboration with Navantia and Indra, and will be used for both the S-81 submarine and future submarines of the S-80 series. Ernesto Eulogio comments that “the idea is that all submarines are operated in the same way, so that personnel can move from one submarine to another without problems”. The simulator will be updated to be in tune with the submarines and meet the training requirements of the Spanish Navy.

SAES’s involvement with Navy simulators began with the development of the SAT simulator for S70 submarines, which has been operational for almost 30 years. In addition, SAES also participated in the SACAZ simulator for the Segura class minehunters.

Listen to the full interview here (audio in Spanish):

The use of technology and innovation in SAES to solve complex problems

SAES, with its capabilities in hydroacoustics and underwater technology, has played a key role in the development of the S-81 submarine, Isaac Peral, which was recently delivered by Navantia to the Spanish Navy. Sara Garcia, our Head of Digital Transformation and Innovation, has been recently interviewed on Cadena SER radio. She mentions SAES’s involvement in the development of sonar systems and technology for the S-81 submarine, focused on acoustic detection and the submarine’s discretion.

Sara Garcia highlights in the interview the importance of innovation in a technology company like SAES and mentions examples of using technology to solve complex problems, such as the development of a diver detection sonar to protect ports and ships from terrorist threats. She also talks about the R&D+i projects in which SAES participates, such as underwater drones and the application of unmanned vehicles in offshore wind farms, as well as the ETC program for the development of European corvettes. In addition, concludes Sara, “SAES collaborates with universities, companies and technology centres to keep up to date with the latest innovations.”

You can listen to the complete interview here (audio in Spanish):

Consuelo Lázaro speaks on SAES’s capabilities in underwater technologies and their application in the S-80

The design and construction of the S-81 submarine has been a historic technological milestone for Spain. Our Chief Operating Officer, Consuelo Lázaro, was interviewed on this topic a few days ago on the Cadena SER radio station.

Consuelo Lázaro, directora de Operaciones en SAES

Consuelo Lázaro highlighted the technological maturity that SAES has achieved thanks to projects like the S-81 submarine, because with this participation “we have deepened our base knowledge and developed our capabilities in hydroacoustics and underwater multi-influence”. She also emphasised the importance of obsolescence management in projects as long as this one, as well as the life cycle support #LCS plans that include technology updates throughout its useful life.

 

You can listen to the complete interview here (audio in Spanish):

Vocational Day with students from Maristas School in Cartagena

On November 23rd, a group of first-year high school students from the Maristas educational centre visited the SAES facilities in Cartagena and La Palma as part of the ’24 hours with you’ programme. The aim of this vocational day, organised by the school, is to give students the opportunity to firsthand experience the professional experiences and career paths that can be achieved by studying degrees such as Engineering or Mathematics.

During the visit to the Cartagena head office, the students were welcomed by César Solano, General Manager and former student of the Maristas school, who welcomed them and shared his professional experience in the field of engineering. For her part, Esther Corbalán, Head of People Development, presented the activities developed at SAES and highlighted the study of different activities and the benefits of performing different roles in the professional field.

At the La Palma facilities, the students were accompanied by José Ramón Martínez, Production Area Manager, and Manuel Castilla, Manufacturing Manager in the Production Area. Both showed the students the different areas of the manufacturing process and shared their knowledge and experiences in the field of engineering.

During the day, the students had the opportunity to interact with colleagues from SAES, who shared their experiences and knowledge, providing advice and resolving doubts about the professional future.

For Esther Corbalán, “SAES’s participation in activities of this type is fundamental as we contribute to our environment, and at the same time it allows us to foster vocations in STEM degrees”.

SAES will equip the S-80 class submarines with the latest generation smart mines

The public company will provide state-of-the-art multi-influence mines that will allow the detection of underwater threats and address different scenarios based on the signals received. 

SAES has been awarded this important contract from the Ministry of Defence, which represents another technological leap in this type of weaponry that will be incorporated into the S-80 class submarines and will be developed over five years with an amount of more than 15 million euros. 

The Council of Ministers on July 4th authorised the framework agreement for the acquisition of last generation smart mines for the S-80 class submarines that Navantia is building for the Spanish Navy, the first delivery of which was on Thursday, November 30th. This framework agreement is a five-year operation with an estimated value of 15.5 million euros. The aim is to incorporate new mines with the latest technological advances. 

SAES’s naval mines are the most advanced intelligent naval mines currently in production. They are manufactured in three different models, depending on the different depths and characteristics of the waters: moored mines, low-profile mines, and those that will go on the S-80, the cylindrical bottom mines. Their sensors allow the measurement of magnetic, electric, acoustic, pressure, and seismic influences. However, the true intelligence of the mine lies in the processing of these influences, making it a more effective and safer naval mine in the detection of possible underwater threats. 

This is the second mine contract for the S-80s signed by the Ministry of Defence and SAES, following the one formalised at the end of 2022 for the supply of multi-influence bottom mines in their training version (known as dummy), for an amount of 650,000 euros and a duration of two years. They are used for training tasks in the mining area and are prepared for launch from the torpedo tubes of the submarines, an activity that has been successfully carried out as part of the S81 acceptance test schedule. 

As stated by the General Manager of SAES, Cesar Solano, “the signing of this contract with the Ministry of Defence represents another technological leap in this type of weaponry that will be incorporated into the S-80 class submarines, demonstrating that we continue to be at the forefront in the development of intelligent naval mines, competing internationally and once again putting our capabilities in hydroacoustic and multi-influence at the service of the Spanish Navy.” 

Other contributions from SAES to the S-80

SAES is the only Spanish company with sonar (design and production) and underwater acoustics capabilities. The company’s extensive collaboration in the S-80 class submarine programme is backed by its technological capacity, proprietary developments, high specialisation in acoustics, and solid experience in large naval programmes at a national and international level.

In addition to the bottom mines, SAES contributes to the S-80 programme the acoustic classification system, the sonar performance prediction system, the noise monitoring system, and the target motion analysis system. It has also developed the towed sonar, the HMI of all sonars, the stimulation of sonars, and the simulation of the acoustic environment for the Tactical Simulator.

Furthermore, it is in charge of the fine-tuning of the towed sonar, and provides various engineering works for the tactical system, the acoustic system, and the development of the submarine’s tests. Finally, SAES’s participation is also essential in supporting the life cycle and maintenance of the submarine throughout its useful life.

In summary, SAES develops technology so that the S-80 class submarines can listen under the sea and interpret what they hear, identifying and classifying what is happening around them.

SAES showcases its capabilities and new corporate image at DSEI London, the world’s largest defence and security exhibition

SAES, a company specialising in underwater technology and protection, has recently revamped its corporate image and brand narrative to showcase its dual-use (for defence and civil sectors) capabilities and technology. This renewal is part of the company’s modernisation process that began last year, and is encapsulated in the slogan ‘innovate, develop and protect’.

At the 2023 edition of DSEI, an international security and defence equipment exhibition held in London from 12th to 15th September, 2,800 companies participated and around 35,000 visitors attended. DSEI 2023 brought together the industry, armed forces and governments from over 70 countries.

SAES, a specialist in underwater technology and protection, presented at DSEI its high-tech capabilities and systems for the civil and military markets, showcasing a submerged unit of the multi-frequency signature measurement portable system (MIRS). In addition, SAES develops defence and security solutions on board all types of platforms: submarines, surface ships and anti-submarine aircraft and helicopter.

SAES has recently revamped its brand narrative based on its dual-use (for defence and civil sectors) capabilities and technology in signal processing through sonars, acoustic intelligence systems, signature measurement and intelligence, security systems and surveillance of critical infrastructures such as ports, thermal power plants, refineries, offshore wind farms, etc.

At DSEI 2023, Ignacio Gutiérrez, Business Development Director, along with Julián Valdez, Business Strategy Manager, and Alejandro Rejas, Lifecycle Support and Loyalty Manager, held fruitful meetings on behalf of SAES with their partners and clients, from which interesting points of collaboration have been obtained to continue working on.

SAES is dedicated to sustainable innovation in underwater technology

Within its commitment to sustainable technology, SAES is establishing strategic alliances and has recently presented its renewed brand narrative. Through its initiative to protect marine environments and the development of unmanned underwater vehicles for both the civilian and defence sectors, SAES is reinforcing its leadership in underwater technology for a more secure and sustainable world.

SAES (Underwater Acoustics and Electronics Systems) presented its new corporate image at the latest International Defence and Security Exhibition (Feindef), held in Madrid from 17th to 19th May with enormous participation at national as well as international level. The company reinforces its leadership as a firm specialising in underwater technology and protection, in both the defence and security sector as well as the environmental one. In the words of its CEO, Joaquín López Pagán, it represents “a turning point after 34 years working as a public company that has encouraged us to continue contributing with the utmost commitment to the defence and security technology industry of our country”.

SAES has renewed its brand narrative in order to show its dual-use capabilities and technology (for the defence and civilian sectors) in signature processing by means of sonar, acoustic intelligence systems, measuring and intelligence of signatures, security and surveillance systems for critical infrastructures such as harbours, thermal electric power stations, refineries, offshore wind farms, etc.

Collaboration agreements

In its initiative to establish strategic alliances, SAES has recently signed collaboration agreements with other companies, amongst which special mention should be made of those reached with the Marine Technology Centre (CTN) and with SH Defence.

The agreement signed between SAES and the Marine Technology Centre (CTN) brings together the efforts of both organisations in working towards sustainable technological innovation in the naval sector and in maritime environmental protection. Both companies will work together in tackling issues of acoustic contamination in maritime environments, in developing technologies for sustainable digital transformation of the naval sector, and to face the challenges of the maritime industry, while always considering the protection of seas and oceans.

In this sense, SAES will contribute its technological capacity, its knowledge and talent to delve into its sustainability strategy, focusing on protecting maritime environments and cooperating in the development of products that reduce acoustic and electromagnetic contamination in seas and oceans. This collaboration with CTN will enable SAES to broaden its vision of innovating, developing, and protecting, adding value in matters of environmental protection to its business activity.

SAES has also signed a collaboration agreement with SH Defence to work together in integrating SAES mine systems with SH Defence deployment units.

Open innovation

SAES collaborates with universities, technological centres, and other companies in its process of open innovation, driving a virtuous circle of innovation.

The company works on cutting-edge projects such as new-generation unmanned underwater vehicles and collaboration in the fight against acoustic contamination in marine environments.

Feindef 2023 was the setting chosen by Navantia, SAES and Perseo Techworks to present one of the most innovative projects, the development of a line of unmanned underwater vehicles with latest generation sensors. This project seeks to deploy exploration and surveillance capabilities in increasingly demanding settings.

SAES will contribute its experience in sonar technology, underwater communications, and operational concepts to provide tactical and mission capacity to the unmanned vehicles. The collaboration between the three companies will drive innovation in the field of autonomous underwater vehicles, offering more secure and economical solutions for defence missions and civilian applications.

This open innovation is key to attracting and retaining talent, as well as for compliance with the SAES sustainability strategy.

The new corporate image and new brand narrative of SAES, within the framework of the company’s modernisation process which began last year, defend the common task of innovation, developing, and protecting.

SAES means innovation for a more secure world.