Page 29 - mro-business-today-15-09-2024

TECHNOLOGY

Safran acquires Preligens for MagniX unveils

€220m: enhancing AI capabilities hybrid-electric

Preligens will be renamed Safran.AI and integrated into
Safran Electronics & Defense. Aircraft for
NASA

MagniX and NASA collaborate to
repurpose a De Havilland Dash
7 for hybrid electric propulsion
research, advancing sustainable
aviation.

hybrid-electric research aircraft
A from electric motor manufacturer
magniX unveiled a new design inside a
hangar in Seattle. This design symboliz-
es the aircraft’s ongoing journey toward
afran is set to ‘open up new areas of AI application in aviation, defence and supporting NASA’s efforts in achieving
Sspace’ says Franck Saudo, CEO of safran on the safran acquisition of Preli- sustainable aviation. At a special unveil-
gens, a leading entity in artificial intelligence (AI) for aerospace and defense. ing ceremony hosted by magniX on
The deal came up after the exclusive negotiation initiated in June 2024. August 22, company and NASA leaders
The Preligens acquisition was concluded with an enterprise valuation of presented the aircraft publicly. Dis-
€220 million. Post-acquisition, Preligens will be renamed Safran.AI and inte- played for the first time at King County
grated into Safran Electronics & Defense. International Airport, also known as
Established in 2016, Preligens specializes in advanced AI analytics tailored for Boeing Field, it featured a new livery.
high-resolution imagery, full-motion video, and acoustic signal processing. The Robert A. Pearce, associate adminis-
company is renowned for its sophisticated algorithms and software, designed to trator for NASA’s Aeronautics Research
analyze and autonomously detect and identify objects of military interest using Mission Directorate, said, “We are a
both commercial and government satellite imagery. Preligens operates a pro- research organization that continues to
prietary AI Factory, facilitating the development, production, and integration of advance aviation, solve the problems
cutting-edge AI algorithms trained on extensive datasets from diverse sources of flight, and lead the community into
and sensors, with comprehensive end-to-end security and traceability. the future. Through our EPFD project,
Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO of Preligens, said, “Joining Safran marks a new stage in we’re taking big steps in partnership to
Preligens’ development. We’re proud to be helping create a world-class AI center make sure electric aviation is part of the
of expertise for one of the flagships of French industry. The many synergies with future of commercial flight.”
Safran will enable us to develop new AI product lines and accelerate our interna- The aircraft, a former cargo-carrying
tional expansion, which is excellent news for our business and our people.” De Havilland Dash 7, is being repur-
The integration of Preligens into Safran Electronics & Defense underscores posed for hybrid electric propulsion
Safran’s strategic focus on AI technologies. This merger is poised to acceler- research. Under NASA’s Electrified
ate the incorporation of AI into Safran’s product and service offerings. In Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD)
defense and space applications, AI will enhance surveillance and identification project, magniX will modify it as a test-
processes, providing robust information and decision support for operational bed for this research.
personnel. Safran’s global footprint will also bolster Preligens’ expansion, Under the EPFD project, the company
particularly within the US market. aims to demonstrate fuel savings and
Franck Saudo, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense, said, “We’re delighted performance improvements using hybrid
to welcome Preligens to the Group. We recognize how far their teams have electric systems. These systems are
already come, and we’re proud to now be working with them to help further designed for regional aircraft with up to
develop their AI solutions. By combining our strengths, we’re determined not 50 passengers, contributing to reduced
only to support the development of Preligens’ AI solutions, but also to jointly aviation emissions. Additionally, this
open up entirely new areas of AI application in aviation, defense and space.” livery symbolizes the collaborative effort
Furthermore, this acquisition will expedite Safran’s digital transformation, to prove the feasibility of hybrid electric
leveraging Preligens’ AI solutions to advance Industry 4.0 initiatives. Notably, flight for commercial aircraft. This initia-
AI-driven image analytics will enhance quality control processes by enabling au- tive aligns with broader goals to mini-
tomated detection of anomalies in critical components through digital imagery. mize aviation’s environmental impact.

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