Simulation specialist ST Engineering Antycip, a subsidiary of the Electronics arm of Singapore’s ST Engineering, and UK-based Cervus, a veteran-owned data company using its analytics-as-a-service (AaaS) platform to disrupt the traditional defence and security industries, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that signals a further integration of their complementary business models.
Cervus and ST Engineering Antycip (formerly Antycip Simulation) began collaborating in 2016, with the MoU thus formalising and elevating an already successful relationship, according to Cervus Managing Director Alan Roan.
“We are both SMEs [small/medium enterprises], and pooling resources creates efficiencies and increases our ability to reach into new customers while enabling us to bring new offerings into existing customers,” he explained.
One of the highlights of the companies’ seven-year collaboration is the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE): the British Army’s flagship innovation and experimentation programme, where in 2021 they cooperated to demonstrate the future of British Army training using Cervus’ Hive analytics platform plug-in for market-leading VR-Forces software from sister company and close partner MAK Technologies, according to Katie Howe, Senior Accounts Manager for aerospace and defence at ST Engineering Antycip. Key to the success of their relationship is that both companies are “small but growing, with an agile, ‘can-do’ attitude towards wider collaboration”, said Howe.
“We are both small companies with huge ambition,” agreed Roan, who also highlighted Cervus and ST Engineering Antycip’s co-operation on the US Marine Corps’ wargaming capability, when they demonstrated Hive and VR-Forces to Marine Corps Systems Command and were selected for part two of the activity, and on Forge for VR-Forces for Project Eldon in support of the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office. “Both companies have a similar culture and relentless focus on the frontline operator,” said Roan.
By taking their relationship to the next level, ST Engineering Antycip and Cervus hope to be able to offer “more credible demo scenarios and vignettes for mutual opportunity pursuits”, explained Howe, as well as growing both companies’ market presence. Roan added that the new alliance will be able to offer customers “a fuller simulation and analytics solution, enabling them to train and/or experiment faster and at lower cost”.
Looking to the future, the companies will seek to leverage their natural synergy to deliver not only for customers in the defence sector, but to pursue more opportunities in other markets, said Roan, who described the enhancing of their relationship as a natural evolution of the past seven years of co-operation.
“This MoU formalises a relationship that has been growing over seven years,” he concluded. “We feel it is worth celebrating and communicating to our customers and partners.”
Peter Felstead
