Rolls-Royce Submarines signs digital engineering MoU with Siemens

Above: (left to right) Brian Holliday, Managing Director, Digital Industries at Siemens UK and Ireland, Adam Raine, IT & Digital Director, Rolls-Royce Submarines and Lee Warren, Engineering & Technology Director, Rolls-Royce Submarines.
Courtesy Rolls-Royce

Signed by both parties at the Defence & Security Equipment International (DSEI) event in London in September, the MoU encourages shared and mutual collaboration, with the ultimate aim to minimise time to production for new Rolls-Royce technology, while reducing cost and risk within an increasingly complex engineering, manufacturing and operational environment.

Rolls-Royce Submarines currently employs more than 5,000 people and designs, manufactures and provides in-service support to the pressurised water reactors that power every boat in the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet.

Lee Warren, Rolls-Royce Submarines Engineering & Technology Director said: "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, Rolls-Royce Submarines IT and Digital Director, said: "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.”



Above: An artist impression of the future Dreadnought submarine at sea.
Courtesy Rolls-Royce

Brian Holliday, Managing Director, Digital Industries at Siemens UK and Ireland, said: "The agreement strengthens and formalises a 25-year long Siemens and Rolls-Royce relationship. We recognise the potential of industrial technology to unlock productivity in design, manufacturing, operations and supply chain.

“As technology and the external environment develops at pace, the imperative for closer collaboration and best practice sharing is clear. Siemens commits to deeply understanding the digital transformation and operational challenges faced by Rolls-Royce Submarines and bringing to bear the full weight of our industry-leading technology stack, sector expertise and wider partner ecosystem.”

Siemens’ software and hardware from the Siemens Xcelerator open business innovation platform, helps companies transform processes. accelerating innovation, improving productivity and enhancing efficiency.

This collaboration with Siemens will support Rolls-Royce Submarines in delivering UK sovereign defence requirements more effectively, enabling a more knowledgeable, productive, secure and agile operation. It will benefit from the sharing of best practice across the digital landscape, with the ultimate aim being to enhance skills across engineering, manufacturing, research & development, training and reactor operation and maintenance, using digital technology as an enabler. 

Nicole Sturm, Global Head of Aerospace & Defense at Siemens, said: "The industry is in need of strong, trusted technology to solve complex manufacturing challenges. 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.”

Rolls-Royce is currently supporting the existing Astute and Dreadnought boat build programmes through the delivery of reactor plant and associated components. It also provides frontline support across the world for reactor plant equipment from its Operations Centre in Derby and supports the submarines when in the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard and the naval bases at Devonport and Faslane. In addition, there are technical specialists working in offices in Glasgow and Cardiff, with a unique test facility operating in Thurso, Scotland.