Engineering company LogiCamms has struck a software agreement with French firm Dassault Systèmes to build a virtual shipyard project in South Australia.
The digital project will map and improve digital capability in order to maximise industry participation in large manufacturing projects, including defence.
“The South Australian Government has been working with Dassault Systèmes over the past six months to establish the digital capability baseline for potential local naval suppliers,” said South Australia’s Acting Premier John Rau.
“[It will also] explore the development of a structured industry capability learning program to digitise the state’s supply chain to support the next generation of naval shipbuilding.”
Virtual mapping is an approach used internationally by major defence contractors and suppliers, including the French naval group, Direction des Constructions Navales (DCNS).
It enables companies to manage the entire lifecycle of projects and link with companies in the supply chain.
Dassault Systèmes, which employs 14,000 people, recorded global revenue of AUD$4.03bn in 2015.
The company currently offers software systems to support 3D design/modelling, simulation, information intelligence and online collaboration across different industries.
It will soon begin a digital competency assessment of eight companies in South Australia.
“While we work with these innovators, it is also very important that we collaborate locally to organise an ecosystem that is using the same solutions to make sure we can sustain the evolution of the projects,” said Sylvain Laurent, Dassault Systèmes’ executive vice president of Global Field Operations (Asia-Oceania).
“Competitive shipbuilders in South Australia must explore new ways to leverage the advanced technologies that are defining a new era in shipbuilding and gain an edge in the local and international marketplace.”