The Thales Complex Autonomous Systems Symposium is an exciting opportunity for industry, academia, SME’s and technologists in the autonomy field to come together, share expertise and experience some of the industry’s latest developments and challenges.

Running over two days, the event will comprise of a series of speakers, demonstrations and panel discussions, including Ethics of Autonomy, Human Machine Teaming and Effect Delivery from UxVs.

The Defence Battlelab, with its state of the art facilities, network of collaborators and co-creation space, was chosen as the perfect location for hosting the symposium. It highlights the importance of bringing together industry and government to tackle the inherent problems of utilising autonomy in complex environments.

With a range of speakers from Thales experts, our trusted partners, customers and the wider ecosystems of autonomy specialists, we look forward to welcoming you to the Defence Battlelab - sharing knowledge and highlighting the importance of collaboration to successfully and safely deliver autonomous capabilities.

1000 - Event open & refreshments

1015 - 1030 - Welcome to the Defence Battlelab: The Defence Battlelab Team

1030 - 1045 - Keynote speaker

1045 - 1115 - Autonomy 101, Taxonomy and Architecture masterclass: Andy Holmes, Thales

1115 - 1200 - Op REMUS briefing and lessons learned: Samara Buchanan, Thales

1300 - 1330 - Complex Autonomous Systems – Who IS the “Safety Backstop”?: Prof Alvin Wilby, University of Southampton

1330 - 1400 - HMT in Uncrewed Systems: Dr Mark Chattington, Thales

1430 - 1500 - Introduction to the Defence and Security Accelerator: Michael Madden & Alan Scrase, DASA

1500 - 1600 - SME Autonomy Showcase, Level 5 Supplies, FlyBy Tech, Origami Labs, Msubs, Motion Robotics, Halo Drones

0930 - Event open & refreshments

0945 - 1000 - Opening address, Chris Shepherd, Director of the Thales Autonomy Technology Centre

1000 - 1030 - An introduction into ethics of robotics and autonomous systems, Chris Johnson, Queens University Belfast

1030 - 1100 - Effect delivery from UxVs, Dr Wai (Ray) Yu, Thales

1100 - 1130 - Managing Cyber risk in UxVs, Pete Goodliff, Thales

1130 - 1200 - SME market stalls, Thales Spheros challenge

1230 - 1330 - Digital Crew and Land Autonomy, Thales

1400 - 1500 - Problems, complexities and challenges of achieving certification for Autonomous Systems across Land, Air and Sea, Cdr Sam Nightingale (Royal Navy), Dr Jon Downes (Thales), Prof Miles Elsden (University of York), Chris 'Barney' Barnard (BAE)

1500 - 1530 - Human-Swarm teaming and Inclusive Autonomous Systems, Dr Mohammad Naiseh, Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub

1530 - 1600 - External attendees wash up and close, Thales internal session

To support our ambitions, we set up Thales' Autonomy Technology Centre (ATC). The Centre comprises of a team of specialists who bring together practical learning and experience across many sectors, to help our clients bring their own capabilities to market. Navigating these complexities requires experience. At Thales, autonomy plays a key role in our strategies across land, maritime, air and space sectors.

Thales in the UK is committed to being at the forefront of the next great revolution in naval technology: Maritime Autonomy. We will ensure that our products and services continue to deliver operational advantage to our customers in line with their requirements and aim to ensure that servicemen, servicewomen and platforms remain safe from existing and emerging threats.