MOD showcases UK industry at EuroNaval exhibition

The UK Ministry of Defence led a delegation of eight maritime defence companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, at EuroNaval in Paris from 3 to 6 November. The exhibition, Europe’s leading maritime defence and security event, brought together governments, naval staff and industry representatives to discuss emerging naval technologies and challenges. The MOD’s UK Pavilion highlighted British capabilities, from uncrewed surface vessels to maritime propulsion monitoring systems, offering SMEs a platform to engage with European defence decision-makers.

UK industry participants, including SMEs, reported gaining valuable exposure to European naval and defence markets through the MOD’s presence. The defence export SME engagement team organised a ‘Meet the Supply Chain’ session to help smaller firms connect with primes, mid-tier companies and trade associations. This initiative aimed to facilitate access to the European defence market and strengthen supply chain relationships across the continent.

The UK emphasised its role in addressing joint maritime security and hybrid threats during discussions at EuroNaval. A senior MOD representative stated that maritime security is a shared responsibility and that UK innovation is central to protecting collective freedoms. The exhibition provided a forum for governments, armed forces and industry to align on shared security challenges and future naval capability needs.

A key outcome was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UK company MSI-Defence Systems and Safran to jointly develop naval counter-uncrewed aerial systems. The agreement combines MSI-Defence’s combat-proven gunfire technology with Safran’s expertise in land and naval C-UAS markets, marking a step toward enhanced international defence cooperation and NATO alignment.