SAAB KOCKUMS AKTIEBOLAG

Their core work

Saab Kockums is a Swedish defense and engineering company based in Malmö, historically a world-leading builder of submarines and naval vessels, operating as part of the broader Saab Group. In the H2020 context, the company contributed as a third-party specialist to SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) projects focused on remote tower technology — systems that allow air traffic controllers to manage airports from a centralized location rather than an on-site tower. Their specific technical contribution, as indicated by the keyword "HMI for aerodrome controller," points to human-machine interface design for air traffic control environments — an area where defense and naval systems engineering experience in complex operator interfaces translates directly to civil aviation. Their involvement across two sequential SESAR projects suggests a sustained, if specialized, role in Europe's air traffic management modernization program.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The first project (PJ05, 2016–2019) established their foothold in remote tower research at the conceptual and systems level, with no granular keywords captured — consistent with a broad, exploratory contribution. The second project (PJ05-W2, 2019–2023) shows a sharpened technical focus: keywords narrow to specific artifacts like "Remote Tower Center," "HMI for Aerodrome Controller," and multi-airport configurations, suggesting their role matured from general systems input to specialist HMI and operational design. The trajectory is one of deepening specialization within a niche they entered through a single program rather than diversification across sectors.

They are moving toward deeper technical ownership of the controller interface layer within remote tower systems, which positions them as a potential component or technology supplier rather than a research generalist in ATM digitalization.

How they like to work

Saab Kockums has participated exclusively as a third party in both H2020 projects — meaning they were engaged as a subcontractor or technology provider by the main project partners rather than holding direct EC funding. This is consistent with the profile of a large industrial company contributing proprietary technology or specialist engineering capacity to a research consortium without carrying the coordination burden. Despite only two projects, they sit within very large SESAR consortia — 50 unique partners across 21 countries — which reflects the scale of the SESAR program rather than their own network-building activity.

Their network of 50 partners across 21 countries is entirely attributable to the two large SESAR Joint Undertaking consortia, which routinely include dozens of aviation authorities, ANSPs, airports, and technology companies from across Europe. This is a program-driven network rather than an independently built one.

What sets them apart

Saab Kockums brings a defense-grade engineering pedigree — submarines, naval systems, complex operator environments — into the civil aviation ATM space, which is unusual and potentially valuable for the HMI and human-factors dimensions of remote tower design. Most ATM research consortia are populated by ANSPs, airports, and avionics firms; a naval defense systems company offers a different perspective on operator interface design under high-stakes, low-error-tolerance conditions. However, their third-party-only status and limited project count make it difficult to assess the depth or exclusivity of their ATM contribution from public data alone.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PJ05-W2 DTT
  The more technically mature of the two projects, running until 2023 and explicitly targeting digital tower technologies with named HMI deliverables, making it the clearest window into Saab Kockums' specific technical contribution.
• PJ05 Remote Tower
  Their entry point into SESAR H2020 research (2016), addressing the multi-airport remote tower concept at a time when the technology was still being validated across Europe.