Autonomous Vehicle Services to Launch in Middle East with Joint Efforts

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), based in the U.S., has teamed up with Unique Group, headquartered in the UAE, to expand its autonomous vehicle services into the Middle East. The partnership will involve deploying OPT’s WAM-V unmanned surface vehicles in the UAE and other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. By integrating OPT’s USVs with Unique Group’s expertise in the offshore energy industry, the adoption of USVs in the region is expected to accelerate.

OPT’s CEO, Philipp Stratmann, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration with Unique Group, stating that it will help in deploying USVs globally and lauding the UAE’s progressive stance on adopting autonomous technologies. Unique Group’s Global Head of USV, Jack Dougherty, emphasized the company’s commitment to assisting in the development of a GCC-specific WAM-V 22 to meet the region’s safety regulations and promote environmentally conscious and efficient operations.

This announcement follows OPT being chosen as a preferred supplier for its wave-powered buoy in the Middle East. OPT has also recently supplied a set of WAM-V USVs to Sulmara, a subsea specialist, as part of the largest single order of WAM-Vs to date.

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