Press release

Numalis and MBDA join forces to build tomorrow's explainable AI systems

MBDA, the European leader in missiles and missile systems, is acquiring a stake in Numalis in order to strengthen cooperation between the two companies.
 
Numalis possesses the first IT solution for formally validating Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and works to promote global AI standardisation. MBDA has deep expertise in artificial intelligence and the most demanding critical systems. Both companies see this partnership as a way to take a decisive lead in the implementation of trustworthy AI.

Whilst AI holds a lot of promise, it remains a highly complex concept to validate and integrate into systems where error is not acceptable. Because it develops sovereign mission-critical products, MBDA has decided to invest in Numalis in order to benefit from its expertise and solutions.
Numalis' solutions cater to all industry sectors, including aviation, aerospace, naval, defence, health, and transport. “Our tools offer a formal measurement of the robustness of AI systems and provide elements to explain their behaviour.” says Numalis CEO Arnault Ioualalen.
Éric Béranger, MBDA CEO, said: “This investment is part of MBDA's open innovation policy, aimed at leveraging the best innovative technologies and expertise from the civilian sector. Numalis will give us access to essential building blocks of the future validation – and ultimately certification – processes for the Artificial Intelligence-based applications used in our missile systems.

Progress in the international standardisation programme led by Numalis, and in which MBDA plays an active role, is expected as early as 2020 as a result of the cooperation between the two companies.