Safran Expands Inertial Sensor Capabilities

Safran Electronics & Defense has confirmed that it has created a new division that will significantly enhance the company’s inertial navigation products strategy. Safran Colibrys (Switzerland) and the recently acquired Sensonor (Norway) have been grouped together under a single banner, Safran Sensing Technologies. The two entities have been renamed Safran Sensing Technologies Norway AS and Safran Sensing Technologies Switzerland SA, respectively.

The similarities in expertise, market position, customers and technologies have resulted in a clear process of synergy between these two companies, which have become well known for the quality and precision of their MEMS-based accelerometers, gyrometers and Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). The creation of Safran Sensing Technologies illustrates Safran’s commitment to developing its micro-sensor business through these two companies.

The ambition is to jointly offer an ever wider, more coherent, innovative and comprehensive range of inertial technologies (vibrating sensors, optics, MEMS) for all types of applications in markets such as aeronautics, defense, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and unmanned systems. The two subsidiaries have already delivered more than 20 million MEMS sensors to a variety of sectors.

This operation is part of a broader Safran Electronics & Defense strategy designed to strengthen the company’s position in the market for resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions.

Martin Sion, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense, commented: “In this increasingly competitive market constantly being renewed, our objective is to strengthen the consistency and complementarity of our offer to develop new applications by relying on our extensive expertise in the fields of MEMS and electronics.”