Posted on January 26, 2026
Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems are entering into a strategic partnership to accelerate the deployment of unmanned and autonomous vessels in both the civil and defence sectors. The partnership has started with the development and integration of containerised Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). This solution enables operators to deploy their autonomous and remote-controlled unmanned vessels more easily, efficiently and safely in existing operations and in a variety of conditions.
Both parties emphasise that the current containerised LARS solution is only the beginning of a broader collaboration. Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems share an ambitious vision for the future in which scalability, industrialisation and sustainable deployment of autonomous systems are central. Their common goal is to lower the threshold for large-scale, safe and future-proof deployment of USVs, UUVs and automation solutions.
Royal IHC contributes its expertise as a high-tech system integrator and shipbuilder for complex and automated work vessels. Demcon unmanned systems adds its innovative technologies and experience in the field of remote control and autonomous unmanned vessels. Together, they form a solid foundation for a clear vision of growth towards multiple smaller and larger autonomous vessels in the future.
“This Dutch collaboration is an important step towards the future for us, allowing us to make optimal use of each other’s competencies. Starting with LARS solutions for our USV portfolio is a logical first step, as it enables us to deploy our vessels more efficiently and on a larger scale. This makes it possible to deploy unmanned vessels quickly and safely from workboats, pontoons and other equipment. This increases deployability and opens up new areas of application, which will further accelerate the adoption of these innovations and increase their added value” Fedor Ester, Managing Director and Co-founder of Demcon unmanned systems.
Derk te Bokkel, CEO of Royal IHC, said: “This is a natural fit: our vision is shared, our technologies plug in seamlessly, and our markets amplify each other. Together we can move maritime autonomy from promising pilots to industrial scale.”
As two Dutch pioneers, the partnership between Royal IHC and Demcon unmanned systems marks an important step in the continuous innovation and industrialisation of autonomous maritime operations.
