{"id":2111167,"date":"2026-04-28T12:34:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/westmidlands\/?p=2111167"},"modified":"2026-04-29T07:08:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:08:38","slug":"tech-firm-lands-underwater-robotics-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebusinessdesk.com\/westmidlands\/news\/2111167-tech-firm-lands-underwater-robotics-deal","title":{"rendered":"Tech firm lands underwater robotics deal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>D-RisQ has secured a new partnership with subsea engineering specialist SMD, as demand grows for software assurance tools supporting autonomous systems.<\/p>\n<p>The deal will see D-RisQ\u2019s verification technology used within SMD\u2019s autonomy programme as the business develops next-generation remotely operated and autonomous underwater systems.<\/p>\n<p>D-RisQ, which has benefited from backing through the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, develops software tools designed to help businesses verify the safety, reliability and performance of complex systems.<\/p>\n<p>Its technology is used to assess requirements, design and source code while generating evidence to support regulatory and safety cases.<\/p>\n<p>The latest contract highlights how Midlands-developed technology is being adopted in advanced engineering markets across the UK.<\/p>\n<p>SMD is a long-established manufacturer of remotely operated vehicles and specialist subsea equipment, particularly for cable-laying operations.<\/p>\n<p>The business is now looking to automate parts of its operations, where software assurance is seen as critical to deployment.<\/p>\n<p>Nick Tudor, CEO and co-founder of D-RisQ said: \u201cThe relationship with SMD has been excellent. We have helped them to undertake initial specification and design work for their autonomy programme and subsequently provided them with our high productivity tools to continue to explore and develop their innovative technology. We look forward to seeing the results of their efforts in the water soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mark Collins, SMD\u2019s Innovation director said: \u201cPartnering with D-RisQ strengthens our ability to deliver assured, high-performance autonomous systems. Their tools give us the confidence that the software behind our next-generation systems is built on solid ground, which is essential as we push further into autonomous operations. It\u2019s helping our team move faster, without compromising on safety or reliability. We\u2019re excited to keep building on this work together and bring these new capabilities into the water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>D-RisQ said investment support through Future Planet Capital Regional and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund has helped accelerate its commercial growth and expand deployment of its products across industrial sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A software business has won a new contract with an underwater engineering company to support the development of autonomous systems<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2111168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50204],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2111167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-featured-story","tag-worcestershire"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin 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