French Embassy Delegation Visits BTH to Explore Research Collaboration

Blekinge Institute of Technology welcomed a delegation from the French Embassy in Stockholm, led by Ambassador Thierry Carlier and Science and Academic Cooperation Attaché Yan Pautrat, following their visit to Saab earlier the same day.

The visit focused on opportunities for collaboration in marine technology, AI, autonomous systems, and education, with particular emphasis on research areas connected to BTH’s longstanding cooperation with Saab. Discussions covered maritime AI applications, intelligent sensing, and autonomous platforms, highlighting the strategic relevance of BTH’s research within emerging defence and dual-use technology domains.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jenny Elfsberg and Vicky Johnson Gatzouras, Institutional Project Coordinator, Bauhaus4EU, hosted the delegation together with Professors Mats Pettersson and Mattias Dahl. The programme included presentations of selected projects in marine technology and systems engineering, aligned with the delegation’s areas of interest. Vicky Johnson Gatzouras also introduced the European university alliance BAUHAUS4EU, outlining opportunities for expanded international research collaboration. The visit featured research presentations, discussion about potential collaboration opportunities, and a campus tour with visits to our Innovation Labs, the Research and Education Clinic, and Ericsson Space.

Ambassador Thierry Carlier, who assumed his post in March 2025 and brings extensive experience in defence technology and international capability development, underscored the importance of strengthening scientific and technological cooperation between France and Sweden.

The outcome of the visit was a shared ambition to create opportunities for bilateral collaboration in marine applications.