From Concept to Capability In 2 Weeks: Certifying Our First Operators at First Marine Solutions
Earlier this month, we announced a multi-year strategic partnership with First Marine Solutions (FMS), establishing a UK and European operational hub for Bedrock's autonomous ocean intelligence at FMS's headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. At the core of the partnership is an operating model that allows Bedrock partners to run our systems locally. That vision has officially been realized. We've completed our first operator-certification training, putting Bedrock's technology directly in the hands of the people who will use it in the field.
The program ran for five days at FMS's Aberdeen HQ. It included two days of classroom instruction followed by three days out on the water from FMS’s quayside base in Montrose. The training curriculum was developed and delivered by our Senior Survey Operators, Sam Candio and Sean Nagle. They led the sessions, with curriculum design and training support from Maggie Elkin, Head of People Ops, and training materials developed by Eddie Miguel, Senior Assembly Technician.
The cohort brought together survey operators from FMS, Hydroconsult, and Ocean Ecology. Over the course of the week, they worked through the full operational stack including mission planning in Mosaic, command and control with Trident, reading our AUVs' onboard reports, and the launch and recovery of our vehicles on the water.
This training is central to how Bedrock is expanding globally. Our solution is known for its adaptability, and that extends to engagement models. This particular model utilizes Bedrock-owned technology, but it’s independently operated in the field. Rather than shipping vehicles and flying operators around the world for every job, we station our systems regionally and train trusted partners to run them, with consistent support from Bedrock. It's a way for partners anywhere to put Bedrock's technology to work for their clients, at the speed and cost the industry needs.
The most rewarding part of any first training is hearing from the people who went through it.
"I found the user-friendly software packages particularly appealing," said Grant Lafferty, Survey Workshop Manager at FMS. "Having used a variety of different interfaces and configurable packages, I appreciated how clear, accessible, and easy to navigate the layout was. The support from Bedrock was excellent too. Staff and engineers were quick to respond to any concerns and always open to feedback."
For Olivier Calmon, Deputy Operation Manager at Hydroconsult, the design left the strongest impression. "What stood out was the innovative, lightweight design. The AUVs are highly modular and easy to handle. Even the most advanced tools are designed to be user-friendly, which is rare in the industry. I plan to offer Bedrock's technology to my clients for lightweight survey operations, reducing both crew and equipment requirements from structural inspections to as-laid pipeline surveys."
Next Steps
Certifying this first cohort means we have established operational capability on the ground in Aberdeen, just a few weeks after announcing our partnership. Bedrock’s ocean intelligence platform delivers insights in a fraction of the time of traditional surveys, and FMS has demonstrated how quickly we can empower regional teams with this capability. It's a milestone we're proud of, and it's only the beginning of what we expect to accomplish together across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Our thanks to FMS for partnering with us and hosting the training at their headquarters. We're looking forward to seeing these operators put Bedrock to work for FMS customers.
