As terrorists continue to evolve their tactics and develop new threats, ensuring the right tools exist to handle the dangers becomes even more of a priority. José Ignacio García López, product manager at Proytecsa Security, discusses how the company’s range of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) is equipped to handle the trials of modern conflict.
What are Proytecsa’s aims as a company?
José Ignacio García López: Proytecsa Security is a Spanish company with an international outlook, headquartered in Madrid, with its main facilities in Huesca. Our mission is to design, develop, produce and sell our own technological solutions that adapt to the specific security and defence needs of our customers. We strive to become the leaders in the industry of explosive ordnance disposal and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear protection robots. We’ve been collaborating closely with the Spanish law enforcement agencies, MoD, financial entities, railway companies, public administrations and private corporations for the last 25 years. This has given us a strong position on the international scene and made us a reference brand in the security industry.
What industry trends have you noticed recently, and how are these affecting Proytecsa?
The rise of technologies such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and the interaction between the hardware deployed is compelling companies to improve standardisation every day.
Our own technology alone cannot cope with all the changes taking place in the business model or those resulting from the effects of globalisation, where more competitors and potential partners are operating in practically every market, and competing in terms of both price and technology. Our strategy is based on open innovation processes, aimed at reaching agreements with global leaders, universities and technological centres.
Proytecsa Security is a member of the industry’s main professional associations and organisations, and collaborates with universities and technology centres to help evolve robotics. We’ve also broadened our range of partners to include high-tech companies that facilitate technology transfer for us. Proytecsa Security has always found the way to differentiate itself from other companies thanks to its products and technology, and staying close to its customers.
To what extent has Proytecsa been impacted by the defence budget cuts that many countries are currently implementing?
The budget cuts have had a direct impact on the way we address the market. The defence market in Spain has suffered significant cuts, but we live in a world where threats are global. Our vocation as an international company has allowed us to adapt, and today more than 70% of our turnout comes from exports. We do a lot of work in the Middle East, an area suffering from a rise in well-equipped, organised terror cells. A technical advantage is a key asset for the defence of those places, where high added-value products with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN) capabilities make the fight against those extremist groups easier.
What products are you particularly excited about at the moment?
Today, we are developing a new robot that will join the aunav range of remotely operated vehicles ROVs. Due to be presented at the Paris Milipol 2015, it will be the ‘small one’ of the family. We are working hard on unifying the requirements of our customers to create a new robot that is an answer to problems the actual systems do not solve.
It will feature strength and precision, hallmarks of the Proytecsa products, and, thanks to its reduced weight and
size, it will be deployed in environments that were previously barred. We are certain that this event will change operational deployments, where high manoeuvrability and small size are essential requirements and give operators that extra security.
What can we expect to see from Proytecsa in the future?
Day after day, terrorist threats are more organised, and we know that in the coming years the challenges we face will become more complex. We need to be always at the ready to help the law enforcement agencies, both civilian and military, who face this threat. It’s worrying that these groups have access to all kind of financial and technical resources that are hazard multipliers. It compels us to be ready for diverse scenarios involving nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical and explosive threats.
The readiness level of our assets is crucial to opposing this threat but it’s clear that more training services are needed. At Proytecsa we maintain our commitment with quality and service, improving our service range and guaranteeing that extra quality that allows us to stand out. We will remain on the front line of high-tech innovation, integrating the latest technologies in all our products to offer quick and effective responses to the new threats.
