Dassault Systèmes announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire AITAC BV, a Dutch company specialized in marine and offshore engineering software. With this acquisition, Dassault Systèmes will further strengthen its solutions designed to bring digital transformation to the marine and offshore industry by providing cutting-edge, industry-specific technologies for its 3DEXPERIENCE platform customers.
AITAC’s Smart Drawings software application is used by shipyards and offshore companies to automate the creation of drawings from a master 3D model of a ship, platform or other structure designed using Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA applications. This automation is based on rules and templates that account for marine-specific standards, behaviors and local requirements. Companies can significantly reduce the cost of drawings production, improve the quality of certification documents, and maximize the value of the master 3D model.
Dassault Systèmes will fully integrate the Smart Drawings application into its “Designed for Sea” and “Optimized Production for Sea” industry solution experiences based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, used by companies for the design, validation and manufacturing planning of marine and offshore projects.
As part of the deal, Dassault Systèmes also acquires 40 percent of AITAC’s marine and offshore engineering office in Croatia, AITAC d.o.o., a provider of naval architecture and engineering services to major shipbuilders.
“We have always been passionate about transforming the way marine and offshore companies use 3D and we work hard to provide our customers with the best experience of a 3D master approach,” said Marc Journeux, Co-director, AITAC. “Dassault Systèmes has always been a fantastic partner for us, and we truly believed this is the only company able to take this market to the next step. Now our team is excited to join Dassault Systèmes to accelerate the pace of innovation.”
The marine and offshore industry has routinely relied on disconnected departments to produce traditional drawings managed as individual documents. Now, it is gradually moving to a single master 3D multidisciplinary model allowing digital continuity for marine projects, from initial concept to manufacturing and operations.
“For years, AITAC has been a software partner of Dassault Systèmes supporting its 3DEXPERIENCE platform customers and now we’re taking this long and fruitful partnership to the next level,” said Alain Houard, Vice President, Marine & Offshore Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “AITAC’s long-term experience, expertise and team of naval architects and engineers will help us to extend our marine and offshore portfolio’s capabilities and support customer deployment projects.”
The transaction was completed on June 1, 2017.
