Software development and verification tool provider AdaCore has opened an office in Bristol, UK to support growth of the use of software-based systems in the aerospace and defence sectors.
AdaCore supplies its GNAT Pro software development tool, the CodePeer and SparkPro software analysis and verification tools as well as the QGen development tool for control systems to the aerospace sector.
Recent customer projects include the Airbus A350, in which Thales selected its GNAT Pro product to build the Air Data Inertial Reference Unit, and the use of its products by the aerospace company AVIO for European Space Agency programs.
AdaCore plans to employ five software engineers over the next three years in the Bristol office. The UK branch of AdaCore will focus on developing a technical centre-of-excellence to develop safe and secure software development tools for the UK market, including sales and marketing divisions.
Cyrille Comar, AdaCore Group President said, “Our decision to open AdaCore in the UK is part of a larger corporate strategy to invest our intellectual property, tools, and services in regions where the demand for secure software-based systems continues to grow.
“This move will enable us to better support our existing customers in the UK; collaborate on new contractual, research, and mentorship opportunities within the British ecosystem; and share our expertise in product qualification and certification.”
Mark Scully, head of technology for Propulsion & Advanced Systems at UK-based research organisataion the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) said, “We welcome the launch of AdaCore’s new operation, which will increase the UK’s capability in safety-critical software.
“The ATI has been working with AdaCore as we facilitate new software development projects and are delighted to see this lead to a new UK centre-of-excellence and more collaborations in the future.”
As it does elsewhere, AdaCore plans offer more public Ada training courses and events in the UK to help new users learn the Ada and SPARK languages.
“Many of the world’s top academic and global research universities reside in the UK, and we hope to collaborate with them regularly to broaden the reach of our GNAT Academic Program (GAP) and to address the need for safe, secure and reliable software,” said Emma Adby, managing director of AdaCore in the UK.
