With a long-standing legacy in electronic warfare, Saab Grintek Defence is developing advanced technologies to aid with detecting, deceiving, and countering threats. President and Managing Director, Jan Widerström, discusses recent developments as we reconnect with the company.
INNOVATION AT THE CORE OF OPERATIONS
As a subsidiary of Saab, known for its unique design and engineering innovations, Saab Grintek Defence (SGD) stands at the forefront of the South African defence industry, specialising in electronic warfare (EW) systems, sensor technology, and avionics.
Its expertise in technology design, development, and specialised manufacturing remains unmatched as SGD delivers innovative solutions and services across air, land, and sea domains.
The company offers a fully integrated, multispectral EW self-protection suite and is a global leader in optical and laser sensors, digital processing, microwave components, and antenna technology.
SGD solutions are trusted to protect aircraft, helicopters, land vehicles, naval vessels, and submarines, as well as provide signals intelligence systems for radar and communication interception.
Since we last spoke to SGD, the EW sector has been experiencing substantial development, fuelled by the demand for advanced capabilities and their integration into various defence platforms.
“We are experiencing strong and consistent growth in most of the global markets where we operate. Currently, Europe is our largest market, and we are concentrating on expanding our capacity. This involves recruiting new personnel and optimising our production processes,” introduces Jan Widerström, President and Managing Director.
“Our main emphasis right now is on execution, which aligns with the priorities of our colleagues in Europe, but that’s where our key focus currently lies.”
CONFRONTING CHALLENGES
South Africa (SA) faces capacity challenges due to a shortage of skilled labour, reductions in government funding for product development, and global demand that exceeds local capabilities, resulting in backlogs for companies trying to meet local and international needs effectively.
“The biggest challenge currently facing the industry is expanding capacity to meet growing demand, not only in Europe but worldwide. The current global situation puts us under significant pressure,” Widerström acknowledges.
“We export our systems to various regions, including Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Whilst restrictions exist on where we can export, we have a significant presence in the open market overall; currently, the local market represents a small portion of our total sales.”
Therefore, SGD’s primary focus is on building capacity in product development and production to cope with this growth. Indeed, the company has entered into an agreement with Omnigo to expand production, in which the supplier will cover manufacturing for self-protection systems across the air, land, and sea domains.
This strategic decision will significantly support SGD’s growth and help the company meet the increasing global demand. Additionally, the contract will further commit Omingo to continue providing comprehensive electronic services to SGD, building on their long-standing and mutually beneficial partnership.
“We’ve seen a quadrupling of order backlogs, highlighting this challenge. Finding people with the correct skills is crucial, and we need to create an environment that prevents us from overworking and exhausting our employees to retain them,” Widerström notes.
However, there is an urgent requirement for skilled engineers and technicians, with many companies competing to attract these resources.
ALLIANCES AND ASSURANCES
SGD’s culture is built on its ‘#Ubuntu Together As One’ philosophy, reflecting a belief in collaboration and shared success.
Guided by the core values of drive, trust, expertise, and diversity, the company strives for excellence in everything it does, from advancing cutting-edge technology to fostering an inclusive, high-performance workplace.
This commitment is further demonstrated through the company’s partnerships. To navigate the recent surge in growth effectively and successfully, it is essential to foster collaboration with suppliers.
“On the one hand, we are focused on expanding our supply chain, which primarily consists of local partners. This involves providing suppliers with more work and supporting them in their development. In doing so, we can assign greater responsibilities to our supply chain, allowing us to concentrate on the areas where we excel,” explains Widerström.
Additionally, SGD is exploring strategic partnerships in Europe and Asia to increase capacity and address the current political climate.
“The issues of security, cybersecurity, and supply chain integrity are becoming increasingly important. We recognise the need to be close to our customers to ensure they feel confident in our suppliers and the overall security of our operations.”
Although these topics are a growing concern for SGD, as a subsidiary company, it has rigorous and centralised management of its tools and IT systems.
“We are undertaking significant work to strengthen all our security systems, which extends to considering big risks and increasingly incorporates cybersecurity within our products. This is particularly relevant as we develop more advanced airborne systems, amongst other products,” Widerström expands.
For political reasons, cyber and supply security are becoming increasingly critical as SGD must comply with such aspects and be close to its customers to ensure they are comfortable with the company’s suppliers.
“Sometimes, we need to be physically located where the customer is, especially for certain parts of our products and support services, as they often want full control over the location of their logistics and equipment,” he outlines.
COMBATTING CLIMATE CHANGE
At SGD, sustainability is a core aspect of its business strategy. Indeed, the company intertwines safety and security with its mission to keep people safe, aligning with broader environmental and socioeconomic progress.
“Sustainability is increasingly important; we need to establish a robust framework for the future as we face significant challenges with power supplies, electricity, and water,” Widerström states.
“We have made a major investment in solar power, and whilst we are not entirely autonomous or independent, we are close to achieving that goal. This step is vital for ensuring we can sustain operations, even during grid failures.”
In a significant stride towards a greener future, SGD completed the installation of a one megawatt (MW) solar power plant at its Centurion office in SA. This project will enable the company to achieve 70 percent self-sufficiency from the national grid.
Aligned with the global Race to Zero campaign and the company’s broader sustainability goals, the solar plant is complemented by a state-of-the-art 1MW battery back-up system.
This advanced set-up utilises JA Solar 550-watt (W) modules and cutting-edge battery storage technology, ensuring efficient and reliable on-site energy generation.
The installation embodies SDG’s vision of a sustainable future where innovation and environmental consciousness seamlessly merge, underscoring its commitment to reducing environmental impact whilst ensuring energy reliability for operations.
“Our sustainability initiatives extend to our collaborations with local community schools, as we are dedicated to ensuring access to knowledge in the country. Furthermore, we continuously enhance our facilities and long-term capacity,” Widerström prides.
FORTIFYING THE FUTURE
SGD invests significant effort and resources into its future. This includes focusing on its local product portfolio and contributing to the organisation’s broader vision, emphasising tomorrow’s technologies.
“We are focused on capacity building and technological advancement by investing in machinery and resources to increase output and improve efficiency. We also prioritise funding R&D for future products to stay at the forefront of technology,” informs Widerström.
“In collaboration with our parent company, Saab, we are proud to be one of the centres of excellence in the EW domain. Much of our R&D is conducted locally, and we are committed to investing heavily in developing next-generation systems,” he sets out.
This will strengthen SGD’s position in the industry, whilst integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) into its systems will be crucial in maintaining a competitive edge.
“Our goal is to meet current demand whilst planning for the future and identifying where we need to be in the next five to 10 years. The challenge lies in balancing both objectives, but we are actively working to achieve this.”
“Our top priority is to increase capacity whilst recruiting the right candidates – we are actively working to identify new talent. This is essential for effective project execution and everything that comes with it,” Widerström concludes.
The future of SGD is evidently one of innovation, growth, and a firm commitment to excellence in defence solutions.
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