The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) and Thales UK marked InnoTrans 2024 with the launch of a new partnership agreement.
Recognising the growing threat to critical national infrastructure and the need to ensure its security and resilience, the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin. Thales and GCRE have committed to work together to build the secure, resilient digital rail solutions of the future; commercialise new solutions; and support skills development within South Wales.
The Global Centre of Rail Excellence is a facility for world-class rail and mobility research, testing and innovation currently being developed in South Wales.
Thales is a global leader in advanced technology solutions, working with governments and organisations to enhance their cybersecurity and resilience. Through the Thales UK Cyber Resilience Lab in Ebbw Vale, South Wales, Thales is one of the leading providers of cybersecurity support for CNI organisations in the UK.
Signing the agreement in Berlin, GCRE Ltd Chief Executive, Simon Jones, said: “We are very pleased to agree this innovative partnership with Thales and to begin what we see as a long-term collaboration in South Wales.
“The new Global Centre of Rail Excellence facility gives us the opportunity to work together on high quality digital and cyber security for the rail and mobility industry at a very important time. Digital security of major projects in the transport sector is now critical and partners like Thales UK play a key role in helping keeping data, technology and systems safe and secure.
“The facilities we will have at GCRE will help us to not only enhance digital security for the rail and mobility industry but also, importantly, explore new opportunities to commercialise emerging technologies in creative and innovative ways for the market.
“Another area of our collaboration will be around education, training and skills. Thales have a lot of experience, through their UK Cyber Resilience Lab in Ebbw Vale, in working with young people and helping to develop a new generation of digital skills in the wider community.
“Helping to rebuild local prosperity is one of the core missions of GCRE and so there is a huge amount to work learn from the Thales team in this area.
“Everyone at GCRE is incredibly excited about this collaboration and to develop our work together over the long-term. This partnership highlights the strong, international calibre of customers which GCRE is attracting to its facility.”
Tony Burton of Thales UK said: “Thales is committed to the security and resilience of Critical National Infrastructure in the UK and globally. This innovative partnership with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence gives us the opportunity to bring our market leading knowledge, research and solutions in rail cyber security and resilience to this initiative and to develop new solutions for emerging challenges.
“We also look forward to collaborating with GCRE around education, training and skills to develop digital skills in the community and create career paths for all in cybersecurity for the benefit of local communities in South Wales and society in general. Through our cyber and digital skills outreach initiative, we have already engaged with over 200 schools and 8000 students in the region.”
