Latest news with #ThalesGroup
Gulf Business
3 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Business
Thales' Roque Carmona on its supply chain strategy and the future of procurement
Image: Supplied As the UAE continues its push to become a global hub for advanced manufacturing and sustainable industrial development, global players like Thales Group are playing an increasingly central role in shaping the region's industrial future. At the recent edition of 'Make it in the Emirates', Roque Carmona, group chief procurement officer at Thales, spoke with Gulf Business about the company's evolving supply chain strategy, the growing significance of local partnerships, and how regional ecosystems are key to long-term resilience. Carmona, who leads Thales' procurement globally, is a vocal advocate for treating suppliers not as vendors but as strategic partners. His emphasises the importance of innovation, trust, and regional capability-building. With Thales now working with 20 local suppliers through its Go to UAE initiative — up from nine in 2024 — the company's investment in the Emirates continues to deepen. Carmona's remarks also reflect broader trends shaping global procurement: regionalisation, automation, and the intensifying battle for talent. Here are excerpts from the chat. Tell us about your role and how it connects with what you're doing here in the UAE? I'm the group chief procurement officer for At Thales, we take a regional approach, creating local ecosystems not just globally, but in Europe, India, the Americas, and increasingly here in the Emirates. The UAE is an important region for us now as it grows its aerospace and With all the geopolitical tensions and post-pandemic disruptions, how has your procurement strategy adapted to stay resilient? This is our core job: navigating complexity. One key strategy we use is multi-sourcing, which means having two sources of supply in two different regions. That way, if a crisis hits — whether it's pandemic, conflict, or anything else — we're not stuck. It's about securing supply without compromising on time, quality, or cost. You call it backup; we call it second source. Technology, especially AI, is changing business across sectors. How is it influencing procurement and supply chain operations at Thales? AI and advanced technology are impacting our world in two major ways. First, by helping us capture innovation from our suppliers — some studies suggest that up to 66 per cent of innovation comes from suppliers, and I believe that. Second, through resource sourcing: finding the right technologies and capabilities in fields like cybersecurity, software development, optronics, and laser systems. It's about identifying the right partners and making sure the know-how is in place, globally and locally. Last year at Make it in the Emirates, you onboarded nine UAE suppliers under the 'Go to UAE' initiative. Where does that stand now? We've expanded from nine to 20 suppliers now. The initial group has been through a stringent qualification process, proving their ability to meet aerospace and defence standards — what we call special processes at Thales. These partners are now ready not only to serve us locally but also to expand globally. It's a sign of the UAE's industrial potential. What do you look for when evaluating suppliers, especially in this region? We look at the following factors: Industrial maturity — not just having the right machines, but the right mindset, systems, and integrity. Quality DNA — suppliers must deliver on time and to specification, every time. Competitiveness — we want partners who understand the market and continuously improve. And increasingly, we look at cybersecurity, safety standards, and ethical practices. Trust is non-negotiable in our line of work. What has stood out about the UAE's industrial and procurement ecosystem at this year's forum? The vision and support from leadership here is remarkable. The environment is business-friendly and agile. Geographically, the UAE is also well-placed — close to rare earths and with the ability to attract global talent. We're here not just to build in the Emirates, but to build for the region, and possibly support neighboring countries too. What more can the region do to attract partners like Thales? Keep investing in talent development — not just engineers, but also skilled technicians and industrial workers. Continue to fund supplier capacity and innovation, and most importantly, maintain the UAE's agile procurement model. That flexibility is what makes working here so appealing. Looking ahead, what trends do you see shaping global supply chains? Three stand out: Talent wars — every sector is competing for the right people. Regionalisation — not the end of globalisation, but a move toward regional sovereignty in supply chains. Automation and AI — they're already influencing how we work and what we deliver, especially in aerospace and defense. Finally, from a leadership standpoint, what values do you bring to your team and this mission? Be present. Know what's happening on the ground. And most of all — be agile. The world is too uncertain to stick to a single strategy. A leader today must stay flexible and open-minded. Even if you're heading in one direction, be ready to shift if needed.
Zawya
17-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia, France bolster tech, research partnerships to boost innovation via AI
PARIS - Saudi Arabia is advancing its efforts to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technologies, and to empower its research and innovation ecosystem. In support of these objectives, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha held a series of meetings in Paris with prominent research institutions and global firms specialising in AI, space, data governance and deep technologies. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the minister met with senior executives from Inria, Mistral AI, CNIL and Thales Group, as part of Saudi Arabia's broader engagement to strengthen international cooperation in key technology sectors. The goal is to support Saudi Arabia's priorities in building a digital infrastructure that contributes to empowering vital sectors and advancing high-tech industries in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Al Bawaba
11-06-2025
- Business
- Al Bawaba
Thales Launches File Activity Monitoring (FAM) to Strengthen Real-Time Visibility and Control Over Unstructured Data
Thales today announced the launch of Thales File Activity Monitoring, a powerful new capability within the Thales CipherTrust Data Security Platform that enhances enterprise visibility and control over unstructured data, enabling organizations to monitor file activity in real time, detect misuse, and ensure regulatory compliance across their entire data estate. As the only integrated platform provider that secures structured and unstructured data, Thales provides comprehensive monitoring and auditability for data types that were previously difficult to today's evolving threat landscape, organizations must gain tighter control over unauthorized access and misuse of unstructured data, which according to IDC represents 90% of all worldwide data. File Activity Monitoring enables security teams to analyze and monitor the activity of unstructured data, including unexpected copying, downloading, and sharing of files such as emails, chat logs, media files, and application logs that can contain sensitive data. Real-time alerts, analytics, and encryption tracking further accelerate threat insights and protect sensitive data across the enterprise. This reduces exposure risks, supports compliance with standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, and strengthens organizations' overall data security posture.'Thales' innovative approach to File Activity Monitoring tackles key challenges like blind spots in hybrid environments, offering real-time visibility and smart anomaly detection — a potential game-changer for teams overwhelmed by false positives. By striking the right balance of depth and simplicity, FAM shows promise in helping us strengthen the SOC without added complexity. With tighter SIEM integration, it can sharpen response and let teams focus on what matters most. We're excited to see how FAM evolves and enhances our data security,' Leila KUNTAR, Principal Information Security Engineer, Amadeus, said.'As unstructured data grows rapidly across distributed environments, organizations need more integrated ways to track and safeguard their most sensitive information,' Todd Moore, Vice President of Data Security Products at Thales, said. 'With File Activity Monitoring, Thales reinforces its leadership in enterprise data security by delivering real-time insight, intelligent automation, and unified visibility through a single, powerful platform.'Thales has been a leader in digital security for decades in structured database activity. Building on this extensive expertise, customers can expect the same world-class experience that they've had with Thales, now extended to encompass unstructured data Activity Monitoring strengthens DSPM by enabling security teams to:• Discover, classify, observe, and control sensitive data across on-premises, hybrid, and multicloud environments.• Pinpoint where sensitive data resides, who has access, and whether it's properly secured, in real time, allowing detection of suspicious behavior including unauthorized copying, downloading, or sharing.• Transform static classification into dynamic risk intelligence through behavioral context.• Apply strong encryption and other remediation techniques, including reconstruction of incidents quickly with audit logs in the event of a breach or policy violation and enabling strong encryption, to protect compromised or at-risk GenAI tools simplify audits, boost response, and cut complexityTo further simplify compliance and security operations, File Activity Monitoring includes a Generative AI-powered Data Security Assistant. This integrated chatbot helps teams query audit data, generate custom reports, and streamline compliance workflows, reducing the burden on IT and security professionals and making it easier to meet regulatory obligations. 'As technology evolves rapidly, our controls must be flexible enough to keep pace without adding complexity,' Moore said. 'Automation and intelligence help overwhelmed security teams scale operations and focus on what matters most. With tools like our chatbot, they can ask natural language questions and get instant, actionable answers, accelerating response times and improving operational efficiency.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Thales hails Malaysia's defence procurement ecosystem
LANGKAWI: Malaysia's defence procurement landscape has evolved considerably in recent years, reflecting a shift towards more mature and sophisticated practices. As a global player in advanced technologies for defence, aerospace, naval and ground capabilities, and cybersecurity, Thales Group welcomes this shift, saying the country's maturing procurement processes creates opportunities for global firms such as Thales Group to offer modern, long-lasting solutions. Thales Asia vice-president Nicolas Bouverot said there is growing demand in Malaysia for cutting-edge technology and advanced solutions. 'This aligns well with Thales' strengths as a technology leader, providing value for money, high technology, and sophisticated solutions. 'Malaysia's defence ecosystem is one of the most mature in Southeast Asia. Over the years, Malaysia has paid close attention to developing its defence ecosystem, laying the groundwork for a robust and resilient industry. This is the result of consistent, long-term investment in building and strengthening local capabilities,' Bouverot told SunBiz at the ongoing 17th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima 2025). He said one of the standout features of Malaysia's procurement ecosystem is the Industrial Collaboration Programme – commonly known as the 'offset policy' – which is integrated into the procurement of defence systems. 'Importantly, this policy is not limited to defence alone but extends to various other types of systems procured in Malaysia. It gives an incentive for localising activities, increasing Malaysia's sovereignty over key assets while ensuring clear local benefits for Malaysia,' Bouverot said. Yesterday, Thales was awarded a contract to supply two additional Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radars for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), following the procurement of the first radar in 2023. This move is a strategic partnership to help Malaysia achieve air sovereignty. The ceremony was held on the third day of Lima 2025 in the presence of Thales Malaysia country director Francois-Xavier Boutes and Malaysian Ministry of Defence secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali, and witnessed by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. The award of two additional radars highlights the RMAF's continued trust in Thales' GM400α technology, known for its 515km range, reliability and rapid threat detection. In addition to the radar procurement, Thales is enhancing Malaysia's tactical communications for land forces and reinforcing its radio communications capabilities. To this end, Thales signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia's Advanced Defence Systems Sdn Bhd (ADS), to collaborate on radio projects. The pact, signed by ADS chairman Brig Gen (R) Datuk Abdul Hadi Abdul Razak and Bouverot, will see both parties working on the latest digital technologies for handheld radios and other tactical communications. . Further, Thales witnessed the signing of a letter of agreement with Malaysian partner Novatis Resources Sdn Bhd to deliver a Reality-H AW139 Full Flight Simulator to be used for pilot training with the Royal Malaysian Police, its first engagement with the force. Pilots of the Police Air Wing Training Academy and other government agencies, including the fire brigade and coast guard, can benefit from realistic and immersive training, customised to the Malaysian environment and terrain. Bouverot said the Malaysian government's key requirement is that any procurement includes technology transfer – a policy that Thales fully welcomes. 'We saw during the Covid-19 pandemic how challenging it can be for companies based far away to support their customers, especially when borders are closed, as they were then. But even before that, we had already realised that having a local presence and in-country capabilities is in the best interest of both us and our customers. 'Of course, it might not always be practical for smaller projects. However, having local capabilities becomes essential for substantial or mission-critical systems. 'In some cases, we establish our capabilities. In Malaysia, for instance, we operate four support service centres, including one in Kota Kinabalu dedicated to underwater technologies to support submarine operations. 'We have a centre in Lumut that supports surface ships, one in Pekan focused on vehicle systems, and another in Kuala Lumpur dedicated to communications. However, in other cases, we work closely with local partners. We provide training, transfer technology, and build their capabilities so they can carry out the work themselves,' Bouverot said. Asked how Thales supports Malaysia's ambition to take on a more proactive regional role in multilateral joint operations under the Asean framework, Nicolas said, 'The products we supply to Malaysia are fully interoperable with systems used by other countries. In fact, many of our solutions are also deployed by Nato, where many interoperability exercises are conducted. So from a technological standpoint, the interoperability and the multi-country capabilities are there. 'Ultimately, however, it's up to Malaysia to decide which partners it wants to work with and engage in joint operations, and at that strategic level, our role is more limited.' Bouverot said Malaysia is one of Thales' key Asian markets, with a team of over 100 people based in the country. While the primary focus is serving the Malaysian market, several team members also hold regional roles. Thales aims to leverage Malaysia's capabilities further to support local and regional operations. It is actively exploring ways to expand its presence and plans to increase investments. This includes the upcoming establishment of a centre of excellence for radars in collaboration with Weststar Group.
Trade Arabia
21-05-2025
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Tawazun, Thales unveil special work packages for Emirati suppliers
UAE-based Tawazun Council and French multinational aerospace and defence corporation Thales Group have signed an agreement to empower more than 20 certified local suppliers under the 'Go to UAE' project with work packages worth AED600 million. The signing took place during the fourth edition of 'Make it in the Emirates 2025' in Abu Dhabi. The agreement falls under the framework of the 'Go to UAE' initiative, a flagship programme jointly launched by Tawazun Council, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and Thales. The initiative aims to integrate local suppliers into the global supply chains of Thales and other leading defence and technology companies by equipping them to meet top international standards and enabling access to long-term, high-value projects both locally and globally. The agreement was signed by Majed Saif Al Shamsi, Executive Director of Tawazun Economic Programme (Offset) at Tawazun Council, and Chtioui Mourad, COO of Thales Emarat Technologies, in the presence of Matar Ali Al Romaithi, Sector Chief of Defence and Security Industry Affairs and representatives from both entities. Since its launch in 2023, the programme has made significant strides. In its first year, nine Emirati companies successfully met international accreditation requirements, reflecting the growing readiness of national talent and industries to compete in advanced manufacturing sectors. According to Tawazun, the local suppliers participating under the new agreement will contribute to a wide range of specialised projects, including PCB assembly, electromechanical systems, pre-assembled cabling, and precision machining. These efforts will directly enhance the UAE's defence industrial autonomy and strengthen national supply chain capabilities, it stated. Developing the local suppliers along with Emirati talent remains a cornerstone of this collaboration. Thales said it remained committed to delivering advanced training and upskilling programmes, aimed at cultivating a qualified pool of Emirati national professionals in critical domains such as advanced technologies and electronics. This aligns with the UAE's vision for localising strategic industries and creating high-value opportunities for its citizens. This agreement also reflects Tawazun Council's ongoing efforts to leverage the Tawazun Economic Programme to enable investment in the local industrial ecosystem, drive added value to the national economy, and boost the global competitiveness of the UAE's defence and technology sectors. Majed Saif Al Shamsi said: "The success of the 'Go to UAE" initiative is a testament to the progress we are making in enabling national suppliers to access global supply chains and contribute to key defence and technology projects." "Through the Economic Offset Program, Tawazun remains committed to building partnerships that generate sustainable value for the UAE's economy and industrial base," he stated. Roque Carmona, Chief Procurement Officer at Thales Group, said: "At Thales, we believe the future of global defence and technology lies in local innovation and sustainable partnerships. The 'Go to UAE" programme is a prime example of how connecting world-class UAE suppliers with international markets can drive economic growth and technological advancement."
