Agreement positions Bedrock's autonomous technology at FMS's North Sea base, combining autonomous ocean intelligence with FMS's offshore infrastructure
RICHMOND, Calif., Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Bedrock Ocean Exploration ("Bedrock"), the intelligence infrastructure powering the ocean economy, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with First Marine Solutions ("FMS"), an established leader in survey and positioning services to the offshore energy sector. The partnership establishes a UK and European operational hub for Bedrock's autonomous ocean intelligence technology at FMS's Aberdeen headquarters, creating an integrated offering that pairs Bedrock's intelligence stack with FMS's offshore experience, regional presence, and consultancy services.
Under the agreement, Bedrock will station a complete kit of its autonomous underwater vehicles at FMS's facility in Aberdeen, strategically positioned to support UK and European operations. Bedrock will provide data processing expertise and comprehensive training for FMS personnel, enabling FMS to perform the majority of operations and maintenance locally without the need to ship equipment back to the United States.
FMS, in turn, will provide the operational infrastructure to deploy and deliver services at scale, including dedicated facilities for Bedrock, logistics support, marine consultancy services, and a dedicated team of survey engineers trained in collaboration with Bedrock.
The combined offering is designed to give clients in offshore energy and subsea infrastructure a vertically integrated solution. The partnership brings together autonomous data acquisition, in-region operational support, and decades of industry-leading survey, processing, and reporting capability.
"FMS has built a reputation in the North Sea and beyond for being exactly the kind of partner the offshore energy sector relies upon; experienced, adaptive, and operationally excellent," said Matthew Tirman, Chief Executive Officer of Bedrock. "Pairing our autonomous technology with FMS's regional infrastructure and personnel allows us to deliver Bedrock-quality data to clients across the UK and Europe at the speed and cost the market needs. This partnership is a major step in how we bring the future of subsea insights to the operators building offshore energy infrastructure for the next century of the ocean economy."
"Bedrock represents a step change in how subsea data is collected, processed, and delivered as insights at a pace the industry hasn't seen before. We are pleased to bring that capability to our clients, complementing the survey and consultancy services for which we are known across the offshore industry," said Steven Brown, CEO of First Marine Solutions. "Hosting Bedrock's AUV systems in Aberdeen, with our team trained to operate and maintain them, will result in faster response times, increased flexibility, and the opportunity to offer the offshore energy sector a genuinely differentiated service."
Beyond field operations, the two companies will collaborate to raise awareness of the new capabilities available to customers, and how they will shape maritime industries in the years to come. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ocean economy would have been the world's fifth largest economy if it was considered a country in 2019. The same report anticipates the ocean economy will quadruple in size between 1995 to 2050, driven in part by digitization and autonomous technologies.
With presence in the North Sea, the partnership between Bedrock and FMS further demonstrates the value of autonomous ocean intelligence to the ongoing growth of the ocean economy, even in the most demanding environments on the planet.
About Bedrock Ocean Exploration
Bedrock is the intelligence infrastructure powering the ocean economy. We unlock ocean insights at unprecedented speed.
Bedrock is building persistent ocean intelligence solutions that will enable the ocean economy to solve the world's most pressing challenges in maritime security, infrastructure, energy, and climate. Our modular architecture delivers entirely new intelligence capabilities for government and commercial partners. With our streamlined "fly-and-deploy" approach, missions can be mobilized from any vessel of opportunity in just 24 to 72 hours.
Our automated intelligence pipeline provides comprehensive insights in hours, not weeks. By completely eliminating the logistics of traditional solutions, we enable our customers to make critical decisions within their operational window while reducing costs and keeping crews safe on shore.
Bedrock was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Richmond, California. For more information, please visit www.bedrockocean.com.
About First Marine Solutions
Since 2009, First Marine Solutions (FMS) has established itself as a leading provider of integrated mooring solutions to the global energy sector. Offering a complete end-to-end service, FMS supports clients throughout every stage of a project's lifecycle; from system design and engineering to survey and installation, the provision of offshore equipment and personnel, and eventual decommissioning. This comprehensive approach enables FMS to provide a true holistic solution, delivering technical expertise, operational excellence, and reliable project execution worldwide. For more information, please visit www.firstmarinesolutions.com.
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