Bristol-based specialist tech consultancy Techmodal, which was launched 15 years ago by two students, has been acquired by defence giant BAE Systems.
Techmodal employs around 150 market experts, data scientists, consultants and systems analysts at its offices in Queen Square and London and work on contracts with defence, industry and public sector clients, including the MoD. 
BAE, which has major interests in Bristol, including naval vessel design and hi-tech communications, said Techmodal’s expertise complemented its own digital, data and technical services capabilities.
Techmodal has a number of long-term contracts with the MoD in support of the UK’s armed forces, particularly the Army, Strategic Command and Royal Navy.
It uses organisations’ own data to transform their operations from the trained state of their people or condition of their vehicle fleet to the efficiency of their supply chain,
BAE said buying Techmodal would help it support the armed forces in the MoD’s Defence Digital initiative, launched last year which to set out how it plans to increase digital capabilities.
Techmodal and BAE Systems both currently provide digital and data services to the Royal Navy, which has ambitions to become a fully ‘digital navy’ by 2025. 
These include a Data Integration Platform (DIP) – a collaborative system that provides the ability to view, manage and exploit data provided by multiple systems on the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, pictured, allowing the efficient management of the highly complex modern warships.
BAE Systems is the lead member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, which is building and equipping the two aircraft carriers.
BAE said Techmodal’s experience and expertise in data analytics, data science and digital transformation would strengthen its ability to support not the Army and RAF as well as Royal Navy along with other customers around the world.
BAE Systems Maritime Services managing director David Mitchard said: “This deal will open up many new opportunities for both businesses and for our colleagues.
“Techmodal’s data expertise is highly complementary to our own digital capabilities and aligns well with our customers’ digital needs and ambitions.
“This acquisition allows us to work together to provide further support to the UK’s armed forces’ digital transformation as well as bringing the benefits of leading edge data-driven decision making to all of our customers.”
Techmodal managing director Gareth Vaughan described the deal – financial details of which have not been disclosed – as great news for Techmodal and its customers, including the UK defence community.
“BAE Systems provides Techmodal with a stable platform to build to the next level of success for our rapidly growing business. We are certain that it will offer our employees and our customers brand new and exciting opportunities,” he said.
“Fusing BAE Systems’ domain knowledge with our agile, consultative ways of working will enable us to bring our technical skills to wider internal and external markets and offer our partners a hugely capable new proposition for digital transformation and data led solutions.”
BAE Systems has an extensive heritage in Bristol having, through its legacy companies, been involved in the birth of the UK aviation industry at Filton through to development of jet-powered and supersonic flight.
Today it retains a large presence in the area, including working on ship design and assembly, including the QE class aircraft carrier and Type45 destroyers.
The group employs 83,100 people worldwide, including 34,100 in the UK. Its products span equipment for air, land and naval forces as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology and support services.
