Defence in brief: Summa Defence acquires Lightspace

Finland’s Summa Defence has acquired Lightspace, a deep technology company developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality technology for the defence and healthcare industries, according to a 3rd December press release. Lightspace has several projects underway, the first of which is the development of multi-focal AR headsets for soldiers to operate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones in a “more intuitive and natural manner”. Additionally, the company is producing AR glasses to be incorporated into a soldier’s helmet, giving a vehicle crew 360-degree vision of the environment and an artificial intelligence user interface; this type of system can benefit crews by improving situational awareness, however, fusing sensor feeds into a single picture without introducing latency in the picture is critical. 

Summa Defence’s acquisition follows its recent announcement on the 29th of November of plans to establish a facility in Finland and produce 1,000 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) per year to be supplied to Ukraine and other NATO countries. The facility would be responsible for producing aerial, ground and marine drones. Summa Defence envisions that its drones will be dual purpose for both civilian and defence purposes, as its drones have already demonstrated their utility in Ukraine in emergency and tactical scenarios.

By Austin Haywood, published on the 3rd of December 2024.