The Milipol Paris trade fair, dedicated to internal state security, was held from 14 to 17 November 2023 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. To mark the occasion, the SFAF's Aeronautics Defense Security Space sector group, co-chaired by Antoine Nodet and Philippe Clermont, organized a visit for its members on 15 November, which included meetings with several companies.
Sponsored by the French Ministry of the Interior, the Milipol Paris trade fair was created in 1984 and has gone from strength to strength since the attacks of 11 September 2001. There are still around a hundred attacks a year around the world, and France has not been spared (Action Directe, Rue des Rosiers, Rue de Rennes, RER Port Royal, Rue Marbeuf, Bataclan, etc.).
The members of the SFAF's Aeronautics Defense Security Space sector group, welcomed by Anne Frayssinet, the show's events director, were able to meet the heads of several companies in the sector.
Toulouse-based start-up DIODON Drone Technology, founded in March 2017, uses patented technology to design aerial drones with inflatable structures for professional and military use in maritime and coastal environments. The maritime environment is specific and the equipment is subject to particular constraints.
The company has seen its devices used by the French Navy, which is looking for solutions for both its surface and underwater vessels. Completely waterproof and buoyant, these drones can withstand shocks and the most extreme weather conditions. Their ability to fold up is what sets them apart, making them easy to transport. The DIODON HP30, an aerial reconnaissance micro-UAV that can be deployed in 60 seconds and is designed for complex maritime environments, was on display at the show.
Streamwide develops communications and collaboration software solutions for mission-critical applications. Initially operating in modular messaging, the company now meets real-time communication needs (voice and data), while also providing geolocation services. It began developing two new tools after the wave of attacks in 2015. Team on mission is an application available on web or mobile enabling public safety guarantors (but not only) to communicate via instant messaging (voice calls, video calls, video streaming, private and group conversations). This multi-network, multi-device innovation offers a host of features (including PTT functionality, for example) and is set to eventually replace the use of walkie-talkies. The national police and gendarmerie (departmental and mobile) use this tool on a daily basis. Team on the run is a business application designed for companies. Today, the company is working on the RRF project (Radio Network of the Future), the sovereign very high-speed network for security and emergency services, and is selling its services internationally.
The Drone Volt group, the French leader in professional civil UAVs and with its own AI capabilities, demonstrated its remote control system with the take-off and flight of one of their aircraft from the Netherlands. Drone Volt markets innovative remote-controlled products for the industrial, construction, civil engineering and security sectors. The group's drones are generally used for surveillance, rescue or inspection missions, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, such as inspecting Hydro-Québec's high-voltage lines. Released in August 2022, the Drone Volt Kobra is the latest product developed by the company. Combining a number of technologies (artificial intelligence, power and connectivity), it carries a nanocomputer equipped with an AI chip. Another special feature of this intelligent drone is that its battery can be replaced without the machine having to be completely shut down (an internal battery takes care of the interim phase), which saves time during missions. The product is designed in Europe and manufactured in France (only the battery is made in China).
Logic Instrument, part of the Archos group, is a major player in the design, manufacture and supply of rugged notebooks and tablets for a wide range of uses in extreme environments (industry, military and leisure). In addition to its activities in France, the group has a subsidiary in Germany. It offers reliable and robust BtoB solutions for operators in difficult environments. As a subsidiary of the Archos group, a consumer electronics manufacturer, the company benefits from Archos' industrial experience and adapts to its customers' requirements to produce customized rugged hardware (mobile computer manufacturing, product purchasing, reconfiguration and customization of professional applications). The company works mainly for players in the medical, homeland security and defense sectors, and plans to extend its activities to the cyber security field.
Very recently, on Tuesday 31 October 2023, Logic Instrument acquired 100% of the shares in Elexo, a subsidiary of the Atos group, with the aim of making the national integrator of rugged mobile solutions a critical player. Logic Instrument and Elexo's portfolios already include various ministries and major customers such as Thalès.
At the same time, three start-ups from the Archos group, grouped together within Medical Devices Venture, are developing three new medical services:
- Dextrain is studying neuroscience-based medical technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of hand deficits, for example following a stroke;
- Poladerme is working on an optical system combined with AI to analyse tissues in depth and assess the state of health of the skin, thereby avoiding the need for biopsies in many cases and saving diagnostic time and stress for the patient;
- Domisanté is developing a teleconsultation and homecare tool.
Finally, the NSE group specializes in the design, manufacture and maintenance of high-tech electronic equipment, mainly for the defense, civil aeronautics, IT, medical and rail transport sectors. In addition to its traditional industrial activity, the company now offers an e-commerce platform to meet the needs of the armed forces (air, land and sea) in France and abroad.
