German Shipbuilder, UK StartupTteam up to Build naval Drones

German shipbuilder NVL Group has announced the establishment of a joint venture with UK-based Kraken Technology Group to accelerate the development and production of uncrewed surface vessels for both military and civilian use.

The new company, NVL Kraken, will operate from NVL’s Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg and complement existing facilities in the United Kingdom.

According to NVL, the partnership is intended to meet growing international demand for scalable, autonomous maritime systems capable of performing missions such as surveillance and the protection of critical infrastructure. The joint venture aims to provide modular solutions ranging from small, fast uncrewed vessels to larger platforms configured for integration with naval fleets.

As noted by the company, manufacturing is expected to begin as soon as the fourth quarter of 2025, with both NVL and Kraken committing substantial investment to the roll-out of the new structure. NVL recently took an equity stake in Kraken Technology Group and has secured options to participate in a further investment round later in 2025.

Tim Wagner, CEO of NVL, said in a statement: “The joint venture with Kraken offers us the opportunity to rapidly react to the latest requirements of our customers and to provide market-ready autonomous systems quickly and in high volumes. At the same time, by taking this step, we are expanding our role as a pioneer in the development of manned/unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concepts and are creating the right conditions for launching additional innovative solutions in this field. This also includes, for instance, our design concepts for the naval tender vessel NTV 130 as a drone mothership that could succeed the six tender vessels (the ELBE class) currently operated by the German Navy.”

Kraken Technology Group specializes in the design of high-performance, low-cost uncrewed maritime systems. Its CEO, Mal Crease, described the partnership as a step-change for the European defense sector.

“We are honoured to partner with NVL as we expand our ability to provide fully sovereign, autonomous maritime capabilities to our Allied nations. Working with NVL will allow exponential scaling of production and supply chain to meet growing threats through deployment of high-performance, multi-role, mass capabilities across our seas,” he said. “NVL are unquestionably the gold standard of maritime production and being able to draw and develop from such expertise and repurpose it for use in smaller, uncrewed platforms will bring a vital and much-needed step-change to the European maritime defence industry.”

NVL said the joint venture reflects a wider shift in naval operations toward manned-unmanned teaming, where crewed warships operate alongside autonomous systems. This approach, the company explained, enhances flexibility in combat and support operations while allowing navies to deploy scalable forces in response to evolving threats.

By combining NVL’s experience in building complex naval platforms with Kraken’s expertise in smaller, fast and robust uncrewed craft, the joint venture plans to deliver a spectrum of solutions to European and Allied markets. NVL emphasized that the initiative will not only accelerate delivery of autonomous capabilities but also position the company as a system integrator linking traditional surface combatants with next-generation uncrewed assets.

The companies said they view the project as a long-term strategic move to strengthen European maritime defense capabilities at a time when navies worldwide are adapting to new operational challenges.