DigitalGlobe, Saab Join on Vricon to Create the Globe in 3D

Defense and security company Saab and DigitalGlobe Inc., a global provider of high-resolution earth imagery solutions, have created the joint venture Vricon Inc. to produce photo-realistic 3D products and digital elevation models for enterprise and government geospatial markets.

Vricon combines Saab’s 3D technology and know-how with DigitalGlobe’s archive, which contains billions of square kilometers of high-quality commercial satellite imagery. Together, the Vricon joint venture will establish high-scale production capabilities that will make highly accurate photo-realistic 3D products and elevation data of the earth accessible via its visualization platform and standard- based data formats.

Vricon serves the entire professional geospatial market, with an initial focus on defense, security, and infrastructure. Vricon’s technology enables imagery content to accurately represent all visible objects on the earth in 3D, and its products provide customers with value and utility, superior coverage relative to aerial-derived elevation models, and superior fidelity and availability relative to other satellite-derived models.

DigitalGlobe and Saab will combine their strengths to both support and own Vricon. Under the agreement, Vricon will be headquartered in Reston, Va., with ownership set up as 50 percent DigitalGlobe and 50 percent Saab. “Our customers will benefit from global access to geospatial data of unprecedented quality. It is a win-win situation with long-term value creation for both parent companies, which will give us a market position ahead of competition,” said Magnus Brege, Vricon CEO.

“By combining DigitalGlobe’s unrivaled imagery archive with Saab’s leading edge technology, we will deliver the globe in 3D at a scale never before possible,” said Jeffrey R. Tarr, DigitalGlobe President and Chief Executive Officer. “By delivering this breakthrough product to our customers, this collaboration will drive growth and shareowner value creation.”

“The establishment of Vricon is another great example of Saab’s ability to leverage innovation and transform it into business value,” said Dan Jangblad, head of Saab business area Industrial Products and Services. “Together with DigitalGlobe, we are taking our revolutionary new 3D technology and applying it to benefit our global customer base. At the same time, we also take another step forward on our long-term path for growth in the United States.”