The United Arab Emirates’ advanced technology and defence company, EDGE, announced an agreement to acquire a 100 percent stake in AKAER, a Brazilian aerospace and engineering company with more than 30 years of experience delivering advanced products and solutions across the aerospace and defence sectors.
The acquisition, which remains subject to customary conditions precedent and regulatory approvals, would give EDGE an established engineering base in Brazil and a highly skilled, multidisciplinary team spanning the full product lifecycle, from conceptual design through to industrialisation. It would strengthen EDGE’s ability to secure industrialisation timelines on key UAV programmes and extend the Group's capabilities into optronics, electro-optic and infrared systems, and space related technologies.
AKAER already works closely with EDGE on the development and industrialisation of unmanned systems, with strong results, providing a proven foundation for closer integration across the Group.
Hamad Al Marar, EDGE Group’s Managing Director and CEO, said: “AKAER brings real engineering depth to EDGE. This is a highly specialised team with three decades of experience delivering complex aerospace programmes, and that expertise strengthens what we can offer across the Group. Our priority is continuity, for AKAER's people, its programmes and its customers, while building the foundation for long term growth.”
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in São José dos Campos, AKAER has built a strong reputation for engineering excellence and delivery on complex aerospace programmes, working with leading industry partners and contributing to Brazil's national aerospace efforts.
AKAER has delivered more than 10 million engineering hours across a diverse portfolio of aerospace programmes for global manufacturers, spanning military and commercial platforms including Saab's Gripen NG fighter jet, Turkish Aerospace's Hürjet trainer and aircraft major modification programmes, and Embraer’s Super Tucano, ERJ-E1, ERJ-E2, Legacy 450/500 and KC-390 programmes. The company has also contributed engineering support to Boeing's 747-8, Calidus’ B-250 and the Brazilian Air Force’s P-3 Orion fleet.
The agreement to acquire AKAER is an important step in EDGE's strategy to expand its international footprint and build engineering capacity closer to key markets and partners, while enabling AKAER to build on its established programmes and client base in Brazil. AKAER will continue to operate from Brazil, with local governance in place.
Launched in November 2019, the UAE’s EDGE is one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly skilled talent to thrive.
With a focus on the adoption of 4IR technologies, EDGE is driving the development of sovereign capabilities for global export and for the preservation of national security, working with front-line operators, international partners, and adopting advanced technologies such as autonomous capabilities, cyber-physical systems, advanced propulsion systems, robotics and smart materials. EDGE converges emerging technologies, digital transformation, and commercial market innovations with military capabilities to develop disruptive solutions tailored to the specific requirements of its customers.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, EDGE consolidates more than 35 entities into six core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Space Technologies, Secure Intelligence Systems, Technologies; Industrialisation, and Homeland Security.
