BMT Opens Digital Simulation Centre in Fareham
BMT has poened its Digital Innovation & Simulation Centre (DISC) at the organisation’s Fareham site in the UK - a facility designed to provide a premium environment for high‑value simulation, immersive engineering and commercially focused engagement.
The facility is powered by the BMT REMBRANDT navigation simulator - a DNV‑accredited system used globally for port feasibility, pilotage training and quantitative navigation studies - alongside new digital visualisation and synthetic environments that support autonomy assurance, cyber resilience and advanced incident analysis.
The space includes a reconfigurable full mission bridge for defence and commercial vessels, two 360‑degree pod simulators, two small‑vessel simulators, a remote operations centre (ROC), a scenario control room, an instructor/briefing room and multiple meeting and breakout spaces.
One of the UK’s largest specialised LED video walls provides a fully immersive canvas for multi‑vessel operations, port and coastal studies, complex tow‑outs, incident reconstructions and investor‑ready digital storyboards.
Underpinning the full mission bridge is BMT REMBRANDT’s high‑fidelity hydrodynamic engine, which enables everything from tug and pilot training through to litigation‑grade reconstruction and ship‑to‑ship transfer analysis. DISC also hosts the MASS SEAS (Marine Autonomous Surface Ship Synthetic Environment Assurance System) synthetic environment, allowing customers and regulators to run DNV‑grade, simulator‑based trials of autonomous navigation systems and demonstrate compliance with emerging MASS and COLREGs requirements in a modern, DNV “Class A” accredited simulator facility.
Beyond navigation, BMT ENGAGE - powered by Unreal Engine - allows users to create photorealistic digital twins, virtual ship walk‑throughs and cyber and wargaming scenarios, as well as immersive VR/AR training programmes and human–machine interface evaluations. These capabilities directly support BMT’s autonomy campaign, digital ports work, ship design assurance and global marine incident analysis, making DISC a transversal enabler for high-value programmes such as MRSS (Multi-Role Support Ship) design, ports growth and maritime autonomous systems.
The DISC will support a growing pipeline of defence and commercial opportunities and is expected to play a central role in international programs, including simulation‑based assurance for autonomous vessels, digital ports, complex operations training and ship design de‑risking.