Shom
About
About Shom
Shom collects, validates and distributes reference information about the physical marine environment, from seabed bathymetry and sedimentology to tides, currents and coastal dynamics. Its national responsibilities support safe navigation, French defence operations and public policy across metropolitan and overseas waters. The organisation works from Brest and several regional sites, using specialised survey vessels, sensors and data-processing systems.
The current public administrative establishment was created in 2007, while its institutional lineage reaches the French Navy’s chart and plan depot founded in 1720. Shom has added uncrewed surface vessels to its survey capability: Exail delivered a DriX H-8 and in 2026 announced an order for a larger DriX H-9. These vehicles are operational equipment, not Shom-manufactured products.
Operations
Output & shipments
- Deliveries
2025-09-02 - Shom received its first Exail DriX H-8 surface vessel, named Marlin, at Brest; team familiarisation preceded full operation. - First DriX H-8 received by Shom; excludes other autonomous systems - Brest
Source
Supply
Team
- Laurent Kerléguer - Director General - Current leadership for Shom.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-01-07 - Commercial Order - Exail receives Shom order for DriX H-9 survey vessel
The H-9 can operate from shore or from Shom’s Beautemps-Beaupré hydrographic ship. Shom plans to use the vessel from Brest to reach survey areas in the English Channel and Atlantic. The new vessel will share operating experience and infrastructure with Marlin.
Source - 2025-09-24 - Demonstration - Exail DriX H-8 Marlin completes Shom ship-based acceptance trials
Launch and deployment from the hydrographic ship were validated to inform the design of next-generation hydrographic vessels. Hydrographic surveys measured seabed depths of up to 200 metres during the trials. The DriX navigation system combines AIS data with radar, lidar and infrared-camera inputs for operator-supervised autonomous collision avoidance.
Source - 2025-09-02 - Commercial Order - Exail delivers DriX H-8 Marlin to Shom
Ten Shom employees completed two Exail supervisor-training sessions in La Ciotat in July. Hydrographers at Brest’s Atlantic hydrographic and oceanographic group will supervise autonomous navigation around the clock. Planned missions include seabed mapping, harbour-channel surveys and environmental studies along the Atlantic and Channel coasts.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Exail
Drix H 9 Order - Shom ordered an Exail DriX H-9 to complement Marlin and expand its hydrographic survey fleet.
Context
Comparable profiles
- G.O.S.L Nigeria Limited
stack adjacency - Marine Robotics Operations · Autonomous Marine Data Collection
- Nordic USV AS
stack adjacency - Marine Robotics Operations · Autonomous Marine Data Collection
- Subsea Fenix
stack adjacency - Marine Robotics Operations
- Saipem
stack adjacency - Marine Robotics Operations
- Greensea IQ
stack adjacency - Marine Robotics Operations
- AML Oceanographic
stack adjacency - Autonomous Marine Data Collection
Shared workflows
- Saildrone
workflow adjacency - Metocean Data Collection · Ocean Mapping
- SubCtech
workflow adjacency - Metocean Data Collection
- Rainmaker
workflow adjacency - Metocean Data Collection
- Innomar Technologie
workflow adjacency - Ocean Mapping
- Cellula Robotics
workflow adjacency - Ocean Mapping
- Seasats
workflow adjacency - Ocean Mapping
- Marine Technology
workflow adjacency - Ocean Mapping
- Jaia Robotics
workflow adjacency - Ocean Mapping
Context tags
- Ocean mapping - Workflow - https://www.shom.fr/index.php/fr/qui-sommes-nous/missions — exact company context reviewed during today-new-supply-profile-qa-2026-09-26-run04.
- METOC data collection - Workflow - https://www.shom.fr/index.php/fr/qui-sommes-nous/missions — exact company context reviewed during today-new-supply-profile-qa-2026-09-26-run04.
- Marine robotics operations - Stack Layer - https://www.exail.com/news/shom-strengthens-its-hydrographic-capabilities-with-drix-h-9-usv — exact company context reviewed during today-new-supply-profile-qa-2026-09-26-run04.
- Autonomous marine data collection - Capability - https://www.exail.com/news/shom-strengthens-its-hydrographic-capabilities-with-drix-h-9-usv — exact company context reviewed during today-new-supply-profile-qa-2026-09-26-run04.
Commercial
- Exail receives Shom order for DriX H-9 survey vessel
2026-01-07 · Order / contract · Shom selected Exail’s DriX H-9 to expand its hydrographic and oceanographic survey fleet after receiving and deploying DriX H-8 Marlin.
Source - Exail delivers DriX H-8 Marlin to Shom
2025-09-02 · Order / contract · Shom received the Exail-built DriX H-8 named Marlin at Brest for coastal hydrographic work, ahead of a team familiarisation phase.
Source