Stark, a prominent Berlin-based defence tech startup, has announced it will open a major drone manufacturing facility in South West England.
The new 40,000 sq ft factory, set to open in Swindon, Wiltshire, is expected to create over 100 high-skilled jobs in the area. It will mark the German startup’s first internationally based facility.
“The UK and Germany are world leaders in new technology that will define the battlefields of the future,” said Mike Armstrong, who has been named managing director of Stark UK.
“We need rapid and scalable production to protect our people, defend our sovereignty and deter aggression. That means resilient supply chains which stretch across Europe.
“That is why Stark has chosen the UK as our first production location outside of Germany – taking advantage of the vast technological, industrial and defence expertise that exists here to create AI-powered, unmanned systems to defend Europe and NATO.”
Backed by Sequoia, Stark is one of the fastest growing businesses in the defence tech industry, valued by Dealroom at €90m (£78m) after having launched in 2024.
The announcement comes as the UK and Germany recommit to the mission of jointly defending the sovereignty of European nations amid threats from the likes of Russia. Both Britain and Germany have committed to significant increases in defence spending.
“I’m proud to be working alongside Stark to bring defence manufacturing back to Swindon, a town with a proud military legacy and key producer of the iconic Supermarine Spitfire,” said Will Stone, MP for Swindon North and former rifleman in the British Army.
“It’s fitting that the defence is returning to our town. This is the direction of travel: creating high-skilled, well-paid jobs and putting Swindon back at the heart of Britain’s industrial future. This is just the start, with more businesses to follow.”
On Thursday the UK and Germany agreed to a raft of collaborative tech partnerships as part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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