Europe’s largest defence technology company, Helsing, has officially opened its first UK Resilience Factory in Plymouth to build autonomous gliders to help allied navies hunt down enemy submarines. The facility was opened by the Secretary of State for Defence, alongside Helsing leadership and staff, civic representatives, academic leaders, MPs and industry partners.
Helsing moved into the 18,000 square feet factory near Plymouth just weeks ago and has already begun production of its maritime products and testing of them at sea from the nearby Turnchapel Wharf, as well as the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) in Scotland. To develop and iterate Helsing’s maritime offering, a new high-tech R&D Hub is being created, including advanced manufacturing machines and software tools. The Plymouth site will be Helsing’s Maritime Centre of Excellence.
The factory will immediately create high skilled and manufacturing jobs in the South West, scaling to hundreds to meet future demand. It will initially focus on maritime capabilities, building Helsing’s SG-1 Fathom – an autonomous underwater glider designed and manufactured in Britain to strengthen European and allied defence.
The SG-1 Fathom is combined in Plymouth with Helsing’s Maritime AI platform, Lura, to enable advanced technologies and engineering to be deployed at sea. Constellations of gliders deliver persistent underwater surveillance
detecting enemy activity to protect our sea lanes and undersea critical national infrastructure.
This factory supports Helsing’s commitment to sovereign manufacturing in the UK, and follows successful trials of the SG-1 at sea in the Western Approaches, Scotland and Western Australia in recent months.
The plan to build a factory was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July 2025 as part of the company’s £350 million commitment to the UK under the 2024 Trinity House agreement. From today it will be producing and maintaining SG-1 Fathom and be the global research and development centre of excellence for Helsing’s maritime offer.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
“For too long our proud industrial heartlands like Plymouth saw jobs go away and not come back. We are changing that. In this new era of threat, the defence dividend from our record investment is measured in good jobs, thriving businesses, new skills for the British people.
“That is exactly what we’re seeing in Plymouth with Helsing’s cutting edge new factory showing the benefits of our defence growth deals which are backed by £250 million investment, and the city’s leading maritime autonomous industry.
“We are making defence an engine for growth to deliver national and economic security.”
Ned Baker, Managing Director of Helsing UK, said: “From Plymouth we’ll be manufacturing the autonomous systems that keep our sailors, ships and infrastructure safe. The SG-1 Fathom shows how world-class engineering and AI can combine to deliver capability at scale – enhancing national resilience, building skills, and supporting our allies.”
The opening also strengthens Helsing’s collaboration with national government, the local community, the University of Plymouth and Plymouth City Council as part of ‘Team Plymouth’, a partnership driving growth and innovation in one of the UK’s designated Defence Growth Zones. Helsing’s investment will generate local jobs, expand domestic supply chains and reinforce the UK’s maritime autonomy cluster.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, said: “Helsing’s investment in Plymouth shows confidence in Britain’s world-class engineering, talent and leadership in defence technology. By investing in advanced manufacturing and research in the South West, Helsing is creating high-skilled jobs, strengthening our national security, and driving growth in communities that have long been at the heart of our maritime story.”
“As I set out in the Spring Statement, at least 10% of MOD’s equipment procurement spending will go to novel technologies like these. This is part of our Defence Plan to build a Britain that works for working people, creating good jobs, supporting innovation, and spreading investment nationwide.”
Amelia Gould, General Manager of Maritime Helsing, added: “There’s no better place than Plymouth to lead in maritime autonomy. With deep water, strong local supply chains and exceptional talent, we’re proud to call this city home.”
Rebecca Smith MP, the Member of Parliament for South West Devon in whose constituency the factory is located, said: “Plymouth and South West Devon has been home to significant marine autonomy investment for a number of years. Today’s factory opening by Helsing marks the next exciting chapter in this journey and cements the important role of all those smaller local communities in the innovation and delivery of the UK’s sovereign defence capability. I visited the site last week and was incredibly impressed by the facility and team.”
Professor Richard Davies, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth said: “Helsing’s new factory is a major vote of confidence in Plymouth. The work we are pursuing together as Team Plymouth is all about celebrating innovation and ingenuity and fostering opportunities that enable everyone in our city to thrive. In line with that, we have to inspire the engineering, business and technology leaders of tomorrow, provide them with the skills they need, and create a Plymouth where they can succeed. Developments like this are a big step on that journey.”
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