Tuesday, 12 August
Berlin’s arms industry doubles in size in just four months
Berlin’s arms industry is booming, and not just in the usual quiet way. In the past four months, the number of so-called “dual-use” companies in the city, making technology for both civilian and military purposes, has doubled from 50 to 100, according to the city’s business development agency Berlin Partner. Brandenburg is also reporting “increasing activity,” though officials won’t give numbers for ‘security reasons’.
In Wedding, Pierburg,onc e a car parts manufacturer, is about to start producing artillery ammunition components for Rheinmetall. The metamorphosis from automotive to defence supplier took place quietly. The plant’s 350 jobs have been secured for the time being, says works council chairman Bernd Benninghaus, adding that the change “for us, was like winning the lottery.” And, even the union IG Metall, often sceptical of arms work, backed the move.
According to rbb, other companies have shifted more subtly. In 2027, Germandrones began building drones for agriculture, surveying and disaster relief. Now, most of its production is for Ukraine’s defence ministry. Berlin firms are also making miniature satellites that can spot troop movements, encryption systems resistant to attack, medical exoskeletons for battlefield rescues, and underwater sensors adapted from offshore wind farm security to protect ports.
In Brandenburg, the change is even more symbolic. Near Lübben (Dahme-Spreewerk), a site that once made Kalashnikov ammunition for the GDR now produces ammunition for the Bundeswehr, with demand skyrocketing since the war in Ukraine. The decision has split locals in Lübben: some welcome the jobs, others have launched a petition with 1,600 signatures against the plant, opposing arms buildup on their own doorstep.
Companies in Berlin suspected of being defense suppliers sometimes face attacks. In June, left-wing activists carried out an arson attack on a suspected arms supplier in Wuhlheide. But Berlin Partner’s Stefan Franzke says attitudes are shifting. “Five years ago, things would have been different,” he claims, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine and changes in US NATO policy as the main drivers.
