Hallbergmoos Referendum Clears Path for Helsing Factory

Location and Investment

Founded in 2021 and already classified as a unicorn in 2023 with a valuation of more than one billion euros or US dollars, Helsing is regarded as one of the most valuable European startups in the defense sector. The company manufactures AI software for the arms industry and produces drones of various sizes – including the approximately one-meter HX-2 and the eleven-meter autonomous combat aircraft CA-1 Electronic Attack. In addition, Helsing manufactures autonomous underwater vehicles.

The HX-2 is designed as so-called loitering munition, meaning a drone that circles over a battlefield until a suitable target appears and then attacks it. According to the manufacturer, the drone can be equipped with a maximum of 4.5 kilograms of explosives. Tests of the type in Ukraine were, according to available reports, not consistently convincing. Nevertheless, the Bundeswehr has ordered several thousand units of the HX-2 for the Lithuania Brigade.

Products and Orders

Bavaria's Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) expressed his delight at the referendum result. The citizens of Hallbergmoos had recognized the great economic opportunities and the responsibility to strengthen Germany's defense capability, Aiwanger said. Following the referendum, the path is now clear for a center for defense technology.

Political Reactions and Outlook

Economically, observers assess the location as strategically favorable: the proximity to Munich Airport as well as the established industrial structure in the greater area facilitate logistics and the recruitment of skilled workers. Other European defense startups, such as Quantum Systems, which recently raised 1.2 billion US dollars in one of the largest DefenseTech funding rounds, also benefit from the growing investment climate in the sector.

At the same time, the project remains controversial. Critics warn of a growing normalization of armed drone technology on German soil and point to the unclear effectiveness of earlier HX-2 deployments. Supporters, by contrast, see the settlement as a contribution to European sovereignty in arms production and to the economic strengthening of the region.

With Hallbergmoos's vote, Helsing now has planning-law green light for the first construction phase. Exactly when the production facilities are to go into operation is not conclusively clear from the available information. The exact composition of the planned product portfolio at the new location – whether underwater vehicles will be manufactured there in addition to drones – also remained initially open.