Economy

The former Pierburg plant in Berlin is undergoing a fundamental transformation as a supplier site: moving away from the struggling automotive industry towards the growing armaments sector. Since July 2025, the company has been operating in Berlin under the name Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, thereby securing the future of 300 jobs in the German capital.

Hardly any other product group is subject to stricter controls than military equipment. National laws, European regulations and directives, international conventions: a closer look at the regulation of arms exports dispels misconceptions and offers a new perspective on the security and defence industry.

Ground-breaking ceremony in February 2024, inauguration in August 2025: after just 15 months of construction, Rheinmetall began operations at what is currently Europe’s largest and most modern munitions plant in Unterlüß. This marks a turning point in more ways than one.

For a long time, the turning point in security policy drove defence stocks from one record high to the next. Euphoria has been followed by consolidation. Now defence companies have to profitably meet their ambitious growth targets. At Rheinmetall, the practical test is in full swing.

Businesses are facing an increasing number of cyberattacks that are becoming more sophisticated and damaging. This issue is a top priority at Rheinmetall, and the Group’s Security Operations Centre is equipped accordingly.

If required to defend, the German armed forces do not only fight at NATO’s external borders. Crucial tasks must also be carried out directly within Germany. The Operational Plan for Germany, Germany’s national operational defence plan, coordinates military planning with civilian authorities and organisations.

They circle over airports, spy on military bases and threaten critical infrastructure. Sightings of suspicious drones are increasing across Europe. The air defence systems of many countries are at their limits. In Germany, the problem is more about the unclear legal situation than with the technology itself. “We are not at war, but we are