On Friday (19 December), the Saarland Economic Promotion Corporation (gwSaar) acquired around 7.7 ha of land right next to the KNDS factory site in Freisen. This will now be prepared and developed for further use by KNDS as part of a site development concept.
KNDS Deutschland Maintenance GmbH, which has nearly 700 employees in Freisen, is an international maintenance and modernisation service provider for military vehicles. The Federal Republic of Germany recently decided to order the new Patria armoured transport vehicle, which will enter series production at the KNDS site in Freisen, as part of the reorientation of its security strategy.
In order to build up its production and also further expand its maintenance operations, the KNDS site needs the option for large-scale expansion, as the existing factory premises are already being fully utilised. Given this, gwSaar prepared an initial site development concept covering a total area of more than 10 hectares, identifying options for expansion directly next to the KNDS factory premises as well as short-term and medium-term development prospects for the site.
As the first step in this implementation process, on Friday gwSaar acquired numerous pieces of land around the KNDS site, totalling around 7.7 ha. The aim is to provide KNDS with additional parking and storage space in the short term, followed by production space for vehicle construction and maintenance, and thus secure a sustainable future for the Freisen site.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke: ‘Companies like KNDS need reliable production sites in order to meet the dynamically growing order situation in the arms industry. Saarland provides an exceptional setting for this, as well as a strong partner in the form of gwSaar for developing commercial and industrial sites. With the expansion of the KNDS site, Saarland is positioning itself as an efficient, future-proof location for the arms industry.’
gwSaar’s CEO Thomas Schuck: ‘If companies like KNDS are going to tap their full potential, they need tailor-made commercial and industrial sites as well as development prospects for their premises – all of which must be rapid, uncomplicated and reliable. This is gwSaar’s core role as the state’s business promoter, supporting and assisting companies on this journey.’
gwSaar (a subsidiary of Strukturholding Saar) is responsible for implementing the project as a whole, from urban development planning, to expert and engineering planning, to final site development and preparation and the user agreement with KNDS.
