Helsing has opened its first UK Resilience Factory in Plymouth to produce autonomous underwater gliders for allied naval forces, the company stated.
According to Helsing, the 18,000 square foot site has already begun building its maritime systems and testing them at Turnchapel Wharf and the British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre. The firm describes the facility as its new Maritime Centre of Excellence and says it will house a research and development hub equipped with advanced manufacturing tools.
The company links the investment to a plan announced earlier this year under its Trinity House agreement, which outlines a multi hundred million pound commitment to UK operations.
Helsing says the plant will generate skilled jobs in the South West as production scales to meet anticipated demand. The initial focus is the SG 1 Fathom, an autonomous underwater glider developed in Britain and paired with Helsing’s maritime AI platform, Lura. The company characterises the combined system as designed to provide persistent underwater surveillance of sea lanes and critical undersea infrastructure. Helsing cites successful trials in the Western Approaches, Scotland and Western Australia as part of the development path that has led to the new production line.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said “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.” He added that the Plymouth facility reflects a wider effort to stimulate defence related economic activity.
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.”
The company presents the opening as reinforcing its partnership with local authorities, the University of Plymouth and the wider regional maritime autonomy cluster. Helsing argues that the investment will expand UK supply chains and support one of the country’s designated Defence Growth Zones.
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.” She linked the project to government plans directing a portion of equipment spending toward novel technologies.
Amelia Gould, General Manager of Maritime Helsing, stated in the release “There’s no better place than Plymouth to lead in maritime autonomy.”
