FORVIA brings European industrial scale to defense

Building on established defense expertise and a unique Franco-German industrial footprint, FORVIA, the global automotive technology group, is strengthening its activities in the defense sector by leveraging its existing industrial and technological competencies to support sovereign production capabilities and defense resilience across Europe.

FORVIA brings to the defense sector the industrial capabilities that have made it a global automotive technology leader: strong design-to-cost expertise, significant purchasing power, large-scale manufacturing know-how, advanced quality systems and production capacities available worldwide.

These industrial strengths are supported by proven technologies, including actuators, radars, cameras, lighting systems, battery technologies and energy management solutions, which can be adapted to meet the specific requirements of defense applications.

FORVIA's engagement in the defense sector builds on a solid foundation established through HELLA, which has supplied lighting and electronic solutions for military and security applications for many years. This experience has enabled the Group to develop a deep understanding of defense ecosystems, qualification processes, public procurement requirements, mission-critical product standards and customer expectations.

At a time when Europe is strengthening its defense industrial capabilities, FORVIA is uniquely positioned to support national and European sovereignty objectives. Leveraging its industrial strengths and its dual French and German roots, the Group offers the scale, expertise and resilience needed to contribute to the development and industrialization of next-generation defense technologies.

Supporting the European drone industry

As an initial step in this strategy, FORVIA has entered a strategic relationship with a pioneering European defense technology company specializing in AI-powered air defense and counter-drone systems.

Under this framework, an order for approximately 500 interceptor drones has been signed, with the objective of rapidly scaling production capabilities to around 1,000 units per month. By leveraging FORVIA's industrial expertise, assembly capabilities and manufacturing know-how, this collaboration aims to contribute to strengthening Europe's defense industrial base and production readiness.

"In line with our IGNITE strategy, our priority remains the continued strengthening of our automotive businesses. At the same time, Europe increasingly requires trusted industrial partners capable of scaling critical technologies rapidly and efficiently. By leveraging our existing technologies, industrial capabilities and manufacturing footprint, together with HELLA's longstanding experience in defense-related applications, we believe FORVIA can make a meaningful contribution to European sovereignty and resilience. Our role is to help bring them to industrial scale at the speed Europe requires," said Martin Fischer, CEO of FORVIA.