Indra will launch a new military vehicle manufacturing plant in As Pontes (La Coruña) with an investment close to 18 million euros, a bet that, according to the company, will turn the north of the country into "one of the largest industrial hubs for land platforms in Europe."
According to the note released by the Spanish defense company, land of more than 50,000 m2 has already been acquired, with a built area close to 15,000 m2, where the new facility will be located.
Once operational, the plant will generate between 70 and 120 high-skilled jobs, in addition to "numerous indirect jobs" linked to the supply chain, suppliers, and auxiliary services.
The As Pontes center will take on the integration of amphibious combat vehicles, bridge-laying vehicles, and wheeled artillery systems that Indra will develop for the Spanish Armed Forces.
The factory will have the capacity to integrate, test, validate, and commission these systems, incorporating new industrial capabilities to tackle highly complex programs, as well as its own test track that will allow for faster execution and delivery times.
As Pontes will integrate into the industrial network that Indra already has underway in the north, joining the plant in Gijón (Asturias). With this, the built industrial area of the Indra Land Vehicles division will reach 40,000 m2, with the possibility of reaching 55,000 m2 if a third factory in the northern corridor is confirmed, currently in the site selection phase.
In the specific field of vehicle manufacturing in this area of the country, Indra will have an integration and production capacity of about 500 units annually, which, according to the company itself, will consolidate the region as one of the most relevant industrial hubs in Europe for land platforms.
"What we are building in the northern corridor is much more than an expansion of our production capacity. We are developing a new generation of factories designed from scratch to integrate advanced digitalization, automation, and AI with the aim of placing them among the most efficient and competitive in Europe," said Indra's CEO, Josep María Recasens.
Coordinated industrial plan with Defense
The actions of Indra in the north of Spain are part of a broader plan to strengthen its industrial presence throughout the territory, aligned with the three corridors defined by the Ministry of Defense in its Defense Industrial Strategy.
In this framework, the company plans to multiply its productive area, going from about 36,000 m2 to more than 154,000 m2, thanks to an investment of over 200 million euros and the creation of more than 1,000 direct industrial jobs, in addition to 1,400 engineering and high-skilled job positions.