Mines, explosives, missile firms to operate at Estonia's new defense park
The first four companies earmarked to build production facilities at the planned defense industry park in Pärnu County have been named.
Three Estonian firms, Nitrotol OÜ, Frankenburg Technologies OÜ, and Infinitum Strike OÜ are joined by U.K. company Thor Industries Ltd, and will be hosted at the Ermistu site, west of Pärnu city.
As a result of a competitive selection process, the state is to lease firms the use of the land for up to 70 years, while the state Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) is to construct the park's basic infrastructure.
The companies will build the necessary production facilities themselves.
The defense park's selection committee evaluated the companies' proposed action plans and their investment strategies.
The next step is for the RKIK to commence the contract-signing process.
According to the submitted business plans, Nitrotol OÜ will produce mines and explosive charges, Thor Industries Ltd will manufacture plastic explosives, Frankenburg Technologies OÜ will build a factory complex for short-range air defense missiles, and Infinitum Strike OÜ is to produce components for ammunition.
Given the state is also interested in developing large-caliber ammunition production, negotiations are continuing with a potential investor to establish manufacturing of this at a different site, the planned Põhja-Kiviõli defense industry park in Ida-Viru County.
Asko Kivinuk, RKIK deputy director general, said the defense industry parks represent an important step in bolstering Estonia's defense industrial capability.
"At the same time, we want Estonia to have a large-caliber ammunition factory as well, which is why we are continuing negotiations for a manufacturer to come to the Põhja-Kiviõli defense industry park," he said.
In addition to the four companies named above, the Ermistu industrial park will likely have capacity for up to two more production facilities.
Thor Industries Ltd is a specialist engineering company set up in 2020 and based near Salisbury, Wiltshire, in England, whose activities include R&D prototyping, mechanical and electrical engineering and safety and suitability testing, the company says on its website.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov
