North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur, and Siemens executive Olaf Plante signed the framework agreement on the sidelines of the ILA.

PLCD as an industry-driven platform

The PLCD is designed as an industry-driven platform on which companies, together with research partners, can more quickly translate specific security and defense-related requirements into market-ready systems and industrial production solutions. The goal is to sustainably strengthen the technological and industrial foundation for security and resilience in Germany and Europe.

At the same time, the platform is intended to bring together North Rhine-Westphalia’s strengths as a leading industrial and innovation region and help drive new value chains, technological innovation, and international cooperation.

Siemens as a Partner for Digitalization and Industrial Scaling

With Siemens, the state is gaining a world-leading provider of digitalization and automation solutions, which brings extensive expertise, particularly in industrial transformation and the scaling of complex production processes.

Siemens will join the industrial partner network and contribute its leading expertise in digitalization, automation, and smart manufacturing—particularly to facilitate the rapid transition of innovations into industrial mass production.

Mona Neubaur, Minister of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, said in Berlin: “ILA 2026 showcases how North Rhine-Westphalia is shaping the future: with strong research, innovative companies, and close European partnerships. The fact that we are gaining additional partners today sends an important signal: The Production Launch Center Defense will become an ecosystem where industry, cutting-edge research, digitalization, and defense expertise converge. We take our responsibility for Europe’s sovereignty seriously and are making a decisive contribution to the country’s resilience—in North Rhine-Westphalia, in Europe, and in space.”

"Making innovations available quickly and on an industrial scale"

Siemens also emphasizes the importance of accelerating the implementation of innovations in industrial applications in the defense sector.

Olaf Plante, Siemens AG’s Regional Representative for North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the Siemens Düsseldorf Branch, explained: “Requirements in the defense sector are changing rapidly—it is crucial to make innovations available quickly, efficiently, and on an industrial scale. To this end, Siemens offers a comprehensive portfolio of software, automation, and digitally connected production solutions. With technologies such as digital twins, smart manufacturing, and end-to-end data chains, we help manage complexity and significantly accelerate the transition to series production. We also support the defense industry with energy and utility systems, building and security infrastructure, and digital solutions for simulation and cybersecurity—without getting involved in traditional weapons production ourselves. “We look forward to contributing these capabilities to the PLCD and, together with partners from industry and research, setting new standards for a resilient and high-performance industrial base.”

PLCD: Establishment of an Industrial Hub for Defense Applications

The Production Launch Center Defense (PLCD) is currently being developed by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in collaboration with partners from industry, academia, and the IT sector, and is intended to serve as a central hub for innovation, development, and industrial implementation in the defense sector. The focus is on practical projects that are specifically designed to accelerate the transition from development to scalable production.