Görlitz Builds the Future – KNDS Successfully Transforms Former Rail Factory into a Modern Defense Manufacturing Site

Görlitz, June 30, 2026 – One year after KNDS took over the former Alstom rail factory in Görlitz, the Minister-President of the German state of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, was able to see the progress of the transformation project firsthand.

In the presence of the Minister-President, the Mayor of Görlitz, Octavian Ursu, and other guests from federal and local politics, KNDS Deutschland CEO Florian Hohenwarter unveiled the 40th interior cabin for the German Armed Forces' Protected Transport Vehicle (GTF 3). The interiors of the GTF 3 cabins are manufactured and equipped in Görlitz, among other locations. They are then shipped to the KNDS site in Munich for painting.

"It was especially important to us to inform Minister-President Kretschmer, as a supporter of the project, about the progress of the site's transformation. We have already converted more than half of the plant's 70,000 m² production area and will employ 400 people by the end of the year," said Florian Hohenwarter, CEO of KNDS Deutschland. "In addition to the GTF 3, we are already producing hulls and turret housings for the LEOPARD 2 main battle tank, as well as modules for various BOXER armored vehicle variants, here in Görlitz. Production of turret housings for the PUMA infantry fighting vehicle and hulls for the BOXER wheeled armored vehicle is currently being prepared. The progress we have achieved in such a short time fills us with pride and underscores our ambition: Görlitz builds the future."

“Saxony is an industrial state—and that is evident here in Görlitz as well. KNDS has established itself in the region and continues to develop the site. This is a benefit for Upper Lusatia and for the entire Free State. Modern industry creates added value, secures skilled jobs, and strengthens our technological capabilities. With its strong industrial base, excellently trained skilled workforce, and outstanding research landscape, Saxony offers ideal conditions for companies like KNDS to grow successfully over the long term and make an important contribution to the security and defense industry in Germany and Europe,” said Minister-President Michael Kretschmer.

Just over a year ago, on February 5, 2025, KNDS signed a landmark framework agreement to acquire the Görlitz site from Alstom. Thanks to its highly specialized workforce and favorable conditions, the site has rapidly developed into a key pillar of KNDS's planned production ramp-up. With Görlitz, KNDS has expanded its manufacturing capacity with a highly specialized production facility, enabling the company to deliver vehicle systems to the German Armed Forces and their partners more quickly and comprehensively than ever before.

Foto KNDS from left Florian Hohenwarter CEO KNDS Deutschland; Minister-President Michael Kretschmer, Site Director Enrico Blocksdorf