Renk, the Augsburg-based defence company, is looking to strengthen its foothold in Eastern Europe. The firm plans to establish service and assembly facilities in Poland, according to Chief Executive Alexander Sagel in an interview with “Der Spiegel”. Initially, the company will maintain gearboxes, engines and suspensions there; later it aims to manufacture components and complete products. This move will provide customers in Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states faster response times. Over the next four to five years, Renk intends to invest up to €500 million in capacity expansion, research and development.
Renk currently supplies gearboxes to the German navy and almost all major Western tank manufacturers, making it a barometer for how Europe is modernising its land forces. Its clientele includes KNDS, Rheinmetall and Leonardo. The company’s investment push is partly a reaction to criticism; German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has repeatedly called for a faster pace. A McKinsey study showed that NATO‑member states in Europe have stalled in expanding heavy armaments such as main‑battle tanks and combat aircraft.
Poland is viewed as an ideal base to serve regional customers sooner. “If a tank breaks down during an exercise near the border or in the Ukraine, you don’t have to haul it 2,000 km for maintenance and bring it back a half‑year later” Sagel explained. No other EU NATO country has recently invested as heavily in rearmament, measured against GDP. NATO’s overall push to strengthen its eastern flank adds another layer of strategic importance.
Renk also has sizeable plans in Italy. The Italian army intends to produce more than 1,000 main‑battle and infantry tanks from Leonardo and Rheinmetall, with Renk supplying critical components. Before the Ukraine war, Renk produced 200-300 gearboxes per year; the target is roughly 800 by the end of 2026. Sagel said that by 2030 he expects the company’s revenue to triple to about €3 billion compared with 2024 levels.
Looking ahead, the company aims to capture the growing market for autonomous combat systems. “That’s a mass market” Sagel said. Renk is collaborating with the start‑up Arx Robotics, which builds small, AI‑controlled tracked vehicles. The firm is also open to building unmanned vehicles jointly with customers.
