Baltic Photonics' military-grade night vision plant will open in Latvia in the next two years. The company became active in Latvia last year and preparations are well underway. At the beginning of this year, the Baltic Photonics laboratory in the Berģi industrial zone became fully operational and is engaged in the development and research of new equipment and technologies, as well as product assembly and service. This means that the third generation of night vision equipment will not only be manufactured in Latvia, but also new and innovative technologies will be developed.
"Baltic Photonics is currently one of 16 investment projects in the dual-use and military sectors. The total amount of planned investments in these projects is close to EUR 1 billion, which confirms the potential of this sector," said Laura Štrovalde, Deputy Director of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.
"Baltic Photonics”' main investor is the German-Greek groups Harder Digital and Theon Sensors. S.A., and the total investment in the establishment of the production plant and laboratory is planned at more than EUR 120 million.
"There are only a handful of companies in the world today that produce such high-end optical night vision devices, and the demand in the market exceeds the supply. The entry of such a company into Latvia is a strategically important step both in terms of investment attraction and economic contribution, as well as in the context of the geopolitical situation and technological development," says Edgars Zandmanis, CEO of Baltic Photonics.
"The “Baltic Photonics” plant will cover an area of 6,400 square metres and in the future will provide jobs for more than 250 highly skilled professionals in the production, assembly and development of equipment. The production capacity of the plant is expected to reach 20,000-30,000 different types of night vision optics per year.
“Baltic Photonics” has acquired land and two buildings for the establishment of a laboratory and factory in the Berģi industrial zone, which will be rebuilt and adapted to the specific technical needs of the plant. In the first months of this year, the “Baltic Photonics” laboratory in Berģi became fully operational as the design, equipment acquisition and preparation work for the plant continued. Specialists have been trained in Germany and the first order is now being placed. The level of technical equipment in the laboratory allows for technologically sophisticated research in the fields of high vacuum, electro-optics and phosphor screen applications.
“Baltic Photonics” will implement the second phase of the project over the next two years: construction of the factory building, development of production processes and installation of equipment, with full-scale production planned to start in 2027.
"Baltic Photonics”' Berģi plant will in future manufacture and assemble night vision optical equipment, components and image intensifiers for both civilian and military applications, including various types of firearms, aircraft, reconnaissance drones and pilots' equipment.
"Harder Digital” is a German group of companies producing third-generation night vision equipment, mainly for military applications. The majority shareholder of this group of companies is the Greek company “Theon Sensors S.A.” (THEON), a leading developer and manufacturer of customizable night vision and thermal imaging systems for military and security applications, with a presence in more than 70 countries. "THEON” announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Harder Digital in September last year, a decision that represents a strategic step for the company to strengthen and develop its supply chains.
"Baltic Photonics”' parent company boasts more than 20 years of experience in the image intensifier industry. The plant in Latvia is planned to be the largest production facility of the “Harder Digital” group of companies to date and will be the only military-grade optical production facility in the Baltic States. "Baltic Photonics”' main market will initially be Europe - the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, as well as other NATO member states and military equipment, machinery and equipment manufacturers in NATO member states.
Given its international scope and business ambitions, the International Defence Products Manufacturing Association - SAPRA - was founded at the end of last year. In addition to “Baltic Photonics", the association's members include Greek optical equipment manufacturer “Theon Sensors S.A.”, Israeli optical equipment manufacturer “RP Optical Lab”, Italian aerospace optical equipment manufacturer “Troya Tech Defense” and German night vision image intensifier and fibre optics company “Harder Digital”. Other companies from the USA, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Bulgaria have also expressed interest in joining the Association. Given the strategic importance of the defence sector, the main task of the newly established association will be to represent the interests of companies in the sector at international level, in particular in cooperation with European Union institutions, and to implement projects.
Another important event in the company's activities is its planned participation in the largest science-based technology industry event in the Baltics - "Deep Tech Atelier 2025", which will take place in Riga from 15 to 16 May. Each year, the event attracts a diverse audience of more than 1500 visitors, including entrepreneurs, investors, academics and government representatives from more than 50 countries. This year's conference will focus on artificial intelligence, quants, space and defence technologies.
Information prepared by
LIAA International Marketing and Communication Department
T. 29725674
E-mail: prese@liaa.gov.lv