The technology company HENSOLDT intends to establish a new competence centre for Software-Defined Defence and Engineering in the Stuttgart region. This undertaking is designed to create approximately 300 new jobs. The initiative aims to attract and integrate specialised professionals, particularly from the automotive industry sector, into the expanding business field of Software-Defined Defence.
To realise this project, HENSOLDT has entered into a cooperation agreement with Bosch. As part of this, HENSOLDT plans to lease available space in an existing building located at the Bosch site in Leinfelden near Stuttgart. This strategic decision enables the use of existing infrastructure and direct proximity to skilled workers.
Qualified employees from Bosch with expertise in system development, software development, and electrical engineering can apply for the newly created positions at HENSOLDT. The partnership offers an opportunity, in the context of structural change within the automotive industry, to transition qualified personnel into new fields of activity at HENSOLDT. The overarching goal is to retain valuable expertise in the region and thus strengthen the future viability of Baden-Württemberg as a business location.
Strategic Orientation and Capacity Expansion
Oliver Dörre, CEO of HENSOLDT, explained that Software-Defined Defence requires powerful software and data architectures that allow for flexible integration into complex and sovereign defence systems. He highlighted that Bosch has built up significant expertise in software engineering in recent years. This expertise is to be specifically leveraged within the framework of the cooperation for the successful establishment of the new development site in Leinfelden. There, the further development of defence systems, such as MDOcore, is planned on a software-based foundation. The Leinfelden site will create additional development capacities and open up new career prospects for qualified professionals from the region, particularly the automotive industry.
The new site focuses on software architectures for networked and updateable defence systems. Furthermore, the further development of engineering processes, long established in automotive development, is a key focus. In Leinfelden, software-based multi-domain capabilities for HENSOLDT’s software suite MDOcore are to be developed, integrated, and industrialised. Due to high demand in the defence industry, HENSOLDT is currently expanding its supply and production capacities and is actively seeking new skilled workers. HENSOLDT requires personnel along the entire value chain, primarily in the areas of system development, software development, and electrical engineering. In 2025, HENSOLDT recruited around 1,200 employees and plans approximately 1,600 new hires for 2026, predominantly in Germany. The Ulm, Oberkochen/Aalen, and Immenstaad am Bodensee sites, in particular, are experiencing strong growth.
