The new leader of Swindon Borough Council’s new Leader received a behind-the-scenes tour of one of the borough’s new Unmanned Aircraft manufacturing facilities.
Following a visit to TEKEVER in West Swindon, Cllr Gary Sumner toured the firm’s new facility at the Spectrum building to see at first hand the progress being made by the pan-European technology firm, which is investing heavily in advanced drone production and artificial intelligence capabilities in the UK. The site is set to be fully commissioned in August, with operations up and running from September.
Cllr Sumner said: “It was fantastic to visit the TEKEVER site and see the scale of ambition behind their investment in Swindon.
“Our town is quickly establishing itself as one of the UK’s leading centres for Unmanned Aircraft Systems manufacturing, attracting world-class companies and creating highly skilled jobs for local people.
“This investment is not only strengthening our local economy but also helping position Swindon as a key player in the UK’s future defence and component manufacturing landscape.
"It’s clear that the work of the Council’s inward investment team, alongside Will Stone and our partners, is delivering real results.
“We’re determined to continue building on this momentum to attract further investment.”
During the visit, Cllr Sumner met with TEKEVER’s Deputy Director, Scott McClelland, for a tour of the site, and to discuss plans for job creation and ongoing collaboration with New College Swindon to help shape curriculum pathways and create placement opportunities for young people in the town.
Mr McClelland spoke to Cllr Sumner about TEKEVER’s history as a technology company before it moved into the defence sector in recent years.
TEKEVER aims to use its technological expertise in agile manufacturing at the site in Swindon, using it as a template for future factories around the world. Cllr Sumner was told that its Swindon site will be its main manufacturing facility in Europe.
TEKEVER selected Swindon as a base due to the town’s increasing prominence as a hub for Unmanned Aircraft Systems innovation, joining a growing cluster of companies including Flyby Technology, Munin Dynamics and STARK.
The site, once fully operational, is expected to support significant skilled employment in Swindon as TEKEVER continues to grow its UK manufacturing and engineering presence.
The council’s Inward Investment team has been working closely with Swindon North MP Will Stone, to attract drone and defence technology companies to the town with UK Company iCOMAT setting up in Swindon in March to develop composites and lightweight components specifically for companies like TEKEVER creating 75 new jobs.
Scott McClelland said: “Swindon is becoming an increasingly important part of TEKEVER’s UK growth story, and we were pleased to welcome the Leader of the Council to our site to discuss our plans in more detail.
“Our investment in Swindon reflects the strength of the local economy, the depth of the region’s engineering and manufacturing capability, and the opportunity to support the UK’s growing defence and uncrewed systems sector.
"We look forward to continuing to work closely with Swindon Borough Council as we develop our presence here.”
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