In the discussions surrounding the establishment of defense industry businesses, the city of Leipzig has disclosed inquiries from additional defense contractors. To date, there have been a total of 17 inquiries from companies in this sector, explained Clemens Schülke (CDU), head of the economic affairs department, on Wednesday during the city council meeting. Active discussions are underway with five companies. Seven inquiries were rejected—for example, because the companies intended to handle explosives. In three to four cases, the companies did not respond again. The inquiries received so far have the potential to create 700 jobs, Schülke added. The mayor in charge of economic affairs did not comment on the specific status of the negotiations. This followed an urgent inquiry from the Left Party faction in the Leipzig City Council. Shortly before that, following the controversial establishment of the U.S. missile manufacturer Covenant in the city, plans for another defense contractor had come to light. The Düsseldorf-based company Falk Defence plans to develop a European-made rocket artillery system and is looking for a potential location “in the Leipzig region” for this purpose, Schülke explained. The company has been using an office with an attached warehouse for its research and development since March. It was further stated that explosives would neither be stored nor processed or tested there. The property in question is not municipal real estate. Furthermore, the city has not made any financial commitments. The company had stated that it had not yet finalized its plans. Therefore, it could not comment on the location, timeline, production details, or potential customers. An online petition by the coalition “Leipzig bleibt friedlich!” has now gathered more than 11,000 signatures. Over the weekend, around 400 people protested against Covenant’s establishment. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reservedFalk Defence plans to develop a rocket artillery system
Petition and Protest
