- DEUTZ will strengthen its position as a partner in the growing ecosystem for unmanned defense systems (unmanned ground vehicles, UGVs)
- ARX Robotics will gain access to leading drive systems, mobile energy infrastructure, and a powerful production network
- NATO armed forces will benefit from faster scaling up and improved reliability and flexibility in the field
Cologne/Oberding – October 16, 2025: DEUTZ, a system provider for innovative and sustainable mobility and energy solutions, and ARX Robotics, a leading European defense tech company that is developing a new generation of unmanned, software-defined ground defense systems, will cooperate closely in the future. As part of the expansion of its defense business, DEUTZ intends to participate as lead investor in the strategic round of funding for ARX Robotics. The funding round, which will also involve other investors, is expected to be completed in the upcoming weeks. This step forms part of a broader strategic partnership between the two companies.
“Unmanned and semi-autonomous defense systems are set to play an increasingly critical and central role for armed forces of the future. That is why we are combining ARX Robotics’ leading software and robotics expertise with our strengths in drive systems, decentralized energy supply, and industrial production,” states DEUTZ CEO Dr. Sebastian Schulte. “These types of partnerships 'made in Germany’ are what we need to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities for the long term.”
The aim of the strategic partnership is to deploy DEUTZ’s market-leading drive systems in unmanned ground vehicles from ARX Robotics. These will initially be battery-powered drive systems, to be followed by smaller internal combustion engines and hybrid drives in the future. In addition, the two companies will develop an interface to link ARX’s AI-driven software platform Mithra OS to DEUTZ drive systems.
DEUTZ will also provide energy infrastructure in the field through its business units Energy and NewTech. This will include gensets, storage solutions, and swappable batteries. Furthermore, ARX Robotics will gain access to DEUTZ’s global production and service network. This will allow rapid fulfillment of orders regardless of their size, with the comprehensive international service network providing a further competitive edge.
Marc Wietfeld, co-founder and CEO of ARX Robotics, describes this partnership as a major step in securing Europe’s technological sovereignty and Germany’s industrial base: “Working with DEUTZ, we are combining the intelligence of our Mithra OS platform and vehicle systems with high-quality drive systems, mobile energy, and industrial manufacturing. This will enable us to deliver unmanned systems to troops more quickly, increase availability and reliability during deployment, and to create the basis for scaling up in Europe. Our remit remains unchanged: protect soldiers, help to streamline logistics, and build up extensive capabilities.”
This step follows on from the recently formed partnership between ARX and drone manufacturer Helsing, under which the two firms intend to jointly develop an AI-based reconnaissance and strike network for European defense. ARX and Helsing can draw on field-tested systems and experience gathered in Ukraine, where networked technologies are already playing a crucial role in ground operations.
DEUTZ acquired SOBEK, a leading manufacturer of drive systems for drones, at the start of September and has thus positioned itself as a system provider in the growing ecosystem for unmanned defense systems. Over the past two years, DEUTZ has acquired a number of businesses and entered into partnerships that demonstrate how collaboration between industrial companies and emerging technology leaders can work and add value.
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