The purchase is part of efforts to develop the UK’s uncrewed and autonomous systems ecosystem. 

Drone manufacturer Tekever announced on 19 July that it has acquired West Wales Airport as part of a drive to capitalise upon broader NATO and UK drone development requirements. 

The Portuguese technology company has been operating on the site since 2023 but has now purchased it as part of its GBP400 million ‘Overmatch’ programme of UK investments, announced back in May. 

Overmatch brings together Tekever’s efforts to build collaborative innovation hubs, expand its European network, scale production, and develop cross-border partnerships. 

The airport is a key part of this, which aims to turn it into “a national hub for the testing and evaluation of unmanned systems”, according to its press release.  

The company also states that the site will be made available to a variety of UK Government stakeholders, including industry and international partners. 

“West Wales Airport offers a key hub for UAS testing, evaluation and provides Tekever and its partner ecosystem access to 2,500 square miles of restricted airspace over land and sea,” the company said. 

Tekever had not replied to DSEI Gateway’s questions on how they plan to develop the site, or what is next for Overmatch at the time of publication. 

To date, the airport has helped Tekever develop its UK research and development efforts, whilst hosting test flights for both the Home Office and Royal Navy. 

Speaking about the motivation behind acquiring the site in the statement, Ricardo Mendes, CEO of Tekever, said that “as defence spending rises and geopolitical threats grow, the demand for AI-driven autonomous systems is only increasing”.  

Mendes went on to note that the company’s acquisition of the airport “is just the beginning”. 

The move comes after the company participated in the Defence and Economic Growth Taskforce, which provided recommendations to the UK Government to position the sector as “an economic force multiplier”. 

DSEI Gateway News is part of DSEI UK and the broader Clarion Defence portfolio. 
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