Martorell-based Seat is in active talks with the Spanish government about possible collaboration in the defence sector, according to company CEO Markus Haupt. The discussions come as Catalonia’s car industry looks at new industrial uses beyond vehicle production.
Haupt said the government had approached Seat and that the company is open to the idea. He said, “If the Spanish government contacts us to ask for help or collaboration, we open our doors because it is part of our responsibility.” He added that no specific project has been agreed yet.
Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, whose company owns Seat, also pointed to wider industrial opportunities. He said the electrification work at the Martorell plant, which is currently focused on the Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID.Polo, could extend beyond car manufacturing. He also said batteries create opportunities in other sectors, referring to the Sagunto Gigafactory in Valencia.
Seat operates Spain’s largest battery assembly plant and could supply components to other industries, including defence. Sources close to the talks told El Periódico that the discussions are well advanced. The company’s supplier network across Catalonia is also seen as a factor in any possible expansion.
Other firms are already moving in this direction. Indra recently appointed Josep Maria Recasens as its CEO. Recasens is a former strategy director for Seat and Renault, and a former president of the ANFAC carmakers’ association. Ficosa is also working on defence-related technology, including an agreement with Indra on electro-optical vision and surveillance systems for military vehicles.
Seat’s industrial base in Catalonia includes its Martorell plant, which makes 600,000 cars a year across three assembly lines, plus a stamping plant in Zona Franca and a components plant in El Prat. The company invested €57 million in stamping machinery seven years ago, giving it capacity to produce 52 million vehicle parts a year. More Catalonia news
