Innovation
Ingrained in our DNA
Innovations have made HENSOLDT into what it is today. Our company is based on a strong corporate heritage from leading European defence companies. Today, we stand for the pursuit of technological progress and innovation, the will to create premium, affordable solutions time and again, at the same time always maintaining a solid, practical sense of efficiency.
Moritz Carl Hensoldt, a pioneer in the field of optics and precision mechanics, developed benchmark technology solutions and products in his domain of binoculars and telescopic sights, revolutionising surveillance and reconnaissance as well as target acquisition in his time.
His relentless pursuit of innovation and his incomparable way of translating scientific findings into useful products, perfectly characterises the achievements of all the other heroes of technology who together formed the heritage of our company, working at predecessor companies such as AEG, Aerospatiale-Matra, Carl Zeiss, Cassidian, Daimler, Dornier, EADS, Siemens, and Telefunken, as well as Airbus.
Innovative Technologies
As a German high-tech company with a global brand, innovation is intrinsic to HENSOLDT’s DNA.
We've been pursuing innovative ideas which translate into technologies for the protection of forces across the globe and into a successful business for more than 150 years.
Read about our most recent innovations in our stories.
Artificial intelligence policy
At HENSOLDT, we drive technological progress in order to develop ever more innovative and powerful sensor systems. By detecting a wide range of objects and targets, our products provide the best possible support to those who protect and defend us and our values.
Hence, we develop sensor and data fusion technology for the German Armed Forces, allied forces and partners in the military and security arena. All kinds of methods for automatically analysing large volumes of data are used as part of this, including artifical intelligence (AI) methods. This automation is vital to ensuring that the people who make the decisions get the best information that they need at the right time for responsible control and management of their own platforms, sensors and weapons.
The complexity of the methods and models used with AI makes it paramount to follow requirements to create trustworthy artificial intelligence (ALTAI). In this, HENSOLDT follows the assessment list set by the Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence, commissioned by the European Commission in 2020.
The details can be read in our policy regarding AI:
Thomas Müller
HENSOLDT Ventures
With HENSOLDT Ventures, the process from the idea to the profitable business model has been structured and has become an integral part of the corporate culture.
Today, more than ever, the employees’ creativity and inventiveness are the capital of every successful enterprise.
This is particularly true when, like HENSOLDT, the company is operating in a strongly technology-driven market. But how can companies motivate their employees to pursue and develop their ‘flashes of inspiration’? How can successful products, services or business models be created from this? And how can external ideas be profitably integrated into a company’s own business?
These questions are answered by HENSOLDT Ventures. The department was founded in 2017 as an in-house start-up incubator that has its own budget to identify, support and implement new ideas for business. The main focus is on the use of AI-based technologies such as machine learning and big data analysis. HENSOLDT is very successful at turning innovative ideas into market-ready products, such as the Xpeller counter-UAV system and the TwInvis passive radar. Through the development of groundbreaking key technology, HENSOLDT helps to protect soldiers, security personnel and critical infrastructure.
How ideas turn into business
At the beginning, there is always, as there was for Moritz Carl Hensoldt, a good idea. And that must be found and nurtured. HENSOLDT has created the Innovation Board for this purpose, to which all employees can present their ideas. Should the Innovation Board believe that an idea could develop into a business model, then the first step has been taken.
And this is where HENSOLDT Ventures comes into play. With the in-house start-up academy founded for this specific purpose, they help the person who had the idea to further elaborate it.
With a board member as a sponsor at their side, budgets will be approved and, if necessary, prototypes will be produced and tested in the market. Setbacks are part of the process until the idea is ready for series production.
Paving the way for future business success
HENSOLDT Ventures not only provides the necessary resources and processes, but also helps the originator of the idea to overcome internal hurdles. These range from the familiar ‘We have always done it like that’ to possible overlaps with existing products or services. At the same time HENSOLDT Ventures is already thinking about the decisive step ahead.
After all, an idea is only as good as its future commercial success. This is why considerations about possible new products or even business lines based on them, including possible spin-offs, are made right from the outset.
Moreover, HENSOLDT Ventures is also constantly looking for opportunities to invest in innovative activities that match its own business model and can be integrated into the company through collaborations or joint ventures.