Filtronic Opens New Headquarters & Manufacturing Facility
Filtronic plc, a global leader in high-performance and high-frequency solutions for the space, defence and critical communications markets, today announces the opening of its new state-of-the-art 44,000 sq ft headquarters and manufacturing facility at NETPark, County Durham.
The purpose-built site significantly expands the company’s production capacity, doubling Filtronic’s UK manufacturing footprint and providing a six-fold increase in cleanroom space. In total, the expanded infrastructure gives Filtronic the capacity to support over £200 million in annual revenue, cementing Filtronic’s position as the UK’s leading vertically integrated producer of mission-critical high frequency technologies used across satellite communications, space systems and defence programmes.
The build out of the new facility was entirely self-funded by Filtronic, reflecting the business’s strong financial position and long-term commitment to maintaining sovereign UK capability in high performance radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT) systems and datalink solutions. It follows a sustained period of commercial momentum, with the company entering the second half of 2026 with a record order book, multi-year contracts and new wins across major space and defence primes.
Filtronic’s vertically integrated model — spanning design, development, qualification, manufacturing and test — underpins a dependable, onshore UK supply of high-performance connectivity solutions. This structure eliminates margin stacking and enables lean, scalable operations supported by growing automation. This is especially important as allied governments increase investment in secure satcom, resilient datalinks and next‑generation defence systems.
Nat Edington, CEO, Filtronic, said, “Our investment in this new facility brings the scale, capability and resilience needed for our next phase of growth. As our markets shift decisively towards higher frequencies, higher bandwidth and ultra-reliable solid-state architectures, it’s a signal that we’ll continue to pre-empt, support and surpass our customer’s long-term requirements.”
Dr Paul Bate, CEO, UK Space Agency, said: “Filtronic’s new facility at NETPark is a statement of intent for UK space manufacturing. Doubling their production footprint and dramatically expanding cleanroom capacity demonstrates exactly the kind of long-term industrial commitment that strengthens Britain’s capability in critical space technologies. As demand grows for high-performance RF solutions across satellite constellations and defence programmes, having world-class manufacturers of this calibre operating at scale in the UK are a significant asset.”
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: “The opening of this state-of-the-art facility is a clear demonstration of the strength and confidence within the UK’s space sector, and a powerful example of British industrial ambition in action. Filtronic is helping to reinforce the UK’s status as a world leader in cutting‑edge communications technology.”