Northumberland-based OpenWorks Engineering has reached a major milestone with the appointment of its 100th employee. The company has been scaling rapidly since the introduction of its range of intelligent optics in 2022 which provide defence and security forces with the ability to detect, track, classify and target drones – also known as uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
Demand for counter-UAS systems has accelerated in recent years following a number of high profile incidents including disruption to airports across Europe, political protests and the proliferation of aerial threats deployed in conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
In the last six months, OpenWorks has announced a number of strategic investments including the introduction of a new Intelligence and Autonomy team that will see the company work at the leading-edge of academic research, collaboration with Durham University to support PhD and post-doctoral research, and the creation of a new Customer Service and Technical Support team to ensure high-levels of reliability among products deployed in critical positions.
Products from OpenWorks are now deployed around the world, with end-users in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2025, the company introduced two new product lines to supplement its globally recognised Vision Flex system which is deployed in protection of military bases, critical national infrastructure and strategic defence assets. The new developments include Vision Guard, a rapidly deployable system that acts as a ‘tripwire’ for dismounted soldiers, and Vision Pace, an ultra-high performance product that integrates stabilisation technology to track dynamic threats whilst on-the-move. All product variants have international customers.
Since its inception, OpenWorks has been supported by Northumberland Council’s Economic Development and Growth Service which provided early grants to expand facilities, recruit key hires and develop precision testing capabilities. In recognition of a maturing position in the region’s defence sector, OpenWorks has recently been invited to join the steering committee of the North East Regional Defence and Security Cluster with the objective to enhance collaboration between local industry, MOD and academia. The company is also working with both Northumbria University and Newcastle University on collaborative projects that embrace emerging technologies based around OpenWorks’ expertise in AI-powered target tracking.
“Creating high quality, technical roles in the North East that deliver a genuine difference makes us incredibly proud. We work hard to find the very best talent in the region to ensure that the systems we provide deliver a critical advantage to end-users, and we support our team with a commitment to training, apprenticeships and development opportunities. It’s rewarding to see people grow, whether they joined as an apprentice, or in a senior management position; we’re evolving together as the company scales.
“We’re increasingly seeing drones used with malicious intent, moving beyond their previous role as nuisance-makers and disruptors. Our technology plays an important role in providing defence and security forces with the situational awareness they need to mitigate such threats. We take our responsibility as a growing employer in the region seriously, and so we’ve invested not only in engineering and production capability, but also in business operations that will support the business for many years to come.”
Chris Down, Chief Executive Officer
OpenWorks has plans to increase its workforce by a further 10% in 2026, and has recently expanded into a neighbouring unit to enhance its capacity. Investment in additional production laboratories in already underway with a further doubling of build space to support increased output.
