German engineering group Renk has completed its purchase of David Brown Defence, turning the Huddersfield site into the group's centre of excellence for submarine propulsion systems. The deal closed on 2 November after all required regulatory clearances were obtained, following an agreement signed in London on 3 July.

The acquired business, which employs around 530 people, now trades as RENK UK Huddersfield. Renk says the site will anchor its work on submarine drive systems, including the low-noise, low-vibration designs used on modern boats, and will support delivery of the Royal Navy's Global Combat Ship, the Type 26 frigate programme.

Renk puts the combined order book and pipeline that comes with the business at more than £700 million across 2026 to 2030. That figure covers signed contracts together with prospective business the group hopes to win, so it is broader than a fully secured backlog. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The closing landed alongside Renk's nine-month results for 2026, published on 5 November. Order intake reached €1.66 billion, up 33.6 per cent year on year, while revenue rose 5.8 per cent to €982 million and adjusted operating profit climbed 12.7 per cent to €158.8 million. The order backlog stood at €7.6 billion at the end of September.

Renk held its full-year outlook, targeting revenue of around €1.4 billion and adjusted operating profit of between €240 million and €255 million. The group will present a strategy update in London on 8 December. Read the company's announcement via RENK Group.