Border Profiteers
The Border Profiteers List is a database compiling companies which are involved with and profiting from the European border system. The fortification and externalisation of borders is not only driven by political interests but also by being a source of profit for an array of different companies from producers of surveillance equipment and weapons to concrete and food distribution for camps, consultant companies and research facilities.
The Border Profiteers List is a non-exhaustive and growing resource for civil society actors, researchers and activists. An online form to submit contributions to this list will be available here shortly.
As the Border Profiteers List relies on open and public sources we make no warranties about the completeness of information provided in this list. We also do not assume any legal liability or responsibility for outdated, incorrect, or incomplete information. However, we will address reports of outdated, incorrect, or incomplete information as quickly as possible.
A large proportion of the entries is based on research by the Informationsstelle Militarisierung (Information Centre for Militarisation).
Filter list and map by category
All categories advisory advisory minor players minor players surveillance surveillance border forces border fortification transport border fortification border forces transport major player research autonomous systems biometrics IT science AI infrastructure funding armour arms big data contractor
| Registered office | Netherlands - Leiden |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
As Europe's largest armaments group, Airbus offers especially to the military a broad portfolio ranging from combat helicopters and aircrafts, satellite reconnaissance and communication to the operation of drones in for example foreign deployment of the German Federal Armed Forces.
Read more| Registered office | France - Bezons |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
Atos has a €11 billion revenue and more than 111,000 employees in 71 countries.
Read more| Registered office | United Kingdom - London |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
BAE Systems is the biggest British arms company and one of the major suppliers of weapon systems worldwide.
Read more| Registered office | Germany - Fürstenfeldbruck |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
The Munich-based company ESG (Elektroniksystem und Logistik GmbH) was founded in the 1960s as a joint spin-off of the companies AEG/Telefunken, Rhode & Schwartz and Siemens. It was initially tasked to plan the electronic components for the German Tornado fighter aircraft (which is also designed for use with nuclear weapons). Further defense contracts followed, mainly from Germany, e.g. for the development of the fire control system for the Gepard anti-aircraft gun tank. Today (as of September 2021), ESG is majority-owned by the investment company Armira Partners GmbH & Co KG, according to de.wikipedia.de .
Read more| Registered office | Germany - Munich |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
The "Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung" is organized as a private association, but its nearly 80 institutes receive their basic funding from the federal and federal state governments. A large proportion of its contract research is also financed by public funds, the vast majority of the rest by industry. The explicit goal is application-oriented research for industry. However, it is also established practice for scientists to apply for patents and found companies themselves based on their research at the Fraunhofer Institutes in order to commercialize new technologies.
The nearly 80 institutes work on a wide range of topics. However, …
Read more| Registered office | Spain - Madrid |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
Indra has its roots in the infrastructure and defense industries. Accordingly, Indra has also benefited extensively from several EU armaments research projects (including Ocean2020), positioning itself, by its own admission, as a "key player" in siphoning off EU armaments funds. Again, the company's focus is on information networks, cybersecurity, near-shore surveillance and unmanned systems.
In the 2021 financial year, Indra achieved revenue of € 3.390 million, had 52,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and business operations in over 140 countries.
Read more| Registered office | Italy - Rome |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
Leonardo (formerly Finmeccanica) is Italy's largest company specialized on defense, security and aerospace. It belongs to the ten globally dominating defense contractors.
Read more| Registered office | Italy - Rome |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
Selex evolved after an attempt to merge the electronics divisions of defense groups BAE Systems (UK) and Leonardo/Finmeccanica (IT). Following the exit of BAE Systems, Selex was eventually established as a subsidiary of Finmeccanica. Selex was one of those companies that lobbied most intensively for the technological upgrade of the borders in the first decade of the century, thus opening up a new foothold for the European defense industry.
Read more| Registered office | France - Paris |
|---|---|
| Categories | major player |
Thales is one of the ten largest defence companies in the world, supplying everything from satellite communication modules and ground radars to autonomous weapon systems on ships, mainly to armed forces.
Read more