Northumberland defence technology company OpenWorks Engineering has opened a US headquarters in Virginia and plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Detroit as it expands its North American operations.
The Prudhoe-based company has opened the regional headquarters in Ashburn, near Washington DC, and expects the Detroit facility to begin production before the end of 2026.
OpenWorks develops systems used to detect, track and identify drones and other potential threats.
The company says its technology is already used by US customers and partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which received its Vision Flex system and operator training earlier this year.
The expansion follows rapid growth at the Northumberland business. OpenWorks says its workforce has increased from 26 people in 2024 to 125, while adoption of its products increased fourfold between 2025 and mid-2026. Production capacity for its Vision Flex system has increased 2.75 times over the past year.
Prudhoe will remain the company's global headquarters and its main engineering base. OpenWorks says it intends to continue expanding its UK team alongside the US operation.
Chief executive Chris Down said, “Our shared passion for engineering excellence is what took us from that small office in Northumberland, all the way to this expansion into the United States.”
OpenWorks was founded in Northumberland in 2015 by five engineers working from a rented office. Its early products included SkyWall Patrol, a handheld system designed to capture drones physically using a net.
The company has since expanded into autonomous optical systems through its Vision Flex technology, which uses artificial intelligence to detect, track and identify objects. OpenWorks says its systems have been deployed at events including the G7, World Economic Forum and Paris Olympics.
The company has also increased its research activity in the North East. It says it invested more than £2m in UK research and development over the past year, including work with Northumbria University's North East Space Communications Accelerator and funding for two PhD programmes.
OpenWorks received a King's Award for Enterprise for international trade in 2026 and says exports account for about 90 per cent of its annual sales.
The North American operation will be led by executive vice-president Chris Bigwood, who joined OpenWorks this year. He will oversee the Ashburn headquarters and establishment of the Detroit manufacturing operation, which the company expects to open before the end of the year.