Production for the Dutch Ministry of Defence has officially started at the VDL site in Born.
Consequently, Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans signed contracts with the three companies that will boost the Limburg Defence Agenda.
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The Limburg Defence Agenda is a long-term strategic partnership between the Province of Limburg and the Dutch Ministry of Defence to strengthen national and European security.
The initiative also aims to boost the region’s defence industry, create jobs, and make the Netherlands and Europe more resilient to geopolitical challenges.
The three startups are:
Milrem Robotics
HQ: Tallinn, Estonia
Milrem Robotics develops robotics and autonomous systems and is a systems integrator. The company focuses on improving combat effectiveness through robotics. The company has offices in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, the UAE, and the US.
Tulip Tech
HQ: North Brabant, the Netherlands
Tulip Tech specialises in advanced battery pack technology for electrification, offering next-gen packs with double the energy density for UAVs, robotics, and electric aviation. Tulip partners with over 100 companies, including the Ministry of Defence and the Netherlands Aerospace Centre.
DeltaQuad
HQ: North Holland, the Netherlands
DeltaQuad specialises in electric long-range vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones. The company focuses on creating reliable and user-friendly VTOL platforms that assist various industries with tasks such as mapping, inspection, and surveillance.
The equipment and resources produced at VDL will strengthen not only the Dutch armed forces but also those of Ukraine, says VDL Groep.
Provincial Executive Member Stephan Satijn says, “The agreements between the Ministry of Defence, VDL, and the companies seamlessly align with the Limburg Defence Agenda and the letter of intent we, as the Province of Limburg, have signed with VDL. The successful development of the business location in Born is crucial for the Limburg economy, and the manufacturing industry in particular. The agreements will boost employment in Limburg, knowledge development, and the innovation capacity of our province. Looking ahead, we will continue to work with the Ministry of Defence and other partners on the further implementation of the Limburg Defence Agenda, the development of the VDL site, and on projects focused on industry, production, innovation, and logistics.”
The announcement comes a couple of weeks after The Province of Limburg and VDL Groep invested around €25M to promote innovation, create jobs, and improve the quality of life around the VDL site in Born.
‘It is necessary to invest now’
According to the VDL Groep, the first production lines will be operational within a few months.
The Ministry of Defence is leasing 120,000 m² of production halls and facilities at the location in the south of Limburg.
This space will be used to expand the Dutch production capacity of defence equipment, in the interest of the country’s strategic autonomy.
The partnership with VDL will last at least 10 years, and more production lines will be added in the coming months.
Together, the Ministry of Defence, companies, and regional partners are working to improve security in the Netherlands and Europe.
According to Minister Brekelmans, it is necessary to invest now. This new strategic move creates jobs, strengthens the defence industry and increases resilience.
“To continue to support Ukraine and deter Russia, it is necessary to scale up defence production quickly. This involves innovation and industrialisation, speed and scale. With VDL and other modern companies, we can achieve this as the Ministry of Defence. VDL is the new flagship of the Dutch defence industry and is now in full swing,” says Minister Brekelmans.
VDL Groep: International industrial family business
Based out of Eindhoven, VDL Groep is an international industrial company focused on the development and production of products, machines, components and total solutions for five different sectors: Science, Technology & Health, Mobility, Energy & Sustainability, Infratech and Foodtech.
Willem van der Leegte, President and CEO of VDL Groep says, “At VDL Nedcar in Born, we have proven that we can combine large-scale production with technical precision and scale up complex processes. We are now applying that experience to the needs of, among others, the Ministry of Defence. If the need matches our competencies – or those of our partners – then we are ready. With craftsmanship and sufficient space and availability of power, we are helping to scale up a strong and innovative defence industry here in Limburg.”
