The Dutch Ministry of Defense wants to expand the capacities and facilities for arms production in the country. The first company to be affected by this is VDL Groep, which is entering into a collaboration with the Ministry of Defense in this area. VDL Groep will expand its site in Born in Limburg, for example, as announced by VDL Groep CEO Willem van der Leegte and Ruben Brekelmans, the Minister of Defense, at a press conference.
The aim of this initiative is to enable innovative companies to expand in the Netherlands. After all, in order to guarantee the security of the Netherlands and its allies, the armed forces need to be reinforced quickly – “from combat vehicles to drones, from traditional equipment to high-tech systems”, according to a statement from the ministry.
In order to achieve this goal, the Ministry of Defense believes that the country must become more involved in military production in order to offer shorter delivery times and routes and thus reduce its dependence on countries outside Europe.
Minister of Defense Brekelmans praised the cooperation with VDL Groep: “We are very grateful that the family-owned company VDL is willing to respond to our call. I am delighted that the Ministry of Defense is entering into this cooperation. This will be the flagship of the renewed cooperation between the Ministry and the company.”
Support from the Ministry of Defense
Many companies and the defense sector have knowledge of specific equipment and weapon systems. VDL, for example, has the know-how, skills and infrastructure to produce on a large scale and in high quality. “The armed forces need this combination of quality and scale,” said the ministry.
The Ministry of Defense is currently examining various methods to support the company in setting up arms production – starting with the Born site. For example, it is considering whether a contribution can be made by renting production facilities. However, the defense sector could also make a contribution by finding companies that can ramp up production together with VDL. The Ministry can also help to bundle demand from various countries so that the orders are large enough for VDL to start production.
Win-win situation
As the Ministry of Defense emphasized, this cooperation not only contributes to the country’s security, but also to economic growth. The partnership will directly create more jobs in Limburg. The cooperation also creates more room for innovation, which in turn leads to further growth and development.
Or, as Defense Minister Brekelmans put it: “It’s a win-win situation in every respect. A win for Defence, a win for VDL. A win for our security and a win for our economy. This shows that we as the Ministry of Defense want to work more intensively with companies. We urgently need our entrepreneurs, industry and knowledge institutions to guarantee our security, now and in the future.”
