VDL has indicated that it wants to develop the location in Born along four development directions, namely: sustainable mobility, new battery and energy systems, manufacturing industry (including high-tech), and defense industry. In line with these development directions, the agreements were signed today by Minister Brekelmans.
Strategic Partnership
First of all, Defense has established a strategic partnership with VDL Group and a 10-year agreement for the rental of production space (approximately 120,000 m2) at the VDL site in Born. This space will be used to increase the Dutch production capacity of defense material and in the interest of the strategic autonomy of our country. In addition, Defense has placed orders with the companies Milrem Robotics and Tulip Tech and signed the agreements for that. A Letter of Intent has been signed with Deltaquad. VDL has also signed the production agreements with these companies. This involves the production of unmanned tracked vehicles that can transport injured soldiers (Milrem Robotics), batteries that significantly extend the flight time of drones (Tulip Tech), and unmanned and unarmed drones (Deltaquad).
Limburg Defense Agenda
Deputy Stephan Satijn emphasizes the importance of the concrete steps that are now being taken: “The agreements between Defense, VDL, and the companies align seamlessly with the Limburg Defense Agenda and the letter of intent that we as the Province of Limburg have signed with VDL. A successful development of the business location in Born is crucial for the Limburg economy and the manufacturing industry in particular. The agreements that have been made give an impetus to Limburg employment, the accumulation of knowledge, and the innovative capacity of our province. Looking to the future, we will continue to work together with Defense and other partners on the further implementation of the Limburg Defense Agenda, the development of the VDL site, and projects focusing on industry, production, innovation, and logistics.”
