Benelux, Safety

Benelux countries aim to strengthen defence cooperation and innovation

24 Jun. 2026

Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg want to strengthen cooperation between their defence industries. Government officials, companies and defence representatives from the three countries discussed this on Wednesday during the Benelux Defence Industry Day at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Participants stressed that closer cooperation is essential as European countries increase defence spending and seek to reduce dependence on suppliers outside Europe. The focus is on accelerating innovation, expanding production capacity and delivering joint defence projects.

The event was organised under the Dutch presidency of the Benelux. Benelux Deputy Secretary-General Liesje Schreinemacher opened the meeting and moderated the panel discussion with Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Derk Boswijk and Hélène Massard from Luxembourg’s Ministry of Defence.

An important point of attention was the position of small and medium-sized enterprises. According to participants, these companies play a crucial role in developing new technologies but do not always have access to the necessary testing and development facilities. Ms Massard therefore proposed creating a joint inventory of available infrastructure within the Benelux to make it easier for companies to use these facilities.

Mr Boswijk highlighted the importance of a pragmatic approach. “We often talk about the coalition of the willing, but we need to talk about the coalition of the doing,” he said. He also noted that the Benelux’s weight on the European stage is growing. “No one can ignore the Benelux anymore.” Mr Francken, for his part, advocated further integration of defence capabilities among the three countries.

The private sector was also represented. Willem van der Leegte, CEO of VDL Group, strongly emphasised the importance of European cooperation. “Coordinated European cooperation is essential, and the Benelux is best positioned to take the lead. Although Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg are relatively small, they have repeatedly had a disproportionate impact on Europe. That moment has returned,” he said. According to Van der Leegte, close cooperation between companies, governments and knowledge institutions is necessary to scale up innovation more quickly and make the European defence industry more competitive.

According to the organisers, this initiative highlights the growing importance of regional industrial cooperation at a time when security and defence rank high on the European political agenda.