Flanders strengthens aviation defence ties with UK during London trade mission
Flemish SME Euramec and the British JD2E signed a strategic cooperation agreement at the Belgian embassy in London on Monday. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration in the defence and aviation sectors, and is part of the Flemish government's two-day trade mission to the United Kingdom.
Euramec, based in Lokeren, East Flanders, develops advanced flight simulators, while JD2E offers specialised flight training services. While they have collaborated in the past, this formal agreement cements the companies' aims to work more closely together around intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), in which aircraft with special equipment gather information about areas or possible targets.
Under the new partnership, JD2E will increasingly incorporate Euramec’s simulator systems into its training programmes, while Euramec will be able to use JD2E’s software. The collaboration also includes joint marketing efforts, according to Euramec CEO Bert Buyle.
The partnership gives Euramec access to the UK market, and by extension to the Commonwealth, Buyle said on Monday. He also said that a project with the Royal Air Force is already being discussed, and said he expects both companies to grow by 20 to 30 per cent in the next two years.
Defence-oriented mission
The signing was overseen by Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele and is part of his government's two-day mission to the UK.
At the centre of the mission is Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), the international defence fair in London. The Flemish delegation of politicians and business leaders will meet potential partners and investors to promote Flanders’ defence capabilities.
Diependaele will also visit Cambridge University on Tuesday. There, he will advocate for the construction of the underground Einstein telescope in the Meuse-Rhine region, linking scientific research with industrial opportunities.
A planned meeting with the UK's Science, Research and Innovation minister, Patrick Vallance, was cancelled on Monday. The British government is in the midst of replacing secretary of state for Housing Angela Rayner, who resigned last Friday after a scandal involving underpaying housing taxes.
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele © PHOTO BART VANDERKELEN
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