AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Estonian defence firm Milrem Robotics and several Dutch drone companies have signed deals to use space at a factory owned by Dutch industrial firm VDL, the Netherlands Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The companies were expected to host hundreds of workers at the site in Born and fulfil orders for both the Dutch and Ukrainian militaries, a spokesperson said.
Milrem, which makes unmanned ground vehicles, was joined by Dutch dronemaker DeltaQuad, a supplier to the Dutch Air Force, and Tulip Tech, which makes technology to improve battery efficiency and extend drone range.
Milrem said it would deliver 150 of its THeMIS line of vehicles to Ukraine, as part of a donation sponsored by the Netherlands.
“The THeMIS platform has already demonstrated its value under combat conditions, and we believe this contribution will materially strengthen Ukraine’s defence capability,” Milrem CEO Kuldar Väärsi said in a statement.
The Dutch ministry spokesperson said other details of exactly what and how much will be produced at the site, where VDL manufactured cars for BMW until March 2024, were sensitive both for security and commercial reasons.
The spokesperson said there was a pipeline of other firms examining using the site for military production.
A spokesperson for VDL, best known as a supplier to computer chip giant ASML, said there was still significant unused space at the site.
VDL CEO Willem van der Leegte said in a statement that the partnership showed Europe’s ability to “scale up and contribute directly to international security”, adding the initial Milrem assembly line provided a foundation to expand their collaboration.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling;Editing by Alison Williams and Joe Bavier)
