Production for the Ministry of Defence at VDL in Born has officially commenced. This involves the production of unmanned vehicles for Milrem Robotics, batteries for military use for Tulip Tech and drones for DeltaQuad. Minister Ruben Brekelmans signed the contracts with the three companies. The equipment and resources produced at VDL will strengthen not only the Dutch armed forces, but also those of Ukraine.

With the launch of Futura 3 and the integration of VDL Bus & Coach and VDL Van Hool, VDL Bus Group explicitly takes the next step and shows the future of mobility at Busworld 2025.

Through its acquisition of Crux Agribotics, VDL Groep has further strengthened its position in Foodtech, one of the growth markets for this family-owned industrial company based in Eindhoven. Crux’s ‘smart robot’ uses data and AI (artificial intelligence) to classify, sort and pack fruit and vegetables. In the process, Crux is also contributing to the automation of global fruit and vegetable horticulture. Robotisation is helping growers save on labour costs and reduce food waste. The data generated is also analysed to further optimise the cultivation process. Crux Agribotics is based in Eindhoven and has 60 employees.

For the sake of our security, it is imperative that we rapidly strengthen our armed forces. To this end, investing in the European and Dutch defence industries is crucial. In order to scale up national production capacity, the Dutch Ministry of Defence is leasing a number of production halls from VDL Groep in Born. The lease agreement is being signed today by Minister Brekelmans and VDL President & CEO Van der Leegte.