Published in l’Avenir (a Belgian newspaper) on 7 July 2026
Automatic translation in English – Go to last paragraph
A technology mission in Munich brings together around thirty Walloon defense players. Bavaria is a stronghold of Germany’s defense strategy, and the Walloons have clearly understood this.
“In this type of mission, 80% of the results come afterward. It’s rare to sign a contract during the mission itself. You get more out of the ‘internal’ relationships within the delegation. Here, I have all my clients.” Joeri Neutjens, CEO of CRM Group, is part of a technology mission led to Munich by Walloon Minister-President Adrien Dolimont, along with AWEX and WBI. In the minister’s wake: about thirty Walloon operators from industry and academia connected to defense.
It was deep in a dense forest, an hour and a half from Munich, that the first meeting was scheduled for this Monday morning. Welcome to MBDA, a major player that every mission participant would aspire to work with. This company, a subsidiary of Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo, is Europe’s leading missile designer.
“An impressive number of prime contractors”
The three-day mission focuses on the defense industry and the many research hubs thriving around Munich. Bavaria has this in common with Wallonia: both present themselves as the strongest defense regions in their respective countries. “There’s an impressive number of prime contractors here,” confirms Mathieu Quintyn, scientific advisor in Germany for WBI (Wallonia-Brussels International). “30% of Germany’s defense sector revenue is generated in Bavaria.” Around 550 companies active in this sector are based in and around Munich.
GDTech: “The pleasant surprise of this mission”
GDTech, a company from Liège, has already achieved its mission’s goal. MBDA had specifically requested to meet with them during Minister Dolimont’s meeting with German leadership. “It’s the pleasant surprise of this mission,” says Quentin Puts, engineering manager, with satisfaction. GDTech offers virtual modeling, which helps reduce the cost of development testing — testing that matters greatly in aerospace. Estimating how a plane or missile behaves in the air without needing to build a prototype — one can easily imagine MBDA’s interest in this kind of technology. “It’s good to have this visibility in order to position ourselves for consortiums and pursue European projects. You can feel that the workload has increased significantly for many defense companies. They’re interested in people who have experience with this type of project.”
Beyond this promising meeting for GDTech, other companies also received special attention from MBDA. Like Joeri Neutjens (CRM Group), who was delighted with his exchange with a German representative. “MBDA is really right in our scope,” he confirms after the meeting. CRM Group has developed a housing unit that protects electronics from temperature changes. Whether in aeronautics, space, or defense, temperature constraints are demanding. “Our type of application saves space and weight. To achieve the necessary thermal inertia, we went from a 3.3-kilogram block down to 0.8 kilograms.” A test during Ariane 6’s inaugural flight in 2024 opened up promising prospects for CRM Group. Since that space venture, Airbus has acquired four initial units for testing.
“As part of a delegation, we get received by CEOs”
Missiles, explosive charges, launch bases: MBDA was a visit that Vincent Beeckmans, commercial director of NanoPyro, couldn’t miss. This spin-off of the Royal Military Academy develops new energetic materials, such as explosives. “MBDA uses solid-propellant rocket motors. By working with them, we can bring more innovation, like a lighter motor with the same performance.” According to him, the explosives sector has changed little “since Alfred Nobel at the end of the 19th century. No one has said, ‘let’s rethink everything from scratch.’ It’s a very conservative field.” NanoPyro is interested both in improving propulsion capabilities and in small-caliber weapon ignition systems. “I’m looking to sell research, not products.” And within a delegation led by a minister-president, doors open more easily. “If I call MBDA directly, there’s a good chance it won’t go anywhere and will turn into an uphill battle. As part of a delegation, we get received by the companies’ CEOs.”
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