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At Ecolys, Coexpair is taking part in the boom in the Belgian aeronautics industry
Discover Coexpair, the Belgian company that defied the pandemic to shine brightly in the aeronautics industry. Thanks to innovation and strategic partnerships, it has established a position as a key player in the rebirth of the sector, with the essential support of the BEP.
A ‘celestial’ company at Ecolys
Despite the challenges posed by the worldwide pandemic, the Belgian aeronautics industry looks set to recover well. Production rates are rising and a host of research projects are emerging, opening up new opportunities for companies which have long been deprived of public investments in military programmes. One of the companies benefiting from this revival is Coexpair, a jewel of the Namur area. This company has been able to build on contracts signed by the Belgian Ministry of Defence as well as the DIRS industrial initiative (Defence, Industry and Research Strategy), which has a substantial budget of EUR 1.8 billion. The DIRS aims to strengthen the defence industry in Belgium and to develop its strategy production capacities.
Innovation
Coexpair has embarked upon two research projects in collaboration with the Belgian Ministry of Defence. The first partnership concerns Coexpair Dynamics, a sister company specialising in the development of robots to manufacture composite materials intended for aviation. This project stems from a Solvay initiative linked to the contract for the purchase by Belgium of 34 Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft. It aims to develop new materials and automated manufacturing methods in collaboration with the American defence and aeronautics giant. The project also benefits from the support of the University of Liège and of the Walloon Region.
The second project, undertaken in partnership with the American group General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., focuses on the design of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone for the Belgian Ministry of Defence. Coexpair has succeeded in putting forward innovative technological ideas, allowing it to become a preferred General Atomics partner. This project has also opened up new outlets for the Belgian company.
Coexpair and its sister company, Coexpair Dynamics, cover the entire technological chain, from carbon fibre to demoulding, allowing them to innovate in the field of composites for the aeronautics sector and contribute to progress in the aerospace industry.
A reference in its field
Moreover, the Minister of Defence, Ludivine Dedonder, welcomed this fruitful collaboration between industry, the public authorities and academic circles, stressing the importance of these technologies for future programmes and to promote competition in the Belgian and European aerospace industries. This technological progress could also play a key role in the manufacture of hydrogen tanks, thereby contributing to decarbonised transport.
In a context in which the world aeronautics industry is recovering, the progress recorded by Coexpair bears witness to the dynamism and potential of the Belgian aeronautic industry, despite the unprecedented challenges it has had to face. Thanks to strategic partnerships and a firm focus on innovation, the future looks promising for Coexpair and for the Belgian aeronautics sector as a whole.
And the BEP in all this?
The BEP teams work hard to welcome these essential economic players to Wallonia. Having first settled here in 2012, the BEP again supported Coexpair in all the procedures involved in extending its buildings in 2018. A third development phase was launched in 2021, doubling the infrastructures and setting up innovative projects that make this company a flagship in the Namur area.
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