King Willem-Alexander visits VDL Groep
June 25, 2026
Photo caption (from left to right): Willem van der Leegte, Jennifer van der Leegte, King Willem-Alexander, Pieter van der Leegte.
His Majesty the King visited VDL Groep in Born on Thursday 25 June. At this site, the industrial family business produces equipment for the Dutch and Ukrainian armed forces, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence.
Until early 2024, the factory produced cars. Today, it makes drones, battery packs and unmanned vehicles for transporting materials or casualties, among other products. VDL Groep is helping scale up the Dutch defence industry. VDL Groep comprises more than 100 operating companies, each with its own specialism. They cooperate closely with one another.samenwerken.NaAfter a meeting with the management about the reasons for cooperating with the Ministry of Defence and transforming the production chain, King Willem-Alexander visited the production lines for battery packs, drones and unmanned vehicles. The King also received an explanation of how different types of drones are produced. Finally, King Willem-Alexander spoke with various stakeholders about cooperation with businesses and the government, and about recruiting staff.