Sovereign drone control systems with NLR
Neways collaborates with NLR (Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre) on the development of a sovereign Dutch flight control system for next generation unmanned platforms. The initiative focuses on ensuring that critical flight control technologies are designed, validated and produced within the Netherlands and Europe, reducing dependency on non-European supply chains.
The collaboration combines NLR’s aerospace research expertise with Neways’ capabilities in mission critical electronics, embedded systems and industrialization to support secure, reliable and future proof drone technologies for both defense and civilian applications.
Challenges
As unmanned platforms become increasingly important in defense and security applications, the need for sovereign and secure flight control technologies continues to grow. Global supply chain dependencies, cybersecurity risks and increasing technological complexity create major challenges for developing reliable and independent drone systems within Europe.
To address these challenges, Neways and NLR are working together on the development of a fully sovereign flight control ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on defining system architecture, technical specifications and validation strategies for next generation unmanned systems while ensuring that critical knowledge, production capabilities and supply chains remain within Europe.
Neways contributes with expertise in embedded electronics, power electronics, prototyping and industrialization, supporting both early system validation and future scalability towards production readiness.
“This collaboration strengthens national aerospace capabilities while advancing practical solutions for both defense and civilian applications.”
Tineke van der Veen, CEO of NLR
Key results
The collaboration establishes a strong foundation for sovereign Dutch flight control technologies for unmanned platforms, combining reliability, cybersecurity and scalability within a fully controlled European ecosystem.
In addition to technology development and validation, the initiative also supports the creation of a broader Dutch consortium involving companies, research institutes and public organizations. Together, this ecosystem strengthens the Netherlands’ position in sovereign aerospace and drone technologies while reducing dependency on non-European suppliers.
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