Message posted on
15 April 2026 by HIVE
On April 15, 2026, senior officials of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and eight companies and educational institutions within the Hive Aerospace Collective signed a strategic framework agreement that makes civil-military cooperation faster and easier. This is not a letter of intent, but a genuine enabler for the realization of joint projects and the sharing of knowledge, services, facilities, and personnel. The contract is unique in the Netherlands, perhaps even in Europe, and provides the legal basis for the parties involved to arrange matters more smoothly with one another.
The agreements in the framework agreement cover six areas:
Within these themes, projects can be initiated and implemented relatively easily, with participating parties maintaining control through a fixed governance structure and jointly determining the focus of their efforts.
The following HIVE partners have signed the civil-military cooperation agreement:
In these times of geopolitical turmoil and with the focus of Defense on its primary mission (protection of the Netherlands and its allies) civil-military cooperation within HIVE is more essential than ever for the operational readiness and continuity of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The parties need each other not only to scale up training, maintenance, and logistics, but also to pursue a joint human capital strategy, accelerate innovation, and drive transitions in the areas of sustainability and energy.
The framework agreement is a key prerequisite for intensifying the existing cooperation. It supports future-proof cluster development in order to strengthen resilience, the economy, and societal returns. The signing was attended by administrators and civil servants from the municipality of Woensdrecht, the province of North Brabant, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, as well as representatives from HIVE.
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