Netherlands Invests Over €30 Million in Ukrainian UAV Developer Intelic

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Intelic and is investing more than 30 million euros in the manufacturer to create an interoperability-focused software foundation for the future national UAV ecosystem.

This was reported by the company.

As a result, the Netherlands has become the first country in the world to officially invest in a Software-First approach to military interoperability.

As part of this partnership, Intelic will work closely with the Ministry over the next three years to develop and refine the software architecture needed to integrate unmanned aerial and ground systems into a single operational ecosystem.

“There are currently more than 700 drone manufacturers in Europe, and that number continues to grow. For defense organizations, the challenge is no longer access to technology, but ensuring its interoperability. Military advantage increasingly depends on software that unifies platforms, rather than tying governments to specific systems. “This partnership reflects a fundamental shift from platform-centric procurement to software-centric defense capabilities built on interoperability,” said Maurits Kortals Altes, CEO of Intelic.

A key role in this partnership is played by the Dutch company’s NEXUS command and control software, which enables UAVs from different manufacturers to operate together within a single operational environment, significantly reducing deployment time and operator training.

“Ukraine is teaching us that it’s not just hardware that matters, but software as well. Ensuring the interoperability of different UAV systems facilitates combat operations. I am proud that our Dutch company can now meet this need. We are entering into a partnership, moving beyond the traditional ‘customer-supplier’ relationship and committing to long-term mutual obligations,” said Derk Boswijk, the Dutch State Secretary of Defense.