Civil Innovation, the New Driver of the Defence Industry

By Christian du Brulle, Daily Science

One million euros for the first DEFRA (Defence-related Research Action) call, but €26 million for the sixth call that has just opened. This federal budget dedicated to funding the research programme, which results from cooperation between the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) and the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID), clearly illustrates the authorities’ growing interest in defence-related research and innovation. The programme is open to the entire Belgian scientific community and aims to foster collaboration between universities, research centres and companies.

And it is not the only initiative of this kind. In Wallonia, similar collaborations are also gaining momentum. One example is the COOTECH Defence programme, which encourages companies to launch or continue research programmes aimed at developing new processes, products or services. Another example is Ignity, a technology start-up incubator and accelerator created by the Walloon government in 2000, which in 2023 became the entry point for Belgian and European start-ups wishing to join DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic), NATO’s innovation accelerator.

Walloon SMEs enter the Race

In this context, a visit to the first BEDEX (Brussels European Defence Exhibition), recently held at Brussels Expo, was a must. Alongside the more traditional military equipment on display, the exhibition also showcased innovations developed by small companies across a wide range of sectors, including materials, artificial intelligence, health, cybersecurity and space technologies.

Two Walloon examples illustrate this trend particularly well. Both focus on monitoring physical and cognitive performance, technologies originally developed in a civilian context but with clear dual-use potential (civilian and military).

One example is the muscle fatigue measurement system developed by the Liège-based company Myocène. The company has designed a technology capable of assessing muscle fatigue in athletes, particularly in the legs. Its system combines electrostimulation with sensors: an electrical impulse stimulates the muscle, and the device then measures the muscular response to evaluate fatigue levels and recovery capacity.

In sports, such measurements help optimize training programmes. Physical trainers aim to generate enough fatigue to stimulate progress while allowing the body sufficient time to recover. Insufficient recovery can lead to injuries or reduced performance.

Soldiers like athletes

The same logic applies in the military domain. Soldiers are often compared to athletes, but their physical constraints are very different. During exercises or operations, they regularly carry between 20 and 30 kilograms of equipment, placing significant strain on the leg muscles and increasing the risk of injury.

A predictive tool capable of accurately measuring muscle fatigue could therefore help armed forces better monitor the physical condition of their soldiers, prevent injuries and optimize training programmes. The objective is to ensure that military personnel remain fully operational and ready for rapid deployment.

Monitoring cognitive performance

Another innovative approach presented in the start-up area of the exhibition focuses on analysing human cognitive capabilities. The company Ephyca, founded by Jérôme Wertz and Clémentine François, specializes in technologies for monitoring physiological and cognitive states. Its goal is to help companies develop the next generation of products designed to improve health, safety and user experience.

Unlike some tech companies, Ephyca does not develop commercial products. Instead, it operates as an engineering consultancy that helps other companies design solutions capable of detecting cognitive states in users. The stakes are high: in many complex environments, a person’s ability to process information can vary significantly depending on fatigue or stress levels.

“Understanding these variations makes it possible, for example, to adapt the interfaces used by an operator,” explains Jérôme Wertz. “In some cases, this could allow the information displayed in an aircraft cockpit to be adjusted to reduce the risk of pilot error.”

Today, Ephyca’s applications mainly concern the automotive industry, where manufacturers are developing systems capable of detecting driver drowsiness or distraction.

Drones: Laboratories of technological innovation

The drone sector provides another striking example of rapidly evolving dual-use technologies. These devices, widely used for infrastructure inspection, logistics or surveillance, have also become essential tools in military operations.

Some SMEs are now specializing in the development of autonomous drones capable of performing complex missions without direct piloting, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and onboard sensors.

One such company is ALX Systems, based in Liège. Like around forty other Walloon companies present at the Brussels exhibition thanks to AWEX (the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency), Geoffrey Mormal’s company initially specialized in software enabling drones to operate autonomously.

“Over the past two years, we have also developed our own hardware platforms,” explains Geoffrey Mormal.

“Our drones can reach speeds of 200 km/h and have an operational range of around 50 kilometres. Optimized to carry a payload of approximately three kilograms, they are offered at relatively low cost thanks to a design based on European components.”

These solutions illustrate the approach adopted by many SMEs: developing relatively simple but effective technologies that can be integrated into larger, more complex systems by major industrial players.

Reducing the noise of these “Hysterical Mosquitoes”

Staying within the drone sector and returning to the research dimension, it is also worth highlighting the presence of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. This academic and research institution, based in Rhode-Saint-Genèse between Brussels and Waterloo, includes an aeroacoustics department and has previously conducted research on aircraft noise.

As drones become increasingly widespread—even in civilian environments such as aerial photography and video—new challenges are emerging. One of the most significant is the noise they produce, an issue that is currently attracting growing research attention.

“Unlike aircraft, multirotor drones—those with four or more propellers—produce a very distinctive sound, often compared to that of a ‘hysterical mosquito’,” explains engineer Christophe Schram.

“This noise comes from the propellers, whose rapid rotation generates very specific frequencies. When the drone changes speed or performs a manoeuvre, these frequencies evolve, making the sound particularly noticeable.”

To analyse these phenomena, researchers use experimental drones serving as test platforms. These devices make it possible to measure the aircraft’s aerodynamic and acoustic performance with great precision, with the aim of reducing their acoustic signature.

The future of defence is therefore no longer shaped solely in major arms factories or military academies. It is also being built in start-ups, laboratories, research centres and SMEs, where innovations originally designed for civilian applications may prove highly valuable in addressing tomorrow’s security challenges.