THEON Reinforces Europe’s Electro-Optical Industrial Base with Inauguration of THEON Belgium Production Facility.

On March 31, 2026, THEON International Plc officially inaugurated THEON Belgium, its wholly owned subsidiary, together with its state-of-the-art production facility in Zaventem, in the presence of Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Francken. Army Recognition was invited to attend this important inauguration, which marked a significant step in THEON’s European expansion and highlighted a multi-million-euro investment in Belgium’s and Europe’s defense industrial future. More than the launch of a new industrial site, the event reflected THEON’s ambition to expand advanced electro-optical production capacity through a model built on industrial cooperation, local partnerships, and multinational program support.

THEON International has opened a new production facility in Zaventem, Belgium, expanding Europe’s capacity to manufacture critical night vision and thermal imaging systems for defense use (Picture Source: THEON)

The inauguration of THEON Belgium represents a strategic milestone in the company’s continued development as a leading European defense technology company with growing international reach and a proven ability to support large-scale multinational programs. By establishing a fully owned industrial presence in Belgium, THEON is not only expanding its European footprint, but also reinforcing its long-term position within Europe’s defense industrial landscape. The new facility gives the company an additional production base inside the European Union at a time when governments and armed forces are placing increasing emphasis on resilience, readiness, and secure supply chains.

At the center of the new site’s mission is the production of the IRIS-C thermal imaging clip-on system for the Belgian and German Armed Forces under the pan-European OCCAR IRCOD framework contract signed in September 2025. This gives the Belgian facility immediate operational and industrial relevance, as it is directly tied to a live multinational procurement program with concrete production requirements. The initial order amounts to approximately €50 million and includes an embedded option of around €150 million, with deliveries mainly required in 2026 and 2027. THEON expects all options to be duly exercised, underlining the company’s confidence in both the program’s trajectory and the sustained importance of this capability for European armed forces.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official inauguration of THEON Belgium’s new production facility in Zaventem, attended by Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Francken (Picture Source: THEON)

The technologies that will be manufactured at the site place THEON Belgium in a highly important segment of modern defense production. The IRIS-C system reflects the growing operational value of thermal imaging and electro-optical solutions in contemporary warfare, where forces require enhanced observation, detection, and targeting performance in increasingly complex environments. The new production hub combines Belgian industrial know-how in thermal and digital technologies with THEON’s proven electro-optical expertise, creating a manufacturing center that is both technologically relevant and strategically positioned within Europe’s defense ecosystem. In that sense, the Belgian facility is not merely an industrial expansion, but a concrete addition to Europe’s capacity to deliver advanced battlefield imaging systems.

The project also has a strong industrial policy dimension. Following the establishment of THEON Belgium on 29 July 2025, THEON concluded cooperation agreements with leading Belgian manufacturers in the electro-optic, metal, and electronics sectors. These partnerships extend the value of the investment well beyond the facility itself by embedding production in a broader national industrial network. This approach supports local manufacturing, strengthens supply chain resilience, and enhances European production capacity while reducing dependence on vulnerable external chains. It also confirms that THEON’s expansion in Belgium has been structured not as an isolated move, but as a coordinated effort to create lasting industrial value in a key allied market.

During the visit, Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Francken tested THEON’s advanced electro-optical systems, highlighting their operational relevance for modern armed forces (Picture Source: THEON)

The economic implications are also significant. The investment is expected to create tech-driven jobs and support the development of specialized skills linked to advanced defense manufacturing, electronics, and optical systems integration. This gives Belgium not only a stronger role in a European defense program, but also a more visible position in a high-value industrial segment that is seeing rising demand. THEON’s decision to invest in Belgium reflects the broader international growth of its activities and the increasing global demand for its A.R.M.E.D. product line, which continues to support the company’s industrial expansion across multiple markets.

During the ceremony, Christian Hadjiminas, Founder and CEO of THEON, emphasized that the high-tech production hub of THEON Belgium in Zaventem combines Belgian industrial know-how in thermal and digital technologies with THEON’s proven electro-optical expertise. He also underlined that the investment illustrates the advantages of joint procurement programs, which strengthen Europe’s operational readiness while creating industrial value across Member States. His remarks framed the new facility as a practical example of the kind of cooperation Europe should pursue more decisively in order to reinforce both defense readiness and its industrial base. Army Recognition, invited to take part in this honorable inauguration, was able to observe directly how THEON is translating that vision into a tangible industrial capability in Belgium.

Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Francken also addressed the event and described THEON’s investment as a meaningful addition to Belgium’s defense industrial base. By establishing local production capacity for IRIS-C in Belgium, he indicated that the facility leverages domestic capabilities, strengthens Europe’s supply chain resilience, and contributes to closer defense cooperation across Europe. His intervention also highlighted the growing importance of THEON’s technologies in modern warfare, where advanced electro-optical systems now play an increasingly important role in operational effectiveness. His message gave the inauguration a wider strategic dimension, presenting the project as an example of the European way of working together with NATO and EU partners through shared industrial effort, stronger cooperation, and common capability development.

THEON’s inauguration of THEON Belgium and its production facility in Zaventem stands as a major industrial and strategic milestone for the company, for Belgium, and for Europe’s defense sector. Through a multi-million-euro investment, the launch of IRIS-C production for the Belgian and German Armed Forces under the OCCAR IRCOD framework, the creation of local partnerships across the electro-optic, metal, and electronics sectors, and the strengthening of jobs, resilience, and production capacity, THEON has established a project that fully reflects the scale of its European ambition. Army Recognition’s presence at the inauguration reflected the importance of this development, which demonstrated that THEON is not only expanding its industrial footprint, but also helping shape a stronger, more integrated, and more capable European defense technological base.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.