Luxembourg still does not manufacture tanks or fighter aircraft. It is, however, beginning to produce some of the components that go into them: drone engines, armour plating, night-vision equipment, light vehicles, intelligence software and radiation-protection medication.

The fifth edition of the catalogue of Luxembourg’s defence industry and technology base, now entirely digital, brings together 122 companies and research organisations. Luxinnovation had announced 109 in the 2025 edition, although its index contained 110 distinct names. The comparison reveals 16 new players.

However, the difference between the two editions is not limited to 13 net additions. Five previous entries have been removed, but none of these corresponds to an identified cessation of activity. +ImpaKT has been acquired by Sweco, LMO by Infinite Orbits, SES Space & Defence is now incorporated into the SES entry, whilst the two components of the University of Luxembourg have been combined under a single entry. Circu Li-ion, for its part, has become R3 Robotics. The update to the catalogue therefore reflects both consolidation and expansion.

The 16 new ones

- AP Lux is one of the new entrants most directly linked to military equipment. The company develops brushless electric motors, propellers, speed controllers and airframes for light and medium-sized drones in Luxembourg. Its arrival signals a desire to produce hardware components locally, within an ecosystem hitherto dominated by software, communications and services.

- CAE Aviation is not a start-up, but a well-established Luxembourg-based operator. The company operates around thirty aircraft that have been modified for specialised missions and employs approximately 250 people, including its French subsidiary Cavok. It carries out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, as well as parachute drop training.

- Dropslab Technologies develops digital assistants that combine augmented reality and artificial intelligence. These enable technicians to receive instructions, consult documentation or share what they are seeing, whilst keeping their hands free. Initially focused on the industrial and healthcare sectors, the German-Luxembourg start-up is now targeting maintenance and field operations, including in environments without a cloud connection. It joined the Gener8tor Luxembourg accelerator in 2022.

- Infinite Orbits has been added to the catalogue following its establishment in Luxembourg. Founded in 2017 and led by Adel Haddoud, the company designs spacecraft capable of approaching, inspecting and extending the service life of satellites. It raised €40m in November 2025 and reports an order book worth €150m. Its local presence was strengthened in February 2026 with the acquisition of LMO, a Luxembourg-based specialist in autonomous space systems.

- KB Europe is the Luxembourg-based arm of Kauffmann-Bremin, specialising in night-vision systems and tactical optics. Based in Niederanven, it caters to the armed forces, the police and specialist units. In July 2026, the company unveiled the KB DT-M, a pair of twin-tube night-vision binoculars designed using a modular architecture.

- Luxembourg Air Services is the operational subsidiary of Luxembourg Air Rescue. It carries out medical and humanitarian missions by aeroplane or helicopter, including organ transport and patient repatriation. The brochure also highlights its ability to undertake institutional missions, training and critical air operations. The organisation, whose origins date back to 1988, is simultaneously replacing its MD902 helicopters with Airbus H145s. It therefore represents a long-standing area of expertise now presented from a defence perspective.

- Luxmeca offers traditional manufacturing capabilities, which have once again become strategic given the search for European suppliers. Established in Luxembourg for over 40 years, the company manufactures precision components using turning, milling, EDM and grinding. It serves the aerospace, defence and other demanding industries. Its inclusion on the list illustrates the commitment of companies which did not originate in the defence sector, but whose equipment and procedures meet the sector’s stringent requirements.

- Manufacture Grand-Ducale is the most unexpected entry. Founded by Alessio Muller, this manufacturer, established six years ago, designs the high-end Duke watches and carries out the machining, polishing and assembly of their components. It also works as a subcontractor for Swiss brands and is seeking to apply its expertise to other sectors requiring microcomponents. Luxinnovation classifies it as operating in the terrestrial sector, without specifying the defence project in question. Its diversification therefore remains to be documented.

- Nexsys has been developing bespoke IT systems for public authorities, governments and the defence industry for over ten years. The company highlights NXChain, its own distributed ledger technology, as well as solutions for telemetry, additive manufacturing and secure asset tracking. It states that its tools are already in daily use, but does not provide details of the contracts or clients involved.

- North Defence brings the Luxembourg defence industry project to life. Founded in the United Kingdom by former military officer Oliver North, the company opened its European headquarters and a factory in Steinsel in 2025. Local engineers assemble light and off-road vehicles there. The site is operational and is working on orders for European defence organisations. The group, originally named North Fire, also claims to have delivered vehicles to Ukraine.

- Stellar Telecommunications aims to maintain a continuous connection by automatically selecting the best available terrestrial or satellite network. Founded in 2021 and based in Bordeaux, the company conducts part of its business through its Luxembourg subsidiary. In 2024, it raised €9.3m in private capital and public funding to develop its Steer software and Globble equipment. In 2025, the German company WinIT selected its technology for critical communications for emergency services.

- Sweco is the polar opposite of a start-up. The European engineering and architecture group now has around 150 specialists in Luxembourg following the acquisition of PROgroup and +ImpaKT. Its defence portfolio covers secure buildings, critical infrastructure, redundant energy systems and secure data environments. In particular, the group was involved in the engineering of Nato’s headquarters and is working on the future headquarters of the Belgian ministry of defence.

- Tadaweb transforms publicly available information into actionable intelligence. Founded in Luxembourg by François Gaspard and Genna Elvin, the company combines software and analysts to search for, link and verify data sourced from the web. Its clients include organisations in the defence, national security and cybersecurity sectors. Tadaweb raised $20m in 2025 from Arsenal Growth, Forgepoint Capital International and Wendel, bringing the total funding raised to $40m, according to the company.

- The Exploration Company is already one of Europe’s best-funded space scale-ups. Founded in 2021 by Hélène Huby and former engineers from Airbus and ArianeGroup, it is developing Nyx, a reusable capsule designed to carry cargo and, eventually, crews. Having raised €150m in 2024, the company was in talks in July 2026 regarding a funding round of at least $300m. Its Luxembourg-based subsidiary is working in particular on in-orbit resupply and logistics.

- TMS complements the industrial side of the range. The company produces sheet metal parts and assemblies – welded, folded and machined – from single units to production runs. In particular, it can process Armox, used for ballistic protection, and Hardox, used where components need to withstand heavy wear and tear. These capabilities can be applied to vehicle armour, protected structures, containers and military equipment.

- Usil Therapeutics is finally expanding the scope of defence to include medical resilience. Led by Frédéric Marin and co-founded, amongst others, by Valentin Wiedling, the biotech company is developing a molecule designed to protect the entire body against the effects of ionising radiation, either before or after exposure. In 2026, it secured a European grant of €5.2m for its project focusing on acute radiation syndrome. An experiment supported by the European Space Agency is also set to test its technology on board the International Space Station.