New production hall to create 75 additional jobs at radar manufacturer Advionics: “Demand has surged due to increased European defense budgets.”
Advionics, the radar system manufacturer based in Oostkamp, will put a new factory hall into use at the beginning of October. This is expected to generate 75 additional jobs over the next three years. Defense Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) visited the rapidly growing company, which developed its own radar antenna system, on Tuesday. “In the long term, we want to build another production hall just like this one.” The oldest Advionics buildings along Siemenslaan in Oostkamp date back to the 1960s.
Nowadays, the company forms the production arm of the Intersoft Electronics Group, which also has divisions in Olen, Geel, and Zottegem. Advionics is mainly active in the defense sector, specializing in radar systems. The company is also active in Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Australia, and the US. Advionics employs over 200 people in Oostkamp.
Demand is so high that we decided to build an additional production hall of 6,000 square meters. That is half of our current production capacity.” – Thibaud Dauw, Chief Financial Officer Advionics
The Oostkamp company is currently thriving, and geopolitical tensions on the Eastern European border play a large part in that. “Due to increased European defense budgets, the demand for our products has surged,” explains Thibaud Dauw, Financial Director at Advionics. “Demand is so high that we decided to build an additional production hall of 6,000 square meters. That is half of our current production capacity. Over the next three years, we want to hire 25 extra people every year. A total of 75, therefore. The hall involves an investment of several million euros.”
Construction of the hall started in September of last year and is nearing completion. The new infrastructure primarily provides extra production capacity. In addition, it offers space for meeting rooms and offices for engineers. “The ground floor will be operational by the beginning of October. The first floor will come into use in January 2026. We hope that the modern look with large glass sections will help in recruiting new employees,” says Thibaud.
Proprietary Radar Antenna
Advionics is a supplier to European defense giants and developed its own radar antenna system on Oostkamp soil, which resulted in two contracts with the German navy. “After five years of research, our ‘non-rotating IFF antenna’ is ready for production. Naturally, this further increases our need for production capacity. We have kept a plot of land free on our site where we eventually want to realize another 6,000 square meters of production space,” concludes Thibaud.
Minister of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA) visited Advionics on Tuesday. He emphasized the importance of the company in strengthening Belgian defense capabilities. “This strongly growing company currently has very few contracts with Belgian Defense. That needs to improve. We must showcase our own industry much more. This way, we create jobs, added value, and international visibility,” he stated. In 2025, Advionics will realize a turnover of 51 million euros in Oostkamp. In 2024, this was 43 million euros. The company expects similar growth in 2026 and 2027 as well.
