Defence has moved from the margins of public debate to the centre of European policy. For Belgium – hosting both EU and NATO institutions – this shift is already reshaping budgets, industrial strategy and expectations for companies, investors and their legal frameworks.
Our latest MVVP Legal Insight, “Defence Investments – Legal Readiness for a New Strategic Era”, explores what “legal readiness” means in this new Defence and dual-use landscape:
Why Defence is now a strategic necessity
Slow returns, complex exits and tight export controls once kept investors away. Today, in a context of long-term insecurity, Defence and dual-use capabilities are increasingly treated as critical infrastructure – no longer a niche.
How ESG and SFDR now accommodate Defence
Recent EU guidance confirms that Defence-aligned investments (excluding prohibited or controversial weapons) can fit within sustainable strategies under SFDR. The main barrier is now less regulation than voluntary exclusion policies – many of which are already being revisited.
Why the investment landscape is shifting
From the EU’s new European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) to EIF/EIB backing for dual-use and strategic technologies, Defence is being structurally integrated into Europe’s green and strategic finance agenda.
How Belgium is gearing up
Belgium is building a full ecosystem around Defence and dual-use innovation, with instruments such as:
- SFPIM’s Defence Fund and regional VC/R&D tools
• Coordination platforms like Dual Nexus
• New startup pathways such as Start2DEF, launched in October 2025 to connect Belgian startups and SMEs with concrete Defence needs
What ODIN and the new Office for Innovation will mean
Belgian Defence plans to establish ODIN, a dedicated Defence innovation organisation that will coordinate and strengthen collaboration between Defence, regional authorities and industry. This Office for Innovation, expected to open in 2026, will put real weight behind public-private R&D partnerships and dual-use tech development.
For Belgian corporates, funds and startups, the question is no longer if Defence and dual-use will matter – but whether your
statutes, ESG language, IP and export-control frameworks will be ready in time for:
- the next EU call,
- the next Start2DEF edition, or
- the opening of the Office for Innovation in 2026.
Read the full newsletter here : MVVP – Legal insight December
If you would like to assess your organisation’s legal readiness for this new strategic era, our corporate and regulatory team is available to help.
