The University of Liège (ULiège) and Thales have announced the signing of a partnership agreement in the field of defence, which aims to develop research into innovative guidance, control and propulsion solutions for next-generation effectors, building on recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and propulsion technologies.
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his strategic partnership between ULiège and Thales, a European leader in defence and aerospace, is worth €1 million over four years (2025-2029). It is based on the expertise of the Montefiore Institute of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (School of Engineering) at ULiège. As part of this long-term collaboration, the joint research group ‘Advanced Engineering for next generation effectors’ will mainly address technological challenges in the optimisation of guidance and control laws for ammunition using reinforcement learning and electromagnetic effectors.
Significant advances in AI in recent years, particularly in reinforcement learning, are opening up new possibilities for control system engineering. These advances promise significant improvements in effector control, such as:
At the same time, propulsion technologies and the terminal effects of munitions are undergoing major transformations. Current research is focusing on:
In this dynamic context, ULiège and Thales are combining their expertise to:
This partnership will give ULiège students and researchers access to high-level applied research projects, while offering Thales the opportunity to collaborate with academic experts to accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies.
Alain Quevrin, CEO of Thales Belgium, said: ‘This collaboration with one of Belgium's most prestigious academic institutions marks a key moment in our quest for excellence in defence. By combining our industrial expertise and academic research talent, we will develop innovative solutions for next-generation effectors, building on advances in artificial intelligence and propulsion technologies. Together, we are investing in the future of defence and technological innovation!’
Anne-Sophie Nyssen, Rector of ULiège: ‘We do not see this partnership as a technological leap forward, but as an exercise in lucidity. The world is changing. And in the face of this, it is the duty of a public institution to ensure that technological progress, including that enabled by artificial intelligence, is regulated, well thought out and used to serve democracies.’
Read the speech by Anne-Sophie Nyssen, Rector of ULiège
Thank you for joining us today for this important announcement, which commits our university to a strategic partnership with Thales, a leading player in the European defence sector. This is a carefully considered partnership, established with the support of the School of Engineering, with a view to developing next-generation effectors based on the latest advances in artificial intelligence.
I am aware of the sensitive nature of this subject. In addition to issues related to the role of AI in critical decisions, which I will not address here, it touches on questions of security, sovereignty, but also morality and ethics. And I would like to express myself clearly on this.
First, a reminder and my deep conviction: a public university also has a mission to serve, grow and advance society. Not an abstract society, but a real society made up of citizens, democratic values and concrete challenges. The university does not shy away from these challenges: it plays its part, including in the most difficult aspects, and where necessary, it takes sides. In a world characterised by instability, the return of power politics and domination, and the threat of war spreading across our continent, our role is to put science at the service of the common good, including when it comes to defence issues.
Ursula von der Leyen recently proclaimed that ‘Europe must give itself the means to ensure its security.’
It is in this spirit that we are acting and building this partnership, which is helping to give Europe the means to ensure its security. The first phase is deterrence, ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum,’ as the well-known motto says. The second phase is to defend ourselves if we are attacked, and we must give ourselves the means to do so. It is in this spirit that we are building this collaboration. We are not entering into a pact of aggressors. But I will not content myself with stating this; that is the easy part of morality.
We cannot ignore the fact that we are not in control of how our innovations are used. The war in Gaza and the global occupation of universities by students defending Palestine have led us to strengthen our clarity and clarify our rules of cooperation. This is why this partnership is also intended to be a framework for ethical reflection. Our scientific teams, in dialogue with Thales, will examine the possibilities of dual use and will work with the Walloon Region to ensure that the development of these new technologies is not used for actions contrary to international humanitarian law.
In this regard, I would like to welcome the Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for Economy and Industry.
Beyond the collaboration announced today, this is a choice by a university that refuses to look away and that places its expertise, autonomy and rigour at the service of contemporary challenges.
Thank you.
Prof. Éric Delhez, Dean of the School of Engineering, ULiège: ‘This collaboration is a tremendous opportunity to compare the research trajectories developed within the School of Engineering with industrial needs in a strategic field and to benefit from Thales’ international expertise in areas of excellence shared with the Faculty's research teams. It is part of a global approach aimed at facilitating and accelerating the transfer of knowledge from academia to businesses in order to support innovation and better meet the needs of our society.’
Prof. Damien Ernst (Montefiore Institute, School of Engineering, ULiège), who will continue the research with his team and that of Prof. Christophe Geuzaine: ‘The defence systems of tomorrow will involve physical devices (rockets, drones, machine guns, etc.) controlled by a layer of advanced artificial intelligence (AI). The technical challenges involved in building this layer of AI are immense, but I believe that we have sufficient expertise at ULiège to meet them, even if it will require a great deal of fundamental research that will be very difficult to carry out. We are talking here about a level of algorithmic complexity that is much greater than that associated with ‘Large Language Models’, for example.’
The agreement was signed in the presence of Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for Economy and Industry. He emphasised: ‘Innovation is the cornerstone of all entrepreneurial development, which makes research essential. This partnership is a good example of this: as Walloon Minister for Economy and Industry, I would like to see more and more initiatives of this kind. It illustrates the industrial development strategy that we are pursuing within the Walloon Government: to make Wallonia a leading and competitive player in the technological value chains of tomorrow by combining the strengths of our researchers and our industrialists. I am delighted with this collaboration between ULiège and Thales because it is synonymous with progress, innovation and major technological advances for the defence sector.
The University of Liège (ULiège) is the largest French-speaking public university in Belgium. It brings together more than 5,700 members of staff on 4 campuses (Liège Centre and Sart Tilman, Gembloux, Arlon), including 3,600 teachers and researchers active in all areas of the humanities and social sciences, science and technology and health sciences. It welcomes nearly 27,000 students of 123 different nationalities. As a player in the social and environmental transition, ULiège supports students in their role as responsible citizens and promotes ethical, transdisciplinary and open research. Committed to its region, it contributes to its socio-economic development and develops numerous partnerships with scientific players, industry and business, and public authorities.
The School of Engineering is a dynamic player in international research in the fields of digital technologies, electronics, aerospace, energy, materials, urban and environmental engineering, transport and biomedical engineering. Its bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, rooted in this research, train future generations of players in the development and responsible use of technologies. Through its many partnerships with private and public players, the University of Liège's Faculty of Applied Sciences also places its expertise at the service of its region and society as a whole.
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a world leader in high technologies specialising in three sectors of activity: Defence & Security, Aerospace, and Cybersecurity & Digital Identity.
It develops products and solutions that contribute to a safer, more environmentally-friendly and more inclusive world.
The Group invests nearly €4 billion a year in Research & Development, particularly in key areas of innovation such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum, cloud and 6G technologies.
Thales employs nearly 81,000 people in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.
Thales Belgium, a subsidiary of the French company Thales Group, has been serving Belgium for over 50 years in three areas: Defence & Security, Aeronautics & Space and Digital Identity & Security.
Its teams develop products and solutions that contribute to a safer, greener and more inclusive world. Thales in Belgium employs more than 1,200 people across 9 sites in Belgium (Herstal, Tubize, Brussels, Charleroi, Hasselt, Leuven and Zaventem).
Every year, Thales Belgium participates in research and development in Belgium, particularly in the key sectors of quantum technologies, advanced computing, 6G and cybersecurity.
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