Belgium’s recently closed Audi Brussels factory could soon be transformed into a military defence production site, the country’s Minister of Defence Theo Francken has said.
Speaking on Belgian public radio on March 7, Francken confirmed his ambitious plan to repurpose the 57,000-sqm factory.
He announced he would visit the facility in the next few days alongside representatives from defence companies to assess the site’s potential.
“Next week, we’ll visit the site with several defence firms to explore the possibilities,” Francken stated.
He noted that the feasibility of the project also depended on the German car manufacturer Audi.
“Whether it happens will depend on Audi, industry players and what the [Belgian] government can offer in support — but I strongly believe in this project,” he added.
Following his interview, Francken doubled down on social media, responding to reports with an enthusiastic endorsement of the plan.
“If it were up to me? Yes, absolutely,” he wrote on March 7 on X.
Als het van mij afhangt, ja absoluut. pic.twitter.com/Z84X4DP9in
— Theo Francken (@FranckenTheo) March 7, 2025
With concern growing about weapons manufacturing in central Brussels, Francken clarified that the site would focus on other defence-related production, technology and development.
“It’s not about producing weapons in the middle of Brussels — I understand residents’ concerns,” he said.
“This is about advanced technology and industrial production for the defence sector,” he added.
Francken also pitched the project as a major economic opportunity, claiming the factory could create thousands of jobs in Brussels.
The city is grappling with sky-high unemployment, well above other Belgian regions (Flanders and Wallonia).
“Brussels needs this,” he argued. “Giving young people stable jobs, skills, and a future in a high-tech sector would be fantastic.”
Francken’s proposal has already gained traction.
The Socialist mayor of Forest in southwestern Brussels, where the Audi site is located, admitted that job creation was the top priority after the factory’s closure and that he was open to the proposal.
Francken’s proposal follows the European Union’s move to ramp up its defence sector, with Brussels having pledged to boost the defence sector over the coming months and years.
On March 4, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen unveiled an €800 billion programme for the rearmament of the bloc.
The German-French defence group KNDS has acquired a factory for train wagons in Eastern Germany and will turn it into a production facility for battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers. https://t.co/wBL2UFfFXC
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 6, 2025
