KVE celebrates 30 years of innovation and accelerates its growth within the Daher Group

KVE by Daher celebrates its 30th anniversary today and is inaugurating a major expansion of its production facility in The Hague. This milestone marks the beginning of a new phase of growth for the Dutch company, driven by strong aerospace and defence market demand, its expertise in advanced composites and the synergies developed since joining the Daher Group in 2019.

Founded in 1996, KVE specialises in the design, manufacturing and repair of high value-added composite structures. The company primarily serves the defence and aerospace sectors, which account for approximately 80% and 20% of its business, respectively. Its products are used in radar systems, communications equipment, drones, aircraft wings and next-generation rotor blades.

30 years of innovation in composites

Originally established as an engineering company, KVE has progressively developed its own industrial capabilities and has become one of Europe's pioneers in induction welding for thermoplastic composites. This patented technology enables structures to be assembled without rivets or adhesives while reducing weight, costs and production lead times.

Today, KVE holds a portfolio of approximately 20 patents and has secured six new patented innovations during the past two years, notably in the fields of radomes, composite blades and thermoplastic welding processes.

Accelerated growth since joining Daher

Daher's acquisition of KVE in 2019 marked a pivotal step in the company's development. KVE's expertise in thermoplastic composites and induction welding complemented Daher's capabilities in the development, industrialisation, certification and production of complex aerospace structures. Together, the two companies have established an integrated value chain spanning the design, manufacturing and certification of advanced composite components.

Since 2020, KVE's revenue has quadrupled and its workforce has tripled. This growth has been supported by strong market demand as well as Daher's industrial expertise, certification capabilities, investment capacity, business development support and access to major aerospace and defence players. In addition, KVE's EN9100 certification enables the company to meet the stringent quality and industrial performance requirements of these sectors.

As one of the Daher Group's first strategic international acquisitions, KVE contributes to Daher's international growth while providing cutting-edge expertise in advanced composites and thermoplastic technologies. Collaboration between French and Dutch teams promotes knowledge sharing and accelerates innovation in these high-potential fields.

Expanding industrial capabilities

KVE invested more than €2.5 million between 2025 and 2026 to acquire new equipment, automate manufacturing processes and increase production capacity.

Inaugurated as part of the company's 30th anniversary celebrations, the new Ypenburg facility, located on the historic site of Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker in The Hague, adds nearly 1,800 square metres to KVE's footprint in The Hague. The facility will house, among other capabilities, a dedicated production line for blades, wing structures and advanced composite components serving the aerospace and defence sectors. This expansion will enable KVE to support increasing customer production rates while further enhancing the site's industrial performance and competitiveness.

A new phase of growth

"KVE's 30th anniversary is an important milestone, but above all, it marks the beginning of a new chapter," said Pierre Rouch, Managing Director of KVE. "Since joining Daher, we have significantly accelerated our development. By combining our expertise in advanced composites with the Daher Group's industrial capabilities, aerospace experience and international presence, we have created an environment that fosters innovation and growth. These new investments will enable us to sustainably support the ramp-up of our customers' aerospace and defence programs."

KVE intends to continue its development as Daher's advanced composites solutions incubator. The company will continue investing in industrial capabilities, automation and innovation to support future European aerospace and defence programmes while strengthening its position within the Dutch industrial and technology ecosystem.