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Today, Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of the Government of Wallonia, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Minister of Economy and Industry, and Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran, inaugurated Safran Blades, a new plant that will produce compressor blades, located in Marchin in the Province of Liège (Belgium).
Safran Blades is specialized in the manufacture of titanium compressor blades, a key component that is used in the hundreds in each aircraft engine. This 108-million Euro investment reinforces the industrial expertise of Safran Aero Boosters in its flagship product, the low pressure compressor. The company was founded in partnership with public authorities in Wallonia and the Belgian Federation, through Wallonie Entreprendre (28%), and the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company (SFPIM) (16%), both shareholders alongside Safran Aero Boosters (56%).
The 10,000-m2 (over 100,000 sq ft) center of excellence was constructed on former steel industry wasteland that has been comprehensively cleaned and restored. To meet the highest international standards, Safran has developed premium partnerships in Wallonia and Europe to develop a completely digitized plant that uses custom industrial resources and patented processes to enable large-scale production with unequalled manufacturing precision that reduces the margins of error. The Factory 4.0 incorporates automation, robotics, connected objects, artificial intelligence, and massive data collection, which optimizes production, costs, and the environmental footprint. The plant was selected among the most innovative Belgian firms in 2025, under the label “Factory of the Future” bestowed by Agoria (the Belgian trade federation representing technology companies).
Part of Safran’s strategy of consolidating its autonomy and supply chain, Safran Blades will produce 700,000 titanium blades per year by 2026, in particular for LEAP1 and GEnx engines (for Airbus and Boeing aircraft), which represents one blade every 20 seconds. It will ultimately employ 150 highly-qualified people.
Olivier Andriès, Safran CEO: “Today, with Safran Blades, we are doing much more than just inaugurating a factory. We are gaining a technological, industrial, and environmental head start. This reasserts our intent to control our value chains while developing, alongside our Belgian partners, an aeronautics industry in Europe that is stronger, more innovative and more sustainable.”
Jan Jambon, Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister of Finance and Pensions: "Relocating the production of compressor blades for aircraft engines to Belgium will strengthen Safran Aero Boosters' technological expertise, while securing the supply chain in the face of geopolitical and economic challenges. The creation of this state-of-the-art plant meets the federal government's desire to reindustrialize the European economic fabric, and Belgium in particular. The aeronautics sector is one of the pillars of the strategy of SFPIM, the financial arm of the federal government.”
Adrien Dolimont, Minister-President of Wallonia: “With Safran Blades, Wallonia is confirming its goal of supporting a cutting edge, innovative, sustainable, and sovereign aeronautics industry. This project is a concrete example issuing from the WINGS initiative, which associates research, companies, and innovation to pave the way for the aeronautics of the future. In light of the undeniable impulse that this ecosystem brings to Belgium's international profile, I have decided to award an additional subsidy of 16.3 million Euros for a new phase lasting 18 months, thus reaffirming our commitment to enshrining Wallonia in the carbon-free future of the sector.”
Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Minister of Economy and Industry: « At a time when new technologies are transforming the industrial landscape, it's important for Wallonia to be at the cutting edge. The inauguration of this plant embodies the industrial Wallonia we want: sovereign, sustainable, innovative and rooted in its territory. This project meets our regional priorities and illustrates our ambition for a Wallonia fully committed to industrial transition. Safran Blades has also benefited from the support of the Walloon Region for some of its investments. Wallonia has everything it takes to welcome, maintain and develop an industry 4.0, at the service of job creation, energy transition and economic redeployment.”
François Lepot, CEO of Safran Aero Boosters: “Safran Blades is a good example of how the aeronautics cluster is developing in Wallonia. The financial support being provided by the Walloon region and Belgium is crucial for the creation of projects with high added-value that will enable us to remain competitive in the world market.”
Mathieu Deladrière, Safran Blades CEO: “By establishing the best partnerships in Walloon and Europe, Safran Blades has created a collective dynamic in which robotics is transformed into human added value, generating new jobs and strengthening regional industrialization.”
Safran (safrangroup.com) is an international high-tech group operating in the fields of aeronautics (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space, and defense. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable, and accessible. Safran has operations on every continent, with 100,000 employees and sales of €27.3 billion in 2024. Working alone or in partnership, the Group holds leading positions in its core markets on a global and European level.
Safran Blades is a plant specialized in the manufacture of compressor blades for aircraft engines. This 10,000-m2 center of excellence is located in Marchin in Belgium on a former steel industry site that has been completely renovated, while incorporating the best of Safran’s industrial technology, in order to meet the highest international standards. Bringing together automated equipment, highly-qualified personnel and the most advanced digital technologies, this new 4.0 Factory will produce more than 2,000 blades a day, with innovative, autonomous real-time quality control at every critical stage of production.
Wallonie Entreprendre (wallonie-entreprendre.be) contributes to the development of the regional economy by intervening financially in the development projects of Walloon companies and companies established in Wallonia. In conjunction with private investors, it supports their growth through both equity investments and loans.
La S.F.P.I.M (Société Fédérale de Participations et d'Investissement) (sfpim.be) is the Belgian sovereign fund. The SFPIM aims to be a trusted partner and to help Belgian companies, both established SMEs and scale-ups, become leaders in their sector by providing smart capital solutions.
It also plays an important role in the long-term stability of the Belgian economy. It helps to anchor strategic assets through smart capital solutions for successful and emerging companies and ecosystems. It also manages assets on behalf of the Federal State and performs diverse delegated missions, such as managing the budget for the ecological transition.
Porte-parole Contact: Nathalie Lafontaine - Wallonie Entreprendre
P: +32 476 93 38 49 - E: nathalie.lafontaine[.]wallonie-entreprendre.be.
SFPIM Contact: Joël Decerf
P: +32 2 210 18 87 - E: j.decerf[.]sfpim.be.
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raphaelle.widart[.]safrangroup.com 
