RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Opens European Technology and Innovation Center in the Netherlands

The company’s new facility in Houten will drive R&D for sustainable aerospace technology with collaboration across industry and academia

Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of U.S.-based RTX, has formally opened its European Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC) in Houten, the Netherlands. Announced in early 2025, the new facility is dedicated to researching advanced propulsion technologies for enabling greater energy efficiency and performance in future commercial aircraft. ETIC enhances Pratt & Whitney’s capability to collaborate with industry and academia in the Netherlands’ aerospace ecosystem and across Europe. This positions the company to accelerate a range of high-impact technologies including advanced gas turbine systems, hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion.

“As an independent innovation center dedicated to cutting edge technology research, ETIC is a first-of-a-kind facility for Pratt & Whitney in Europe, complementing our existing engineering centers in North America, Poland, and across the globe,” said Michael Thacker, senior vice president, Engineering and Technology, Pratt & Whitney. “We see significant potential to grow our activities in the Netherlands, given its strong engineering talent pool and long history of aerospace technology innovation, as well as the exceptional opportunities for collaboration between industry, academia and government agencies.”

Tjerk Opmeer, deputy director-general for business and innovation, Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands, added: “I am pleased to see the realization of initiatives like Pratt & Whitney’s European Technology and Innovation Center in the Netherlands. This center has the possibility to enhance our shared vision for accelerating sustainable aviation through innovation and international collaboration. We are committed to support these transformative efforts.”

The Dutch triple helix accelerates innovation

The Dutch ‘triple helix’ approach to collaboration between industry, academia and government contributes to Pratt & Whitney’s ambition for advancing R&D in aerospace. Pratt & Whitney’s new center is co-located with a fellow subsidiary of RTX – Collins Aerospace and its existing European Innovation Hub in Houten. The expansion therefore adds to RTX’s presence in the country and longstanding engagement with the Dutch aerospace industry.

It follows recent initiatives including RTX’s two memoranda of understanding with the Netherlands Aerospace Group and the signing of a master research agreement with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), which have established a framework for collaboration on technology research across a wide range of topics. Pratt & Whitney has also secured a dedicated office space at TU Delft’s Aerospace Innovation Hub, further enhancing opportunities to collaborate in the province of South Holland.

“We are thrilled to take this next step in our collaboration with Pratt & Whitney. Working directly with their new team in Houten will strengthen our partnership, and their dedicated office space at the Aerospace Innovation Hub@TUD on the TU Delft Campus will give them seamless access to our innovation ecosystem,” said Professor Henri Werij, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, TU Delft. “Close collaboration with leading aerospace companies is crucial for developing technologies required to enable a sustainable future of aviation – and to shape the talent that will drive our industry forward.”

Of RTX’s 21,000 staff across 65 locations in Europe, some 300 are based in the Netherlands, primarily at three Collins Aerospace sites including Houten. Pratt & Whitney currently employs more than 7,000 staff in Europe, with more to come at its new facility in the Netherlands.

Partnering with the Netherlands for the future

The establishment of Pratt & Whitney’s ETIC in Houten marks a significant milestone for cross-regional collaboration within the Invest in Holland network. Throughout the project, the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and InnovationQuarter in South Holland jointly provided essential support and information to Pratt & Whitney. The project culminated in Pratt & Whitney’s co-location with sister company Collins Aerospace in the neighboring Utrecht region, thereby involving partner agency ROM Utrecht Region as well.

InnovationQuarter further contributed to the project by leveraging its Aerospace Delta ecosystem, which encompasses more than 300 aerospace stakeholders. This strategic approach ensured Pratt & Whitney’s alignment with the broader Dutch aerospace landscape. ROM Utrecht, meanwhile, continues to work with the company to ensure it fully integrates into the Utrecht community and taps into the region’s capabilities.

With this expansion, RTX and its subsidiaries are well-positioned to strengthen the Netherlands’ talent pipeline together with local universities, drive sustainability in aviation and deepen the Dutch ecosystem’s capacity for R&D, production and maintenance across the aerospace value chain. Put together, it is a testament to the power of the Dutch triple helix.

Source: RTX

13 November 2025