VKI Honoured at Royal State Banquet Celebrating Belgian-Italian Friendship and Collaboration

21/10/2025

It was a profound honour for Mr. Peter Grognard, Managing Director, Prof. Fabrizio Fontaneto, and Prof. Sergio Lavagnoli of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) to be invited to the Royal Palace in Brussels yesterday evening for the state banquet hosted by Their Majesties, the King and Queen of Belgium, in honour of His Excellency, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella.

State banquet held in honour of His Excellency Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic

This reception was a celebration of the enduring friendship between Belgium and Italy, marked by a shared commitment to international collaboration, and strategic partnership. In his address, His Majesty the King of Belgium underscored the importance of institutions like VKI in fostering cooperation and safeguarding our future: “To guarantee our security, Belgium and Italy remain committed partners within our defensive alliance, NATO. The war in Ukraine requires us to strengthen our cooperation. Our independence and sovereignty are at stake. Our armed forces and defence industries are called upon to collaborate even more closely. What our countries are achieving within an institution such as von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics is exemplary in this regard.” (Full speech of His Majesty the KING available here:https://www.monarchie.be/fr/agenda/discours-du-roi-a-loccasion-de-la-visite-detat-entrante-de-se-president-mattarella)

This recognition highlights VKI’s pivotal role in advancing joint research and innovation in aerospace and defence, and its contribution to strengthening the strategic ties between our nations.