Who we are
Collin de Wit
(Co-owner and Managing Director)
Collin is an engineer and technology leader specialising in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics, and unmanned ground vehicle technologies. With more than 12 years of experience across defence, industrial automation, and advanced engineering, he helps organisations turn emerging technologies into practical capabilities.
Before founding Empia, Collin held a senior technical leadership role within the Dutch Ministry of Defence, where he was responsible for the strategic development of AI, Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS), Cyber Security, and Vetronics for land systems. He also represented the Netherlands in international NATO working groups, including as Dutch Head of Delegation to the NATO Land Capability Group Land Engagement (LCGLE), and contributed to the German–Dutch TV44 collaboration on Vetronics and Unmanned Ground Vehicles.
Earlier in his career, Collin held engineering, product management, and technical consulting roles, working with organisations including Thales, NATO, ESA, ASML, Philips, and Schneider Electric. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering and a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University.
At the company, Collin advises defence organisations, government agencies, and commercial partners on artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and unmanned ground vehicle capabilities. Combining strategic advice with practical engineering, he supports customers from concept development and systems architecture through to software development, integration, and operational deployment to create operational effects.
Laura Rodriguez
(Co-owner and Business Operations)
Laura has over 10 years of professional experience in supply chain, business development, client relations, sustainability, and project coordination.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Los Andes in Colombia and a master’s degree in Sustainable Business and Innovation from Utrecht University. Her architectural background taught her to coordinate multiple disciplines, align stakeholders, and deliver complex projects on time. She later worked in investor relations for a multinational ESG data provider, supporting institutional investors across the Benelux region. This gave her insight into different investor types, priorities, decision-making processes, and investment approaches. She subsequently gained experience from the investor’s perspective at a start-up focused on private debt investments, providing her with an understanding of both sides of the investment relationship. Her most recent experience was as a supply chain specialist, executing order management and transportation within agreed-upon times, for markets across Latin America and Africa.
At Empia, Laura works across market research, communications, planning, client relations, and stakeholder engagement. Having worked in international environments ranging from multinationals to a start-up, she brings a practical and adaptable approach to the company’s commercial and operational activities.
Laura brings structure and continuity to Empia’s day-to-day work and ensures consistent follow-through across projects, documentation, and business relationships.
What we do
EMPIA develops technology and provides expertise across autonomous and unmanned systems.
Local Production: Development, assembly, and production in the Netherlands to strengthen reliable supply, build strategic autonomy, and enable rapid scaling when needed.
Designed for the Operator: Safety, reliability, and ease of use are central from the outset, reducing operator workload and risk while increasing mission effectiveness.
Family of UGVs: A modular platform approach that supports different operational effects and enables scaling across a variety of missions.
Rapid Innovation: Short development, testing, and feedback cycles with end users to make technology operationally deployable faster and adapt it to changing needs.
Software Development: In-house development of software for autonomous functionalities and unmanned systems, aligned with the NGVA architecture.