Flexible engineering capacity: from a single specialist to full project ownership
From a single specialist to a complete team or a fully outsourced work package: ACE scales your engineering capacity with in-house engineers from our offices in Lummen and Bruges, backed by our network of six European engineering offices.
1977
Engineering since
250+
Engineers and specialists
4
Countries
6
Engineering offices
ACE development & engineering operates as a highly integrated, long-term extension of your engineering department, assuming the required technical responsibility based on your defined development and design scopes. By managing capacity planning, specialised staffing and secure infrastructure directly from our offices in Belgium, we reduce your internal workload without the overhead and delays of recruitment. Our engineering teams align with your workflows, design environments and project timelines, using concurrent engineering tools to keep the collaboration transparent, secure and focused on a shorter time-to-market.
Immediate benefits for your operations:
Zero recruitment friction
Immediate access to scalable engineering capacity.
Environment alignment
Direct operation within your established quality standards and design frameworks.
Multidisciplinary delivery
Mechanical, electrical and automation expertise, available when you need it.
How would you like to work with us?
Resource extension
ACE engineers strengthen your department and work within your processes, tools and planning. You keep day-to-day technical steering.
One engineer2–5 engineersComplete engineering teamBest suited for: ongoing development with evolving priorities.
Project outsourcing
ACE takes technical responsibility for a defined scope, executed by a dedicated team at our facilities under one ACE project lead.
Project phase supportFull project ownershipBest suited for: clearly defined work packages and project phases.
Fast onboarding and reaction timeFlexible scalingMultidisciplinary, in-house engineersNo body leasingOur approach to co-development
To ensure seamless technical integration and reduce project risk, our co-development framework is built on five operational pillars. Collaboration follows defined stages, milestones and design reviews, managed by ACE:
Dedicated engineering team
A team of technical experts assembled specifically for your project requirements.
Defined scope and deliverables
Milestones, interface boundaries and technical outputs fixed during the definition phase.
System integration
Our engineers work directly within your PDM/PLM systems and design environments.
Structured technical alignment
Fixed communication routines and design reviews (e.g. PDR, CDR) to prevent alignment gaps.
Turnkey infrastructure
ACE manages capacity planning, IT security and hardware setups at our facilities.
Project applicability
Internal engineering resources are bottlenecked by parallel projects or sustaining engineering tasks.
Your project requires cross-disciplinary expertise (e.g. advanced kinematics, mechatronics or automation) not available in-house.
You are starting a complex, multi-phase product or custom machine development lifecycle.
There is a strategic need to shorten time-to-market without the fixed costs and delays of expanding internal headcount.
Our engineering workflow
Scope definition
Mapping of technical requirements, system interfaces, responsibilities and final deliverables.
Resource allocation
Deployment of engineering profiles matched to the technical demands of the project.
Environment integration
Alignment on CAD/CAE tools, secure data exchange protocols and workflow standards.
Execution and iteration
Engineering, rapid prototyping and design optimisation executed from our facilities.
Verification and handover
Design reviews, validation against system requirements and structured data handover.
Technical domains
Our co-development teams combine expertise across the following engineering domains:
Machine development
Design of custom production equipment, from kinematic concepts to factory acceptance (FAT).
Product design and development
System-level engineering for harsh industrial environments, with design for manufacturing and assembly (DFM/DFA).
Electronics and embedded systems
PCB design, hardware architecture and smart systems integration.
Automation and control
PLC programming, motion control algorithms, electrical cabinet design and commissioning.
Industrialisation
Process engineering and testing to transfer designs into scalable, cost-efficient series production.
Native software integration
Our engineers work natively with industry-standard CAD, CAE and PLM tools, integrating into your existing design environment and supporting projects across the full development cycle without data conversion losses. The tools shown are examples. Whatever software your project requires, ACE provides engineers qualified to work with it.
Frequently asked questions
Which model fits my project?
Resource extension suits ongoing development with evolving priorities, where your team keeps technical steering. Project outsourcing suits clearly defined work packages, where ACE takes responsibility for the agreed result.
Are the engineers ACE employees?
Yes. All engineers are employed directly by ACE and supported by our multidisciplinary teams. We do not offer body leasing.
Can we start small?
Yes. You can start with one engineer or a single work package and scale as the project develops.
Where is the work carried out?
On site at your premises, remotely from our offices in Lummen and Bruges, or in a hybrid set-up. Outsourced projects are executed at ACE facilities, with the support of our offices in Eindhoven, Delft, Poznań and Porto when required.
Can your engineers work in our CAD and PDM/PLM systems?
Yes. Our engineers work in industry-standard CAD, CAE and PLM tools and adapt to your systems, processes and design standards.
How is intellectual property handled?
Ownership of design results and intellectual property is defined in the agreement before the work starts.
How quickly can we start?
After an initial technical discussion, we propose engineer profiles or a project proposal with scope and planning. The start date is agreed together.
Can resource extension evolve into project outsourcing?
Yes. Once the scope is clearly defined, the collaboration can move to project outsourcing, with ACE responsible for the agreed deliverables.
Discuss your engineering project
Send us a short description of your project or the engineering capacity you need. Our team in Belgium will discuss scope, approach and planning with you, without obligation.