Lt-Gen Michel VAN STRYTHEM has become in June 2025 the Belgian Defence’s first Chief Innovation Defence (CID), a newly created function to the Belgian Chief of Defence aimed at ensuring the transversal integration of cutting-edge technological innovation into the Belgian Armed Forces. As a senior officer, Lt-Gen Van Strythem has played a leading role in the the development of Belgium’s cyber defence capability. He was appointed as the head of Belgium’s Cyber Command under the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Defence (ADIV / SGRS), when that unit was officially launched in October 2022. Under his leadership, the Cyber Command has a mandate not only for defending military networks and weapons systems, but also for intelligence gathering and, under certain legal conditions, conducting offensive cyber operations in national crisis situations. Michel Van Strythem has worked to embed the Cyber Command in a broader strategy of research, innovation, partnerships with academic and industrial sectors, and training, including collaborating with institutions such as the Royal Military Academy. In mid-2025, he was named Belgium’s first Chief of the Drones and Innovation Taskforce, a role intended to accelerate the integration of drones into Belgium’s armed forces. With this promotion, he was elevated from Major General to Lieutenant General as of 26 June 2025.