Proengin

In 1984 the ministry started studies for a new generation of chemical detector, and Proengin's flame spectroscopy proposal was selected. Its first detector family, the AP2C, was used in Kuwait and Iraq during the first Gulf War and was later adopted by the United Nations Special Commission for chemical disarmament inspections in Iraq.

The AP4C family is the successor. Proengin states that its detectors are used by armed forces, police, customs, firefighters and operators of critical civil infrastructure in more than 70 countries, with an installed base of more than 19,000 units.

It is based in Saint-Cyr-l'École and has a US office in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Qualium Investissement became majority shareholder in 2021, with the earlier shareholder Capital Export reinvesting.

In September 2026 Proengin said a contract amendment signed with the French defence procurement agency (DGA) at Eurosatory 2026 had been finalised, adding new products for CBRN protection, drone-based detection and multi-sensor data aggregation to an existing contract.

Majority owned by Qualium Investissement since 2021; Capital Export reinvested

Parent: Qualium Investissement (checked)

• https://www.proengin.com/en/history
• https://qualium-investissement.com/en/participation/proengin-3/
• https://www.proengin.com/en/article/168/proengin-and-the-dga-strengthen-their-cooperation-following-eurosatory-2026
• https://www.proengin.com/en/military-forces

• Founder name and the year the 1984 selection became a development contract (the company's history page gives 1984 for the study start only; a trade interview says a hydrogen-storage development contract was won in 1986; not cross-checked).
• Funding amounts: none published in the sources read.
• Value and term of the DGA contract and of the September 2026 amendment: not stated.
• Certifications: none named in the sources read.