Sarkuysan (HQ: Darica, Turkey) is a Turkish  manufacturer of copper based products such as, cathode plates, wire rods,  wires,   conductors,  copper bus bars and copper tubes, copper alloys, including silver alloyed copper and bronze and brass alloys. The company  is listed on the stock exchange of Istanbul, exports to 50 countries and  more than half of the European cars use cables from Sarkuysan.

The company opens a new factory in Shumen (Bulgaria), invests 8.5 million euro and will employ 40 persons.

Source: Euscoop.com        September 12th 2018

Author: Petya Petrova

Language:  english

Google search terms:  Skankuysan / Shumen

Picture:  CCO Public Domain; https://pxhere.com/en/photo/194406

Total corporation invests 45 million euro in a new manufacturing plant for the plastic “polypropylene”  in Feluy (Belgium). The product is intended for use in the automotive sector. The company is also investing in facilities for the production of ‘catalysts’ and for recycling polypropylene.

At the same time, Total will close the existing factory for polypropylene, with the loss of 70 jobs.

Total is an oil & gas company with HQ in Courbevoie, France (turn-over 2017: 171 billion US $; 98.000 employees).  It is the second largest refiner of oil and producer of petrochemicals in Europe.

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Source: 7sur7.be                      June 13th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms:  Total / Feluy

Subsequent to the recent investment of 150 million euro from mother company “Ineos” in the Port of Antwerp (Belgium) and the investment of  65 million euro by Vynova at Tessenderlo (Belgium) in chlorine based chemicals for the production of PVC plastic, Inovyn invests 100 million euro in the expansion of production capacity for polyvinylchloride polymer in Jemeppe sur Sambre (200.000 tonnes is added to the existing 480.000 tonnes capacity).

Inovyn (turn-over: 3.5 billion euro; 4300 employees; 16 manufacturing sites) is owned by Ineos , one of the three largest chemical companies worldwide (17000 employees, turn over 2017: 60 billion euro; headquarters: London/UK). Ineos is active in many markets such as fuels and lubricants (23.3%), packaging and food (18.5%) and construction (16.1%).

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Source: sudinfo.be                    September  17th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms:  Inovyn / Jemeppe

Picture: klare82; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/vitrine-color%C3%A9-chimie-boutique-65306/

Aramco and Lanxess both owned 50% of shares in Arlanxeo (350 employees), a manufacturer of synthetic rubber in the port of Antwerp (Belgium). Aramco pays 1.4 billion euro (for 50%) to become the full owner of  Arlanxeo.

Aramco is the largest oil company worldwide (turn-over 2015: 318 billion $; 65200 employees in  year 2016) and aims to expand it’s business vertically with the acquisition of manufacturing facilities for oil based chemicals. Lanxess will remain active in Antwerp, for example as manufacturer of  polyamide.

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Source: Capital.fr                August 8th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Aramco / Lanxess

Pictures: MikesPhotos; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/tyr-roue-pneu-voiture-automobile-1714669/  –  Tama66; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/ballons-color%C3%A9-couleur-l-eau-pool-1761634/  –  Stevepb; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/bandes-de-caoutchouc-503028/

Jumbo is the second largest supermarket chain in The Netherlands (after Albert Heijn) and known for its low prices. It is owned by the family Group van Eerd. The company has made first steps to become operational in Belgium; it has registered “Jumbo Belgium” and opened a Belgian HQ in Antwerp. First contracts have been signed, but the precise location of the shops has not yet been disclosed. Jumbo works together with real estate consultants in order to identify the best locations.

The Belgian supermarketsector is on watch as Jumbo (Nl) appears on average 11% cheaper as compared to the cheapest Belgian supermarket Colruyt. The amount of investment has not been disclosed.

Jumbo HQ Veghel (The Netherlands)                                                                                                                                                          Jumbo Veenendaal (The Netherlands)

Source: Gva.be               June 14th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Jumbo/Belgie

Pictures: By J187B [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jumbo_Supermarkten _Hoofdkantoor_N279_Zuidkade_Veghel.JPG  –  marcovanblijderveen; CCO Creative Commons;https://pixabay.com/fr/jumbo-maintenant-veenendaal-3400671/

Luxecel, a Dutch  start-up company from Eindhoven (2009;The Netherlands) has developed a globally unique platform for the production of ophthalmic lenses with a 3D printer.  The company manufactures several types of lenses: custom made, aspheric design, lenses with slab-off & bas-curve and specialty lenses. It provides prototyping services and production facilities.

The company runs a demonstration center in Atlanta (USA) and opens an R&D center at the Open Manufacturing Campus in Turnhout. (Belgium). The company receives an extra 12 million euro funding from a network of  venture capital firms from the USA, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium (KLA Tencor; USA/PMV;Belgium/SET Venture; The Netherlands/ Munich Venture Partners/Germany).

In the short term the company produces lenses for clients with special needs, such as pilots (they need lenses with a zone to read information). In the mid term the company hopes to sell  its lenses  to the opticiens.  The technical platform allows the production of lenses with  substantially less waste.

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Source:  gva.be                 January 17th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Luxecel / Turnhout

Picture: Par איתן טל [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], de Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Contact_Lens_Ayala.jpg?uselang=fr

Fosun is one of the largest conglomerates of China; the company was started by four students in 1992 with  35000 Yuan (4550 euro).  In the year 2015 the turn over reached over 10.7 billion euro.  The company is active in many sectors: nutrition, environment, pharmaceuticals, hospitals and medical services, medical devices, financial services, sports, fashion and tourism.

Fosun has acquired  the International Gemical Institute (IGI), the largest network of laboratories and independant certification institute for diamonds in the world (HQ: Antwerp/Belgium). IGI runs twenty laboratories on all continents. Fosun paid 100 million euro for 80% of shares.

Source: ft.com                       September  13 2018

Author: Henry Sanderson

Language:  english

Google search terms:  Fosun / IGI

Pictures: Pexels/ CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/fr/diamant-bijoux-macro-anneau-1839031/  –  Sarakgraves; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/am%C3%A9thyste-or-blanc-diamant-vintage-2186842/

Punch Powertrain is a Belgian manufacturer of gearboxes; the company has been acquired by Yinyi Group in the year 2016.  The CVT transmissions are sold to brands such as Hyundai and Kia Motors.  The first Chinese factory opened in Nanjing in the year 2008.  Punch Powertrains sells also to most Chinese OEM’s. Plant capacities exceed one million units per year, both in China and Belgium.

This year the company invests 9.5 million euro in a new test center for gearboxes in Belgium.

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Source: punchpowertrain.com            August 24th 2018

Author: not available

Language: engilish

Google search terms: punch Powertrain/9.5/test center

The Depre Group, a family controled corporation, produces and commercializes animal feed in Belgium, The Netherlands and France (HQ: Brugge/Belgium; turn-over: 450 million euro; 400 employees) and trades agro-products. The company expands the warehousing capacity from 33000 to 65000 tonnes  at the Port of Zeebrugge (Belgium) with an investment of 6 million euro in a new warehouse.

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Source: engineeringnet.be                 September 10th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms:  Depre storage / Zeebrugge

Pfizer is an American pharmaceutical corporation with headquarter in New York, a turn-over of  52.5 billion $ and 96500 employees (2016). The production facility in Puurs (Belgium) is the largest one outside the USA. During the last few years Pfizer has invested 500 million euro at Puurs and created 1000 new jobs. This year a new building has been created with manufacturing facilities for a syringe containing an anticonception drug (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) which is approved in 50 countries.  The additional amount of investment has not been disclosed.

Pfizer headquarter New York

Source: Nieuwsblad.be                        September 11th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Pfizer / Puurs

Picture: By Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_York_City_Pfizer_World_Headquarters_02.jpg

Plastic Omnium Saint Désirat France

Plastic Omnium is a large French supplier of car components, mainly plastic exterior components and fuel systems (turn-over 2016: 6.9 billion euro; employees: 33000; HQ: Levallois/France.  The company is present in 31 countries with 124 plants.

Early 2019, the company intends to invest 50 million euro in a new R&D center at Brussels (Belgium); from the start 150 engineers will be employed at this location for the development of  fuel cell systems that use hydrogen gas. Most likely the center will be build at the Solvay  campus (Neder Over Heembeek, Belgium).

Fifth Solvay International Congres  with Einstein (Belgium, October 1927)

Source: hln.be                  July 25th 2018

Author:  not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms:  Plastic Omnium / Neder Over Heembeek

Pictures: François Bassaget/the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Internationallicense/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint-D%C3%A9sirat_Plastic_Omnium.JPG –  I Harsten; 

Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) ; https://www.flickr.com/photos/iharsten/8710094055

Industry in the Port of Antwerp (Belgium)

Total is an oil & gas company with HQ in Courbevoie, France (turn-over 2017: 171 billion US $; 98.000 employees).  It is the second largest refiner of oil and producer of petrochemicals in Europe.

Total is finalizing it’s 1.1 billion euro investment in the Port of Antwerp. This will allow to produce petrol with a lower content of sulfur… hence enhanced purity. A second project is about the recycling of waste gas (from the oil refiner) for the production of plastic polymers.

Source: Trends.be       November 30th 2017

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Total / investeert / Antwerpen

Pictures: SatyaPrem; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/raffinerie-l-huile-industrie-3613522/  –  Youtube999; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/eau-schelde-anvers-belgique-usine-1494749/

 Port of Antwerp / Belgium

Due to the  liberalisation of the European sugar market, European manufactures are not restricted anymore by production quota and this has boosted output as wel as export. As a result, the sugar export from the  sugar terminal of Euroports in the Port of Antwerp has doubled from 400.000 tonnes to 800.000 tonnes per year.  Euroports invested 27 million euro in handling facilities in order to reply to increasing demand from the large manufacturing companies such as Sudzucker, Iscal Sugar, Cristal Union, Tereos and Suiker Unie. The handling/warehousing capacity  as such at the 9.5 ha facility,  did not change (260.000 tonnes). .. but docking facilities from ships, trains and trucks have been increased.

Euroports is one of the largest port infrastructure operators in Europe and handles more than 60 million tons of bulk, breakbulk, containerised goods and liquid on 26 terminals (mostly deep sea) in Europe and Asia. The company has 3000 employees.

Soure: Tijd.be                   September 6th 2018

Author: Marc De Roo

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Euroports / 27

Pictures: Par Alacoolwiki [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], de Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%89cluse_port_Anvers_1.png?uselang=fr – Humusak; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/sucre-en-morceaux-sucre-cubes-sweet-548647/  –  Designfoto; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/sucre-calories-sweet-alimentaire-1068288/

Cargill Izegem Belgium

Cargill invests 16.6 million euro in new facilities for the manufacturing of vegetable oils in Izegem (Belgium).  On site the company produces 11 different types of oil and 300 mixtures for a variety of applications. The investments allow to improve the deodorization of oils and to adapt products to the latest EU laws, in particular on infant food, that call for a limitation on the presence of certain chemicals such as glycidylesters and monochloropropanediol.

As from the year 1998, Cargill invested 70 million euro at Izegem, and  today adds 16.6 million euro. On site 280 persons are employed.

Cargill  (HQ: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA) is the largest privately owned corporation in the USA (if it would be on the stock exchange it would be 15th largest). The family Cargill owns 90% of shares. The company is trading grain and other agricultural commodities such as palm oil; it is involved in raision livestock and the manufacture of animal foods; it produces food ingredients such as starches and sugars, vegetable oils and fats. The company has a turn-over of more than 115 billion dollars (2018) and 150000 employees. Cargill stands for 25 % of all USA grain exports and supplies 22% to the US domestic meat market. It has activities in 66 countries.

Source: prsnewswire.com              August 30th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms:  Cargill / 16 miljoen

Pictures: Herpoel; de la licence Creative Commons CC0 don universel au domaine public; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Izegempanorama01.jpg?uselang=fr  – ©tOrange.biz 2004-2018 All The Photos Copyrighted on CC-BY 4.0 Used only with hyperlink on https://torange.biz; https://torange.biz/fresh-vegetable-oil-32729  –  RitaE; CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/l-huile-huile-d-olive-alimentation-3112210/

Vynova is about the consolidation of the chlor-based chemicals business in Europe.  Manufacturing facilities have been taken  over (2015) by the  “International Chemical Investors Group” from  the companies Ineos and Solvay.  The new company has manufacturing facilities in UK, Germany, France, The Netherlands and Belgium (Vynova turn-over year  2015: 850 million euro; 1200 employees).

“The International Chemical Investors Group” with HQ in Luxembourg (6000 employees, 2 billion euro turn-over in 2016)  runs three divisions: chlor-based chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals. Since the year 2009,  ICIG has acquired  26 chemicals businesses in Europe and  the USA,  and operates 30 manufacturing sites.

Vynova invests 65 million euro in a new production line at Tessenderlo (Belgium); at this location chlorine is made for polyvinylchloride production, as well as potassium hydroxide (for use in batteries and soaps).

polyvinylchloride tubes

Source: canalz.levif.be             September 20th 2018

Author: Fredereic Clavir

Language: french

Google search terms: Vynova / Tessenderlo

Picture: By Rasbak [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rioolbuizen_van_kunststof_(Sewer_plastic_pipelines_tubes)_(lengtes).jpg

Sea-Invest and Mol Chemical Tankers invest 350 million euro in a new  “tanker terminal for liquide chemicals”  in the Port of Antwerp.   Mol Chemical Tankers is a part of  Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), a transport company with headquarter in Tokyo (Japan; 9600 employees).  Hundred new positions will be created. Sea-Invest (Ghent, Belgium)  is one of the largest terminal operators in the world  and has operations in 25 ports.

Source: engineering.net                      September 19th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Mol Chemical Tankers / Sea-Invest

Pictures: Wutsje / Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20120815_Vopak_Terminal_Eemshaven_Gn_NL.jpg  –  Photo via <a href=”https://www.goodfreephotos.com/”>Good Free Photos</a>; CCO Public Domain;  https://www.goodfreephotos.com/belgium/antwerp/tugboat-and-cargo-port-at-antwerp-belgium.jpg.php

Ineos, Port of Antwerp (Belgium)

Ineos is one of the three largest chemical companies worldwide (17000 employees, turn over 2017: 60 billion euro; headquarters: London/UK). The company is active in many markets such as fuels and lubricants (23.3%), packaging and food (18.5%) and construction (16.1%). The company invests 150 million euro in expanding the production of ethyleenoxide, in the Port of Antwerp. In addition the company will acquire an energy (electricity) producing facility from RWE (Germany) which is located on their site in Antwerp.

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Source: Tijd.be    September 13th 2018

Author: David Adriaen

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Ineos / 150

Picture: By Alf van Beem [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ineos_Phenol_Belgium_at_night_pic1.JPG

Port of  Ghent (Belgium)g

Logistical service corporation, H. Essers, invests 12.5 million euro in a new warehouse of 25000 m2 at the port of Ghent (Belgium). Sixty new jobs will be created.  In the future, another 28 million euro will be invested at this location.

H Essers (6270 employees; turn-over: 646 million euro in the year 2017) operates 17  service locations worldwide  and is  serving the chemical industry predominantly.

City of Ghent (Belgium)

Source: Nieuwsblad.be   September 28th 2018

Author: Sander Luyten

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Essers / haven van Gent

Pictures: By Acepilot1 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MAN_truck_(ESSERS).jpg – Par LimoWreck [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) ou GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], de Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gent_-_Kanaal_Gent-Terneuzen_2.jpg?uselang=fr – edo870, CCO Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/fr/ghent-gent-belgique-%C3%A9glise-europe-813245/

Sapa Group is a 50/50 joint venture between Norsk Hydro and Orkla, specialised in  the extrusion of aluminium based products, such as door- and window components; they also produce the radiators from PSA cars. Sapa Group, with HQ  in Oslo and 22800 employees  operates factories in several countries among which one in Lichtervelde (Belgium, 400 employees).  Norsk Hydro invests 1.4 billion euro in the remaining 50% shares of Sapa Group. As such , Norsk Hydro  becomes the most vertically integrated manufacturer of aluminium based products in the world.

Norsk Hydro produces and recycles aluminium based products (35000 employees worldwide); the company is present in 40 countries and has 30000 customers.

Aluminium blanks for extrusion

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Source:  usinenouvelle.com     October 17th 2017

Author: Myrtille Delamarche

Language:  french

Google search terms: Hydro / Sapa

Pictures:By Swoolverton [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Al_extrusion_blanks.jpg  –  By S.J.Takemoto [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anmitsuglass.jpg

The German corporation Aurubis is the largest European manufacturer and recycler of copper; it started operations in Hamburg in the year  1866 as “Norddeutsche Affinerie”, has a turn-over (2014) of  11 billion euro and 6300 employees.    In the year 2008 the copper activities of Umicore  in Olen (540 employees)  have been acquired. Aurubis Olen is mainly recycling copper from scrap.

Aurubis invests 100 million euro in Olen in order to improve and renovate the production process.

The company, also, wants to set up a factory for the recycling of coppersulfate from old batteries and to concentrate on the production of  metals, other than copper.

Aurubis, Hamburg, Germany

Source: tijd.be                      December 13th 2018

Author: Jan Deschampelaere

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Aurubis / Olen

Pictures: By Native_Copper_Macro_Digon3.jpg: “Jonathan Zander (Digon3)”derivative work: Materialscientist (Native_Copper_Macro_Digon3.jpg) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons;https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NatCopper.jpg –  CC Public Domain, https://pxhere.com/en/photo/194406 – Par Jebulon [Public domain], de Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Casseroles_cuivre_Vaux.jpg?uselang=fr –  Reinhard Kraasch [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], de Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RK_1009_9934_Aurubis_Peute.jpg?uselang=fr – By Gerhard kemme [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons,https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blick_vom_Energieberg_auf_Peute_mit_Kupferh%C3%BCtte_Aurubis.jpg

“Power Transmissions and Control” is a division of Sumitomo Corporation, a diversified Japanese holding with activities in food, transport, chemicals, energy, consumer goods, construction (HQ: Tokyo, Japan; turn-over year 2013: 32.2 billion $; employees: 74600).  The division,  global manufacturer of  industrial gearboxes, has acquired the manufacturer of industrial gearboxes, Hanssen Transmission (Edegem, Belgium) in year 2011 (January) for 75 million euro. The acquisition did not include gearboxes for windturbines, and this business has been sold in September of the same year to ZF Friedrichshafen (Germany).

Notwithstanding and after having acquired 12.5 % of a Belgian offshore windfarm, Galloper Offshore, for 1.98 billion $, Sumitomo is currently  acquiring another 30% in the Belgian Northwester 2 offshore windfarm.

Windturbine on Thornton Bank, North Sea, Belgium

Sumitomo  is also restructuring it’s development activities on a global scale and opening a new global R&D center for gearboxes in Edegem. The division has another European manufacturing site in Indersdorf (Munchen, Germany) and offices in France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Turkey, UK, India.

Source: lemarin.fr                  August 28th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Sumitomo/ Northwester 2

Source: pressebox.de                January 25th 2018

Author: not available

Language: German

Google search terms: Hanssen Transmissions / Sumitomo

Picture: © Hans Hillewaert ; the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Windmills_D1-D4_(Thornton_Bank).jpg

WTS Energy corporation with headquarter in Den Hague (The Netherlands) provides recruting & manpowwer services to the global oil , gas and energy sector. The company has 20 offices worldwide and 1000 consultants.

WTS Energy has acquired a majority stake (the precise amount of shares has not been disclosed) in The Sniffers corporation from The Carlyle Group (Washington DC, USA).

The Sniffers is a Belgian company (Balen) and provides emission monitoring- and energy saving services to the energy sector.

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Source: oilandgastechnology.net            February 21th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms: The Sniffers; WTS Energy

The industrial bakery of Unibake (the  bakery division of Swedish Coöperative Lantmännen) in Londerzeel (Belgium) caught fire in the year 2015. Lantmännen decided to rebuild from scratch at the same location and invests 100 million euro in a new industrial bakery.

Lantmännen is  a Swedish Cooperative of 42000 farmers , with a turn-over of 342 million euro (2008) and 13500 employees. Lantmännen delivers seed, feed and fertilizer to farmers.

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source: detijd.be                    February 7th 2018

Author: Tom Michielsen

Language: dutch

Google search terms:  Lantmännen, Unibeke; Londerzeel

Brolis Semiconductors has been established in the year 2011 in Vilnius (Lituania) and has also a facility in Northren Ireland. The company develops state of the art infrared lasers for  security, medical and industrial applications. The company opens a new R&D center in Ghent (Belgium) and continuous to cooperate with the University of Ghent and with Imec (a research-center on nanotechnology and electronics) on a computer -chip that sends light through fluids such as blood. As such it will be possible to diagnose diseases in a quick digital way. The invested amount has not been disclosed.

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source: compoundsemiconductor.net                     october 9th 2017

Author: not avaialble

Language:  english

Google search terms: Brolis Photonics

Mohawk Industries is a manufacturer of  flooring (carpets, rugs, ceramic tiles, natural stone, laminate flooring) from Calhoun (Georgia, USA), with a turn-over of 8.1 billion $ (2013) and 34200 employees. The company has operations on all countries including Belgium (Europe) where they acquired Unilin (year 2005) , a manufacturer of laminate flooring.

In 2010 Unilin/Mohawk installed a new energy center in Oostrozebeke and delivered electricity to 55000 families. Today  Mohawk, together with Aspiravi,  intend to install a second energy center  in Wielsbeke that will use wooden waste material from container park. Twenty five employees will be needed as well as an investement of 100 million euro.

Aspiravi is a Belgian corporation that invests in- , constructs and operates ‘green’ energy plants.  They established facilities for  an output of 692 Mw in total, enough for 588000 families, and constructed 263 windturbines as well.

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Source: hln.be                      May 3th 2018

Author: not available

Languages: dutch

Google search terms: Unilin; Aspiravi

Picture: John Loo; Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnloo/3016623514

laminate flooring

Baser AG headquarter: Leverkusen Germany

Bayer AG is a German chemical and pharmaceutical concern with 99820 employees worldwide;  (turn-over 2017): 49 billion euro.

The company has paid 35 billion euro for the acquisition of Monsanto, although the agro-business has been re-sold to BASF (Germany) under the request of the European Commission. The purchase comes with the acquisition of the Monsanto site at the Port of Antwerp (Belgium) where pesticides are manufactured with 750 employees.

Monsanto is an agrochemical multinational from Grève Coeur (Missouri, USA) with a turn-over of 14.6 billion $ (2017) and 20500 employees. It is famous for the pesticide brand ‘Roundup’ and an expert in genetically engineered of crops.

Port of Antwerp headquarter (Belgium)

Source: gva.be                      July 30th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  dutch

Google search terms:  Bayer/Monsanto/Antwerp

Pictures: A Savin, Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pano-bayer-leverkusen.jpg  | Olaf Pictures; Creative Commons; https://pixabay.com/en/belgium-antwerp-office-building-1748930/

Soliver NV is the largest independant producer of safety glass for automobiles in Europe.  The company (HQ: Roeselare, Belgium) has been created in year 1950; it serves first brand customers such as BMW, Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini.

Under the guidance of Goldman Sachs, the AGP Group from Peru has taken a minority ownership position in Soliver (the amount of shares purchased has not been disclosed; investment : 30 million euro).

The AGP Group (Peru, 1800 employees)  is a manufacturer of specialty glass for automotive and marine markets. It serves 650 customers worldwide and has an operational presence in 20 countries.     The company wants to expand its manufacturing base in Europe and broaden the productportfolio with windshields and panoramic roofs. The current number of employees will go from 300 to 350 in Roeselare (Belgium).

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Source: businesswire.com                     June 15th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Soliver / AGP Group

Software AG is the seventh largest software vendor in  Europe. It serves more than 10000 clients in over 70 countries (HQ: Darmstadt/Germany; turn-over 2017: 579 million euro; 4596 employees). Trendminer is a developer of software, start-up of the univerisity of Leuven (KUL university) in year 2008 (HQ: Hasselt/Belgium; turn-over: 6 million euro) and with offices in Hasselt (Belgium), Houston, New York, Cologne (Germany).  The company has developed an IT-platform for the analyses of large amounts of data, a product that is mainly sold to the chemical industry (with customers such as Evonik, Exxon, Basf), pharma industry (Pfizer), mining- and oil industry.

Ag Software Los Cantos, Madrid, Spain

Source: itweb.co.za                 June 15th 2018

Author: not available/EPIC MSL Group

Language: english

Google search terms: Software AG / Trendminer

Pictures: By Zarateman [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tres_Cantos_-_Software_AG_2.JPG  |  Software AG Germany; Marc Fippel;  Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); https://www.flickr.com/photos/softwareag_d/25186757233/in/photostream | 

ForFarmers UK

The feed sector is consolidating in Belgium.  ForFarmers acquires Voeders Algoet (Zulte; Belgium)  for 14 million euro ( 6 times EDITDA). Voeders Algoet has been established in 1883 on the riverbanks of the Leie (Western Belgium).  The company produces 150000 tonnes of feed annually ( 50 % of it to be pig-feed) and  has 22 employees. The size of the Belgian feed market is about 7 million tons.

ForFarmers was a cooperative originally, but is now listed on the (AEX) stock exchange. The company manufactures and commercializes feed in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK (turn-over 2017: 2.2 billion euro: 2325 employees). ForFarmers runs 42 productionsites.

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Source: nieuwsblad.bbe     June 12th 2018

Author: Eddy Lefevre

Language: dutch

Google search terms: ForFarmers/ Voeders Algoet

Pictures:  Jonathan Hutchins;Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0);https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5199303

Yuso, a Belgian company, integrates renewable energy projects,  provides services to optimize  the profitability of  renewable energy production and constructs energy storage facilities.

Nippon Koei is a large Japanese  engineering consulting firm in the fields of  water resources, energy generation, regional development, transportation, environment (turn-over 2017/18: 820 million euro; 4500 employees).

Yuso and Nippon Koei have formed a joint venture for the investment of 12 million euro in the “Ruien Energy Storage” project. In the western part of Belgium, a battery pack of 25Mw will be installled in order to provide energy injections into the electricity grid at moments of  need and in order to store energy locally.  The storage capacity is equivalent to the daily energy consumption of 3000 families. It will be the largest energy-pack in Belgium.

4 Mw energy storage at  Pullman WA,USA

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Source: madeinwest-vlaanderen.be    June 27th 2018

Author: Karel Cambien

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Yuso/ Nippon Koei

Picture: By UniEnergy Technologies [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1_MW_4_MWh_Turner_Energy_Storage_Project_in_Pullman,_WA.jpg

Vinci Energies is a large French conglomerate which has been created in  the year 1899 (Headquarter: Rueil Malmaison/France; turn-over 2017: 40.2 billion euro; 194000 employees). It is active in the construction sector and a worldplayer in ‘concessions’ (such as in operating  4300 km french highways, tunnels (Marseille), airports (Grenoble , Chambéry and stadiums ). In addition the company provides services in the energy sector such as… production and transport of electricity, construction of urban lights, delivery of electricity to industry, infrastructure for telecommunication,….

AVT is a Belgian company, specialised in industrial automation projects (including the use of robotics). It’s HQ is located in Essen (Belgium; 65 employees). The company has offices in Germany, China, France and The Netherlands.

Vinci Energies has acquired AVT corporation. The invested amount has not been disclosed.

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Source:a-vt.be     June 25th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms: AVT / Essen

PostNL  is a parcel- and e-commerce logistical service provider from Den Hague (The Netherlands).  In 2011 the former TNT Express demerged into PostNL  and was listed on Euronext Amsterdam . The company is active in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy and UK ( turn-over 2017: 3.4 billion euro; 46400 employees).

PostNL is growing quickly in Belgium (+ 36% in 2017) and has established a new headquarter in Mechelen (Belgium) with 100 employees. In total PostNL provides a job to 550 persons in Belgium. Within the next few years the company intends to  open two new  parcel distribution centers in Belgium.

PostNL worldwide headquarter Den Hague / The Netherlands

Source: dvo.be     August 10th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: PostNL / Mechelen

Picture: By FaceMePLS (originally posted to Flickr as TNT Post NL) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TNT_Post_Den_Haag_NL.jpg  // By Loesoe90 [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PostNL_Stint.jpg

Materialise has been created in 1990 as a spin-off of the University of Leuven (Belgium). It is specialised in software guided additive manufacturing in three dimensions (3D Printing) and is listed on the Nasdaq (MTLS).

Materialise develops software to adapt data to the manufacturing process and  to provide optimization tools and control systems for the production process. The company  provides medical services in terms of medical image based production preparations, surgical drilling and cutting guidance, manufacturing of implants and replicas of organs. The medical software, MIMICS, has been launched on the market in the year 1992.

The headquarter is located in Leuven (Belgium); the company has software development centers in Belgium, USA, China, Ukraine, Germany and Malaysia) as well as 140 industrial printing machines in operation at locations in Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic and Germany (turn-over 2017: 160 million euro; 1500 employees).

BASF  invests 25 million  $ to facilitate further expansion of Materialise.

BASF is the largest chemical corporation in the world (HQ:Ludwigshafen/Germany; revenue 2017: 64.4 billion euro; 115000 employees).

Bukobot Reprap Open Source 3D printer

Source: engineering.com     August 1th 2018

Author: Michael Molitch-Hou

Language: english

Google search terms: BASF/Materialise

Picture: By Deezmaker [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Bukobot_Reprap_3D_Printer.jpg

Cloudalize corporation (Belgium) offers  the use /rent of  high end computing power, cloud based, on  clients own modest pc , without the need for the customer to purchase himself such a sophisticated computer and software. The graphical capabilities make it particularly usefull in the real estate sector and allow agencies to provide their customers with high quality and sophistic views on existing or yet-to-construct buildings.  The computing capabilities are also of interest to architects and engineers. Cloudalize is a Belgian start-up from 2011, currently active in Ghent (Belgium), London, Lasi (Roumenia), Burlingame (USA)  and Amsterdam (The Netherlands). Cloudalize provides a job to 24 experts and will hire new ones.

Horizons Ventures Limited is a Hong Kong based Venture Capital firm with a focus on technology start-ups; It runs the investments of Mr Li Ka-Shing and has invested in companies such as Deepmind, Facebook, Waze, Siri, Spotify.

Horizons Ventures has invested 4 million euro in Cloudalize.

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Source: Emerce.nl                                 August 23th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  dutch

Google search terms:  Claudalize

Bertschi is a Swiss logistical service provider for the chemical industry ; HQ: Dürrenäsch, Switzerland; turn-over: 660 million Swiss francs; 2400 employees.

The company operates 25 containerterminals, 26000 tankcontainers and owns 1200 trucks. It has a presence in 21 countries.

Bertschi opens a new 25000 m2 terminal for plastic products in the port of Antwerp. It has a capacity of 20000 tonnes of product; ultimately the 80000 m2 site will become a fully trimodal location for plastic products.

Port of Antwerp; Belgium

Source: Freightweek.org                 June 13th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Bertschi/Antwerp

Picture: HesselVisser/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/en/antwerp-belgium-boat-container-2019989/

Coca-Cola European Partners is a multinational bottling company,  marketing, producing and distribution Coca-cola, Fanta and Sprite beverages. The company is partly owned by the Coca-Cola company (18%), the public (44%) and partners (34%). Headquarters is located at Uxbridge in UK and the company runs 50 bottling plants in Europe (turn-over: 10.9 billion euro; 25000 employees ; year 2016).

Coca Cola European Partners runs three production plants in Belgium (Gent, Antwerp, Chaudfontaine)  and six distribution centers (Gent, Antwerp, Hasselt, Chaudfontaine, Howald, Heppignies). The company invests 13.7 million euro in the construction of a new warehouse at Antwerp in order to increase capacity; at this location 413 million litres of beverages (Coca-cola, Sprite and Fanta) are bottled yearly with 400 employees.

Source: Nieuwsblad.be                                                    August 28th  2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Coca cola / Antwerpen

Pictures: Simon Berry/Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)/https://www.flickr.com/photos/colalife/8543954469  //By Hariadhi [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons/  https://commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:CocaColaBottle_background_free.jpg   // Shahroozporia/the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coca-Cola_6_bottle_pack.JPG

Cargill  (HQ: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA) is the largest privately owned corporation in the USA (if it would be on the stock exchange it would be 15th largest). The family Cargill owns 90% of shares. The company is trading grain and other agricultural commodities such as palm oil; it is involved in raision livestock and the manufacture of animal foods; it produces food ingredients such as starches and sugars, vegetable oils and fats. The company has a turn-over of more than 115 billion dollars (2018) and 150000 employees. Cargill stands for 25 % of all USA grain exports and supplies 22% to the US domestic meat market. It has activities in 66 countries.

The Cargill lake office in Minnetonka, home to executives of the largest private company in the USA.

The site in Moeskroen (Belgium) transforms pure- and milk chocolate in liquid and non-liquid ingredients for the manufacturers of  ice-cream, confectionary and bakery products. Cargill invests 12 million euro in order to expand production capacity.

Source: engineeringnet.be                 June 19th 2018

Author: not available

Language:dutch

Google search terms: Cargill/Moeskroen

Pictures: dghchocolatier/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/en/ganache-whisk-chocolate-dessert-2424496  //  By Bobak Ha’Eri [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2009-0612-07-CargillLakeOffice.jpg  //  Alexander Stein/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/nl/chocolade-donkere-koffie-confiserie-183543  //  Gall/Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)/https://www.flickr.com/photos/gail_thepinkpeppercorn/3159279052 

Campine corporation (Beerse, Belgium) recycles old batteries into products for fire retardancy, masterbatches for plastics, PET catalysts and the chemicals lead (58 tonnes) and antimony. The company is listed on the Belgian stock exchange. Antimony trioxide is used as a flame retardant component in platics, textile products and cables. The lead is sold to manufacturers of batteries and lead plates.

Campine invests 25 million euro mainly to increase the recycling proportion of plastics. The company has 104 employees and a turn-over of 216 million euro (2017); sales of the chemical “lead” accounts for 130 million euro.

Campine Beerse Belgium

Source: madeinkempen.be                                   May 24th 2018

Author: Paul Huysmans

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Campine / 25

Picture: By Funkyxian [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nijverheidsstraat_2,_Beerse_(2).jpg

Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium

Wallenuis Wilhelmsen (HQ: Lysaker/Norway; turn-over 2016: 2.2 billion $; 3300 employees in 2007)  is a private Norwegian & Swedisch provider of logistical services and a large transporter of vehicles.

The company started activities in the Port of Zeebrugge in the year 1999; this year, 2018, 20 million euro will be invested in a 49 ha expansion.

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Source: Globaltrademag.com                       February 23th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms:

Pictures: Hpgruesen; CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/en/seaport-zeebrugge-kai-mole-2736350  //  By Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zeebrugge_Car_Carriers_R01.jpg

Mitral Technologies is a young medical device company  (started in year 2014) specialized in treatment against leakage of  valves in the hart. The company moves its headquarter from Minnesota (USA) to Liege (Belgium).

The company received 3.2 million euro funding from governmental funds and business angels and will continue development work in the USA and Belgium.

 Source: Trends.levif.be                      January 29th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Mitral Technologies

Pictures: By BruceBlaus [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mitral_Valve_Regurgitation.png  //  Stampf/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/en/faucet-water-silhouette-drip-tiles-1066629/

Google invests an additional 250 million euro in its data-center at st Ghislain (Belgium) and a new building will be constructed. Google arrived in Belgium in the year 2009 and invested sofar more than one billion euro at this location, providing a job to 350 persons.

Google is an American corporation that provides internet related services (HQ: Menlo Park/California; employees: 85000).

Google Menlo Park California

Source: LeSoir.be                   February 1th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Google/St Ghislain

Picture: By Jijithecat [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Googleplex-Patio-Aug-2014.JPG

Eurogentec is specialised in the development of bio-pharmaceuticals and vaccins and provides services on genomics and proteomics. The company, based in Seraing (Belgium) has been acquired by the Japanes company, Kaneka in the year 2010.  Forty million euro will be invested in expanding the manufacturing facilities for bio-pharmaceuticals.  A new building of 3600 m2 will be constructed and 40 new jobs will be created (current number of employees: 390).

Kaneka is a chemical corporation with HQ in Osaka, Japan (turn-over 2014: 5 billion $; 8530 employees)

Source: trends.levif.be                    January 17th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Eurogentec

Pictures: Par Eurogentec [Public domain], de Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eurogentec-egt1.JPG?uselang=fr  //  By Waimuratasuzu [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaneka20140918.jpg

Kaneka Osaka Japan

Miracor Medical has developed a coronary sinus occlusion (PiCSO) impulse system for cardiac surgeons to facilitate the treatment for myocardial infarction ( this is about heart patients with hart attack undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.  The product will be launched in 2019. Additional clinical tests are currently being carried out, for which 25 M euro of funds are collected. About half of this amount is provided by public funds from the governement of Wallonia, southern part of Belgium.

The  HQ moves from Vienna to Awans (Belgium). Thirty persons will be employed at this location in the next few years.

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Source: rtbf.be                 January 5th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: Miracor Medical

Pictures: open clipart vectors/CCO Creative Commons/ https://pixabay.com/fr/cardiaque-impulsion-systole-156059  //  open clipart vectors/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/fr/arythmie-crise-cardiaque-cardiaque-156099  // Darkostojanovic/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/fr/m%C3%A9dicaux-nomination-m%C3%A9decin-563427/

Petiva is a small Indian company from Hyderabad (India) and has been created in the year 2009. Its registered paid capital is 100.000 Rs (1200 euro).  The company holds several worldwide patents on the creation of genetic engineered enzymes (such as isomerase) used in  the transformation of sugars. The modified enzymes are “more stable” as compared to the natural counterparts, enabling the use of them for industrial transformation of sugars such as sucrose into “low caloric sugars” such as  honeytose and nectarose These  sugars are naturally present in the nectar of flowers and honey in low quantities.

The company intends to invest  150 million euro in pilot plant facilities and, later on, production facilities Seneffe, a region where a lot of sugar beets are  harvested.

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Source: LaLibre.be                  May 29th 2018

Author: Emeline  Berlier

Language: french

Google search terms: Petiva/Seneffe

Pictures: CCO Public Domain/https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1331928  //  Inra Jean Weber/Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)/https://www.flickr.com/photos/inra_dist/23454682864  //  fjLindsbe/CCO Creative Commons/https://pixabay.com/fr/betterave-%C3%A0-sucre-tracteur-r%C3%A9colte-606779/

                                                                                                                             Lakshmi Mittal

Aperam produces stainless steel products in factories in Belgium, France and Brasil, and is owned (40.83%) by the Indian family Mittal.

After having invested 15 million euro in the factory in Charleroi last year (2017), the company invests 200 million euro in it’s factory in Genk (Belgium) in 2018 and in order to increase manufacturing capacity.

Aperam has been splitt from Arcelor Mittal in 2011 (turn over 2017: 5 billion euro; 10700 employees).

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Source: standaard.be    August 7th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Aperam/Genk

Pictures: By Ligfebow [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or FAL], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kitchen_Knife_03_Stainless_steel_Cutting_edge.JPG  //  By Financial Times (Flickr: Lionel Barber Lakshmi Mittal) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lakshmi_Mittal_LM.jpg

Brucargo; Brussels; Belgium

DHL inaugurates a new hub for parcel distribution at Brucargo (airport of Brussels, Belgium). Two hundred new jobs have been created (1200 employees in 2018). The center can distribute 42000 parcels/hour. DHL invested 140 million euro.  Brucargo is the part of the airport that handles goods (size: 100 ha); it has a capacity available for 31 planes.

DHL is a logisitcal service provider and  part of Deutsche Post AG. DHL has 530000 employees and a turn over of  61 billion $ (2016).

Brussels Airport

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Source: LaLibre.be                 Februrary 22th 2018

Author: not available

Language: french

Google search terms: DHL / Brucargo

Pictures: By Adrian Pingstone [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dhl.a300b4.oo-dlz.arp.jpg  //   CCO Public Domain/https://pxhere.com/en/photo/948616  //  Brussels Airport/Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)/https://www.flickr.com/photos/brusselsairport/7781778092  //By Konstantin von Wedelstaedt [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)], via Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brussels_-_National_(Zaventem)_-_Melsbroek_(BRU_-_EBBR_-_EBMB)_AN1788412.jpg

3M  invests 4 million euro in a new technical service center at  their factory in Zwijndrecht (Antwerp, Belgium). Clients can train on 3M technologies at the site and new development projects will be carried out as well.

3M (formerly called “Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company”) is a large conglomerate  producing a many types of products (adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronics, medical care products.

Turn-over 2017: 31.7 billion $ ; 91000 employees.

3M headquarter Mapplewood Minnesota

Source: engineeringnet.be                   April 26th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: 3M / 4 miljoen

Picture:        Nick Schwartz/  Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)/https://www.flickr.com/photos/21850654@N08/6317391720

Cainiao Smart Logistics Network is the logistical service provider of Alibaba (Chinese e-commerce leader, turn over 2018: 39.9 billion $; 66400 employees). Cainiao delivers 1 billion parcels per week  (in the future …. this will be 1 billion parcels per day); the company invests 15 billion euro in the development of its worldwide delivery network.  For this the company has choosen several  airports that will be used a major hubs: Hangzhou, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur en Moskou.  Western Europe will be delivered by a new hub at the  Airport of Liege (Belgium). A large new logistical facility will be build at this location.

Source: engineeringnet.be             June 7th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms:

Pictures: Raimond Spekking; the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Li%C3%A8ge_Airport_banner.jpg  //  Par Charliepug [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], de Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alixblog.png?uselang=fr

Port of Zeebrugge (Belgium)

The Port of Zeebrugge is the second largest port (container and  bulk) in Belgium. It is largest port in the world for import & export of vehicles (2.8 million units in 2016). It is a “deepsea” port  accessible by large ships and well located on the  North Sea shores of Europe.  Also, the port contains large terminals for arrival of gas from Norway, Australia,Middle East  and Africa.  The port provides a job to 10000 persons.

Subsequent to the arrival of Cosco, who bought the APM Terminals of the Port of Zeebrugge in 2017  (and immediately after sold a 10% stake to French CMA-CMG),  the Shanghai Linglang Economic Development Group invests 85.3 million euro in a new logistical park of 30 ha in the port.

 Cosco headquarter Beijing

Source: focus-WTV.be              May 18th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms:  haven Zeebrugge / 85

Pictures: By Peter Morgan from Beijing, China (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File:Costco_Building,_Beijing.jpg  //  Par Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], de Wikimedia Commons/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zeebrugge_Containerkranen_R01.jpg?uselang=fr

Oleon ( HQ:Ertvelde/Belgium; turn-over year 2017: 700 million euro; 1000 employees) produces oleochemicals (chemicals derived from animal and plant sources) in the Port of Gent (Belgium).  The market for sustainable, non-oil based, chemicals is growing worldwide. Oleon invests 20 million euro in the production of  isostearine ,  a bio-based chemical that is used in cosmetics and lacquers, and  made from  sunflower oil. The investment  increases the efficiency of the production technology and enables the use of another raw material source. Oleon is the largest European producer of oleochemicals, and aims to increase its marketshare from 15% to 28%.

Oleon is part of  Sofiproteol, a company within the French Avril Group (HQ: Paris/France; turn over 2014: 6.5 billion euro; 7200 employees). It is an agro-industrial corporation with focus on nutrition, energy and chemical markets. It’s main objective is to promote the use of natural oils and proteins.

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Source: tijd.be                 June 6th 2018

Author: not available

Language: dutch

Google search terms: Oleon / 20 miljoen