ABB Group is a Swedish/Swiss manufacturer of products for electric power grids, automation and robotics with  147000 employees and a turn-over of  34.3 billion $ (2017; HQ: Zurich, Switserland).  The company is well established in Bulgaria with operations and manufacturing sites in Petrich, Rakovski, Sevlievo and Sofia and employs 2700 persons in this country. ABB invests  4.2 million $ in a 7400 m2 facility in Petrich for the production of products for electric low voltage connections.  420 New jobs will be created.

Petrich, Bulgaria

Source: new.ABB.com      September 19th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: ABB; Bulgaria; 7

Picture:Vasilmitov [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gr_Petrich_izgled.jpg

The manufacturer of airplanes, Latecoere, has been established in Toulouse (France) in year 2017. The company was well known for its hydro-airplanes. Today it provides an  employment to 4451 individuals and has a turn-over  of 652 million euro. Latecoere manufactures components from airplanes, mainly from Airbus (A350, A380, A400M), but also  from Boeing and Embraer (electric cabinets, doors).

Latecoere invests 15 million euro in a new manufacturing plant for parts of airplanes (doors..) in Plovdiv (Bulgaria). Within the next two years a 9000 m2 hall will be constructed, to provide a job to 150 individuals.

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Source: latecoere.aero                   March 2018

Author: not available

Language:  french

Google search terms: Latecoere; Plovdiv

Picture: No machine-readable author provided. Arnaud 25 assumed (based on copyright claims). [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:Hydravion_biplan_lac_de_Come.JPG

Coca cola opens a new IT service center for its sister companies in Europe & Middle East and Africa. It will provide a job to 130 IT experts. IT ser

Coca cola has additional IT service centers in USA, Mexcio and Singapore.

Source: novinite.com              March 15th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Coca cola; Bulgaria

Picture: Hariadhi; the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CocaColaBottle_background_free.jpg

Cevic E-mobility  (Luxembourg) and Chinese company ‘Cenntro Automotive Corporation’, invest 10 million euro in Plovdiv (Bulgarie) for the assembly of  electric utility vehicles and the manufacturing of components. Three hundred jobs will be created in the next coming years.

Cenntro Automotive Group is a  company  with an automotive platform “Co-op” providing electric vehicle technology, research & development, and supply chain service.   The company, is vertically integrated in  development, construction and commercialisation of  electric vehicles.  The  company partners with owners of  car-assembly facilities in California and Texas, three local assembly facilities in Asia, and one in (Germany).

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Source: intellinews.com                July 13th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Cenntro Motor Corporation ; Bulgaria

Devexperts Gmbh (HQ: Munich, Germany) provides software for capital markets (brokers, wealth management companies, stock exchanges…). The company runs operations in Munich, Antalya and Porto and has 400 employees. The invested amount of capital has not been disclosed.

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Source: novinite.com                        August 30th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms:  Devexperts, research and development, Bulgaria

After having invested  22 million euro’s in the manufacturing facilities for less toxic ‘vapor cigarettes’ (GLO) in Ploiesti (Romania) in the year 2017, and after a successfull introduction on the Romanian market with sales to 25000 customers in 6 months, the company upgrades investments and will invest 800 million euros in the next five years at Ploiesti. A new manufacturing hall from 7000 m2 will be constructed.

In 2017, less toxic e-cigarettes accounted for 500 million pound of sales (including Reynolds American in the USA); this should grow to 5 billion pounds in year 2020.

Turn-over of BAT in year 2017: 20 billion pound (pound/euro : 1.12).

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Source: bat.com      June 11th 2018

Author: Joanne Walia

Language: english

Google search terms: BAT, GLO

Gabinvest, a company from the Blaser Group (Germany, HQ: Isny) invests 7.5 million euro in a new manufacturing plant at Gabrovo (Bulgaria) for the production of hunting rifles. The Bulgarian group has a turn-over of 5 m euro (currently hiring another 25) and is producing the products for sales  under known brands “Blaser, Sauer & Sohn, Mauser, and SIG SAUER.” by other companies from the group.

The Blaser Group employs 350 persons and is owned by L&O holding (HQ: Emsdetten, Germany, 2300 employees).  The holding produces rifles and textiles.

Source: euscoop.com

Author: Petya Petrova

Language: english

Google search terms: Gabinvest; Gabrovo

Picture:Vitaly V. Kuzmin [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) or CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ARMS_%26_Hunting_2012_exhibition_(474-02).jpg

Festo HQ  Esslingen am Neckar                                                                                       Birmingham 2015

Festo is a German engineering company in industrial automation. The company employs 20100 persons worldwide and has a turn-over of 3.1 billlion euro (2018). It is serving 300.000 customers in 176 countries.

Festo is present iin Sofia (Bulgaria) since the year 2015.  It is investing 25.6 million euro in expanding manufacturing facilities in Sofia for the production of ‘stepper and servo electric motors’.  Currently there arre 1000 persons employed in Sofia and this will rise to 2000.

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Source: investor.be        October 31th 2018

Author: Boicho Popov

Language:  Bulgarian

Google search terms: Festo; Sofia

Pictures: Hans; CCO Creative Commons;https://pixabay.com/fr/festo-si%C3%A8ge-de-l-entreprise-b%C3%A2timent-1077264/  –  Find a future; Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0); https://www.flickr.com/photos/131385464@N05/22772905619

Volvo already has sales and services centers for its trucks at Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas. The company will invest 1.5 million euro in a new service and sales center in Plovdiv and another one in Veliko Tarnovo.

Volvo Group predominantly is a manufacturer of trucks and buses (HQ: Gothenburg, Sweden; turn-over 2017   : 94 billion euro; employees: 94900).

Source: seenews.com      June 26th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Volvo, Bulgaria, 1.5

Pictures: Makizox [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Volvo_S90_Momentum_D4_Automatic_2.0_Front.jpg  –  nakhon100 [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volvo_240_GL_(8106080227).jpg?uselang=fr  –  John K Thorne Photo; Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0);https://www.flickr.com/photos/89918055@N05/24487098929  – Mr.choppers [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:1954_Volvo_PV444_HS_rear_side.jpg  –  Frank Schwichtenberg [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Volvo_Truck_%E2%80%93_Discomove_Hamburg_2015_01.jpg

Amylum Bulgaria, starch and sugar manufacturer from Archer Daniels Midland (USA) invests 102 million euro in its site in Razgrad (Bulgaria). The company creates 300 new jobs and will be able to process 900.000 tonnes of maize per year.  Archer Daniels Midland is a food processing company from Chicago with 32200 employees and a turn-over of 62.3 billion $ (2016).

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Source: seenews.com         April 27th 2018

Author: Ivaylo  Mihaylov

Language: english

Google search terms:  ADM; 102;Bulgaria

Reichle is a Swiss manufacturer of cables for communication networks with headquarter in Wetzikon (Switserland).  The company employs 1050 persons in 40 countries and has a turn-over of 199 million euro (2017).  Reichle employs 350 persons in Bulgaria and 100 new jobs will be created.

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Source: seenews.com                  July 4th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms:  Reichle ; Bulgaria

Airport of Plovdiv; Bulgaria

HNA  Airport Group (Haikou, China; turn-over  year 2015: 0.78 billion euro) is a Chinese airport management group which operates  16 airports.  Together with  Plovdiv Airport Invest bv (The Netherlands) it has secured a 35 year operational concession at the airport of  Plovdiv (130 km from Sofia in southern Bulgaria). The company will invest 160 million euro in airport infrastructure the coming years.

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Source: intellinews.com            May 20th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: HNA; Plovdiv airport

Pictures: Gad222 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons;  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plovdiv_airport_-_New_terminal_building.jpg  –  Fly energy [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:Interior,_new_terminal_at_Plovdiv_Airport.JPG?uselang=fr

The Thomas Cook Group is a London based travel company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The group own tour-operators, airlines and hotels. It operates more than 200 hotels (40000 beds)  and which are commercialised under different brands for different market segments (Casa Cook, Cook’s Club, Santido, Sun Connect and Sunprime).

Together with the real estate group, LMEY Group, Thomas Cook invests 40 million euro debt (predominantly from the Pireaus Bank) into  the renovation of a number of self-owned hotels and the acquistion of  others in Greece, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Egypt and Bulgaria. It is investing 7 million euro in the Sunwing  Kallithea hotel in Rhodos and opening a new Casa Cook hotel in Ibiza.  Renovation into a new stylish brand will attract new tourists.

LMEY Investments is a real estate company with headquarter in Zug (Switserland; year 2002).

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Source: hotelmanagement.net          Okctober 30th 2018

Author: Jena Tesse Fox

Language: english

Google search terms: Thomas Cook ; 40 million

Picture: Jan Hagelskamp1 [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons;  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Cook_Shop.jpg

Acronis , a  private cybersecurity company,  provides data-center services and sells backup software, disaster recovery, and secure data access systems to consumers and  small-medium businesses.  The company has been created in Singapore (year 2003) and has its headquarter in Schaffhausen (Switzerland). Acronis is present in 18 countries and has more than 1000 employees. worldwide. It is employing 30 persons at this moment in time at Sofia (Bulgary; San Stefano Plaza; St Stefano Street Sofia), and with a new investment of 50 million euro , the number of employees in Sofia will gradually be increased to 300 and a new R&D center will be created. Worldwide the company has more than 5 million individual customers and 0.5 million business customers.

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Source: iteuropa.com           October 16th 2018

Author: John Garratt

Language: english

Google search terms:  Acronis; Bulgaria; R&D

DHL opens a new logistical center at terminal 2 of the Sofia airport (Bulgaria).  The new building of 10000 sqm will provide housing to 300 employees and will contain state-of -the-art sorting equipment  similar to the ones in other distribution centers of DHL (Leipzig (Germany), Brussels (Belgium), East Midlands (UK), Bergamo (Italy), Cincinnati (USA), Hong Kong (China)). Sorting capacity is 3000 shipments per hour. The invested amount has not been disclosed.

Sofia airport (Bulgaria)

Source: Novinite.com        October 18th 2018

Author: not available

Language: english

Google search terms: DHL; Sofia

Pictures: By Adrian Pingstone [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dhl.a300b4.oo-dlz.arp.jpg  –  Par Gpetrov [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], de Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sofia-airport-morning.jpg?uselang=fr  –   Pascal Reusch;Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported; https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Sofia_Airport.jpg  –  By Apostoloff [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Inside_Sofia_Airport_20090409_018.JPG

The IT technology consulting provider Helecloud started up in Maidenhead (UK, 2016). It runs operations in Sofia with 50 persons. BGF, a mid size venture capital firm from the United Kingdom  (with investments in 239 companies), has provided 2.3 million euro to Helecloud to accelerate the company’s growth in Europe.

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Source: Euscoop.com              October 11th 2018

Author: Petya Petrova

Language: english

Google search terms: Helecloud; Sofia

Equinix is a corporation from Redwood City (California) that establishes data centers and provides services for internet connection (turn over  2017: 4.4 billion $; 6200 employees).  They operate 180 data centers on all continents.  Equinix invests 19 million $ in a second data center at Sofia (Bulgaria).

Equinix Data Center, Frankfurt, Germany                                                                                                                                                                                 Sofia, Bulgaria

Source: datacentrenews.eu             October 4th 2018

Author: Ashton Young

Language: english

Google search terms: Equinix; Bulgaria

Pictures: By Simsalabimbam [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Equinix-Kruppstrasse-2015-Ffm-661-663.jpg  –  By Boby Dimitrov from Sofia, Bulgaria (Downtown Sofia) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown_Sofia_Boby_Dimitrov_1.jpg

Voss Gmbh is a German manufacturer of car equipment such as exhausts, fuel and hydrolic systems (HQ: Wipperfurth-Germany; turn-over 2017: 545 million euro; 5100 employees). Volkswagen AG is one of their main customers. The company invests 15 million euro  in an industrial zone at Bahovitsa (central north Bulgaria) and rents  12225 m2.

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Source: Euscoop.com          October 9th 2018

Author: Alex Dimchev

Language: english

Google search terms: Voss automotive; Euscoop

Nestle, Sofia, Bulgaria

Nestle Sofia (Bulgaria) invests 2.4 million euro in projects to increase labor productivity, energy efficiency and the development of new products.  Over the years the company has spend 130 million euro at this location.  The company offers a variety of products: coffee, culinary products (under the brand “Maggi”), chocolate desserts, baby food, pet food, cereal and coffee machines. With a marketshare for coffee of 40.6% Nestle is the marketleader in Bulgaria.  It is second in chocolate desserts (15.5%) and pet food (23.3%). The company produces 15000 tonnes per year of animal food (KitKat), mainly for export.

Turn-over 2017 of Nestle Bulgaria is 129 million euro.

Swiss based Nestle is the largest food company in the world (HQ: Vevey Switzerland; turn-over 2017: 89 billion swiss francs; 323000 employees).

Nestle HQ Vevey Switzerland

Source: euscoop.com   April 24th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms: Nestle; invest; Bulgaria

Picture: By Vasilcho [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nestle_building_in_Lyulin_district,_Sofia,_BG.JPG  –  By Nestlé (Aerial shot of Nestlé HQ) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NestleHQ.jpg

Mondi Frantschach Zellstoff- und Papierfabrik im Bezirk Wolfsberg, Kärnten, Austria

Mondi Group has its roots in South Africa. It is an international packaging and paper group with 26000 employees and 100 manufacturing sites in 30 countries  (turn-over 2017: 7 billion euro). The company is fully integrated from paper and pulp into packaging and corrugated board.

Mondi Group invests  600 million euro in a new factory in Stamboliyski (Bulgaria).

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source: novinite.com               April 16th 2018

Author: not available

Language:  english

Google search terms:  Mondi; 600; Bulgaria

Picture: By Naturpuur [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mondi_Frantschach_Zellstoff-_und_Papierfabrik,_Bezirk_Wolfsberg,_K%C3%A4rnten.jpg

Melexis is a Belgian manufacturer of microelectronic products for the automotive sector (HQ: Ieper/Belgium; 1200 employees, turn-over 2016: 456 million euro). The company runs 21 operational facilities and has five manufacturing sites (Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Malaysia and France). It will invest 75 million euro in the expansion of the 7500 m2 manufacturing site with another 15000 m2 in Sofia(Bulgaria).  Three hundred new jobs will be created.

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Source: investor.bg                      September 16th 2018

Author: Elena Kirilova

Language: bulgarian

Google search terms:  Melexis; Bulgaria

Picture: Leon 0932/CCO Public Domain/https://pixabay.com/nl/moederbord-technologie-digitaal-1219352/

Leoni AG was created in the year 1569 (Nuremberg, Germany) and manufactures wiring & cable systems for the automotive- and other sectors (employees: 87000, turn-over: 4.4 billion euro in 2016). The company is active since the year 2009 in South Eastern Europe and has constructed since then three  manufacturing sites in Serbia (the most recent one in NIS). They are eamong the largests employers in the country and employ thousands of persons).

Leoni AG invests 32 million euro in an additional manufacturing plant in Pleven (Bulgaria). Two thousand new jobs will be created.

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Source: investsize.com             June 12th 2018

Author:  not available

Language: english

Google search terms: Leoni, Pleven

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 |