world leaders

Special issue | December 2011
world leaders
from
Wallonia
Wallonia has several world champions! Whether in their sector, or in
a highly specialised niche, or even in a very specific type of product,
almost more than 40 firms are in «pole position» in the world.
Who are they? In which market do they operate? How did we proceed to identify
our hidden champions? To begin with, it is worth knowing that a first such
«inventory» had been drawn up by the editorial staff of Dynamisme Wallon 4 years ago (2007).
We therefore applied ourselves to the task of updating that first list. Next, an appeal was made by the
Walloon Business Federation (UWE) among the various associated sectoral federations. We also went
through the press and scoured the web. All in all, those different actions enabled us to update our data
and integrate a few newcomers. This overview is not comprehensive: there are… hidden champions
and we had also to make a selection between sectors, between regions,…between champions!
SPECIAL ISSUE
IBA.
Building new hope in the battle
against cancer
FLYING-CAM
The world leader
in Close Range
Aerial Filming
Last year, Flying-Cam released SARAH, a revolutionary
electric VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) MUAS (Miniature
Unmanned Aerial System) featuring 25 Kg / 55 Lbs take off
weight and 30 minutes flight time with a 5 Kg / 11 Lbs payload.
W
ith movie credits like Hancock, James Bond 007,
Harry Potter, Mission Impossible, and Academy
Award Winner in Hollywood, Flying-Cam detains the
world leadership in Close Range Aerial Filming. Today, the
technology will also be used for air traffic management and
general aviation research, technology & development projects
in partnership with Boeing, EADS and Airbus Military.
Make proton therapy accessible and affordable to more patients
Triumphing over illness and recovering full health is the wish of each patient, the goal of every physician
and the motivation for all researchers. At IBA, we are a passionate team of professionals dedicated to
developing more precise solutions for diagnosing and treating cancer and major diseases.
We have also extended this expertise to industrial sectors, offering sterilization and ionization solutions that
make everyday life simply safer.
Founded in 1986, IBA is now a world leader in the five complementary fields in which it operates.
IBA activities
– Molecular Imaging
– Radiotherapy Dosimetry
– Particle Therapy
– In Vitro Diagnosis
– Radiopharmacy Solutions
The Wallon company ignited the close range aerial filming
concept in the 1970’s and has been leading the way with its
Award-winning Flying-Cam I and II Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
in the motion picture industry. Today, Flying-Cam continues
to change the face of the Industry with the introduction of the
Flying-Cam III SARAH: “A Stradivarius sings like a bird with a
human voice. The Flying Camera is free as a bird with human
wings. The strings resound under the violinist’s soul and
instrument tonal character. The stimulus of light on the screen
is flying on the bridge between the pilot three dimensional
neuronal pulse and the camera operator’s eye.”
It is the result of 7 years R&D from the Flying-Cam
Unmanned Aerial System division. Under the same roof,
the Gyro Head, the flying Platform and last but not least the
Automatic Pilot (Flying-Cam CAP System) was developed to
a unique state of the art integration. Incorporating efficient
aerodynamics, innovative automatic flight modes and modular
interchangeable payloads all in a portable unit that is quickly
deployable, the SARAH system provides unprecedented
precision Aerial Imagery Intelligence.
SARAH is designed with uncompromised picture quality in
mind, responding to the most demanding Digital Cinema and
Field Production Live Broadcast Industries. SARAH provides a
fully electric solution, smooth and powerful.
A new gyrostabilized Camera Head is integrated in the system
using motion control space age technology. It includes
automatic horizon leveling and can host cameras like Canon
5D, RED EPIC, Sony PMW-EX1, SONY PMW-F3 or PANASONIC
AG-AF 100, including the nano flash technology system or HD
live broadcast transmitter with COFDM low latency technology.
For Special Aerial Response, the SARAH gyrohead can also
integrate a FLIR P Series thermals sensor, a laser range
finder or a CBRN sensor for plume tracking and remote threat
detection. The Flying-Cam SARAH is the first VTOL MUAV
providing high precision positioning and navigation. With a
heading accuracy of 0,5° and a DGPS with 2,5 cm precision, it
offers new possibilities for geo-tracking, from Civil Security to
Defense missions.
The Spanish Aerospace Research Centre FADA-CATEC has
taken delivery of its first SARAH systems. They will be used
for air traffic management and general aviation research,
technology & development projects in partnership with
aeronautic and spatial companies.
In response to the global needs of Motion Pictures and
Broadcast Television Production, the Flying-Cam Research
& Development Center in Belgium is at the State of the Art
Unmanned Helicopter Technologies. The Flying-Cam Company
provides worldwide services. Flying from Europe, Hollywood,
Hong-Kong and in the Middle East. Latest projects include
feature films (Curse of the Golden Flower, The Kite Runner,
Hostage, Harry Potter, James Bond...), TV series (Lost,
Desperate Housewives, Heroes...) commercials and broadcast
live events. Granted with an Academy Award, FLYING-CAM is
now introducing the Broadcast and Motion Picture Industry
into a new world of autonomous flight capabilities.
Dynamisme December 2011 .3
SPECIAL ISSUE
PRAYON
Worldwide leader
in phosphate
creativity
World Leaders
from
Wallonia
SOLVAY
Three sectors,
three leaderships
H
ybrid and electric vehicles, food processing: the link
is the technology and the know-how of the Walloon
worldwide leader in phosphate. With more than a century
of industrial experience, the Belgium-based Prayon Group is
indeed a world leader in phosphate chemistry. It manufactures
an extensive range of phosphate and fluorine products that
are used in food applications, industrial applications, fertilizers
and other applications such as pharmaceuticals. With
manufacturing operations in Belgium, France and the United
States, Prayon serves a global customer base through a sales
and service organization that spans the globe.
As world leader in phosphate chemistry, Prayon has been
operating in Belgium for over one hundred years. It has a
global presence, with four production sites, 30 manufacturing
workshops and 100 local representative offices worldwide. As
Europe’s leading manufacturer of purified phosphoric acid,
Prayon sells innovative, top-quality products to hundreds of
sectors (foodstuffs, industry, horticulture, etc.). Its technical
expertise is acknowledged and used worldwide, even by our
competitors. 50% of phosphoric acid production sites in the
world are manufacturing under licence from Prayon and use
equipment developed by the Walloon company.
Prayon manufactures an extensive range of purified
phosphoric acids, phosphate salts and fluorine products, as
well as a series of specialty chemicals such as zeolites and
sulphuric acid. At its plants, Prayon transforms phosphate ore
into phosphoric acid. Once purified, this acid is either sold or
processed into phosphate salts by reaction with alkalis.
Preservation of taste and nutritional properties, optimal
control of melting and emulsification processes, excellent
retention of natural juices at freezing stage, leavening agent,
acidity regulator and mineral balance,… phosphates are
naturally present in most foods and are valuable aids to
all food processing processes. Prayon’s food applications
laboratory enables it to meet market requirements and offer
innovative products consistent with the latest food trends.
Reduction of corrosion risk, metal brightening, binding agent for
refractories, fire retardants, set retardant for plaster and cement,
anti-limescale and anti-corrosion agent but also sequestering
and buffering agent in the water treatment, dental care or
even hybrid and electric vehicles batteries, these new products
have allowed to break into markets as diverse as energy, water
treatment and probiotics. They also enable Prayon to meet 21st
century challenges such as the increasing scarcity of natural
resources, a growing population and technological change.
Today, the Prayon Group manufactures lithium boron iron
phosphate, a cathode material used in hybrid and electric
vehicles, as well as stationary applications. Commercialised
under the Pray-Lion trademark, this product delivers excellent
safety and outstanding energy performance. Based on knowhow initially developed by the French Atomic Energy and
Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), it scaled up using our
patented high-speed, low-cost continuous process.
4. Dynamisme December 2011
GSK BIOLOGICALS
T
hirty-five doses of vaccines in 169 countries …
every second! 3 million of vaccines delivered a day
to 165 countries worldwide! It means over a quarter
of the international vaccine market.
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals (GSK Biologicals), the vaccine division
of the GSK Group, is a global vaccine research, development and
production company, at the cutting edge of innovation in the fight
against the most deadly infections and diseases. Headquartered
in Belgium, GSK Biologicals employs over 11,000 people
worldwide, of which 7,000 in its three Belgian sites: Rixensart,
Wavre and Gembloux. GSK Biologicals’ global production network
is in the midst of becoming the largest in the entire vaccines
industry; 15 production sites strategically positioned around the
world manufacture, formulate, fill, pack, check and deliver over a
billion doses of about 30 different vaccines.
Once the pioneering treatments have been developed, they
are manufactured to the highest standards and distributed
across the regions that need them most. Accomplishing this
as efficiently and quickly as possible can quite literally be a
matter of life and death. So it's no wonder that more than
70% of its talented workforce is based within Global Industrial
Operations - the essential business unit that manufactures
and manages the entire vaccine supply process, from
customer order to product dispatch on a global scale.
Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective and successful of
public health interventions. It has been used to tackle diseases
such as rabies, diphtheria, tetanus, yellow fever and, more
recently, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella and hepatitis B.
In the past, vaccination was aimed mostly at the young.
A first-ever
malaria vaccine
Today it can be used for people of all ages with a range of
vaccines available to prevent disease at all stages of life.
3million of its vaccines are delivered a day to 165 countries
worldwide. 1600 GSK scientists are devoted to discovering
new vaccines.
Each year, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the
bad. A vaccine of GSK Biologicals is in the Top 10 of medical
breakthroughs for 2011: a first-ever malaria vaccine tested in
children in sub-Saharan Africa cut the risk of infection with
malaria by about half — a remarkable achievement, considering
there has never been a vaccine against a human parasite before,
or against malaria, which infects millions of children each year.
Scientists reported that the experimental vaccine known as RTS,S
was 56% effective in protecting children aged 5 to 17 months from
infection with malaria a year after immunization. The vaccine was
also 47% effective in preventing severe cases of the disease.
The trial is not complete. Researchers are continuing to follow
a younger group of infants, aged 6 to 12 weeks, who are being
vaccinated as well. This group would be the target population
for the malaria vaccine, should it prove effective, since they take
part in routine public health vaccination programs. Both age
groups will be followed for nearly three years to track malaria
infections and to see how long protection lasts; researchers are
also collecting additional safety data in infants. The trial, which
involves a total of 15,460 children, will be completed in 2014.
While the initial findings were encouraging, public health officials
now have to decide whether they are strong enough to warrant
widespread immunization where malaria is endemic. Generally,
vaccines against childhood infections such as measles and
rotavirus reach efficacy rates of 70% to more than 90%..
N
umber one for soda ash, hydrogen peroxide,
sodium bicarbonate, high performance engineering
polymers, high performance silica, rare earth
formulations, diphenols, specialty surfactants and polymers,
etc. Solvay is now forming a major global chemical player,
providing added-value products and high-performance
solutions in key markets including consumer goods.
Solvay is also «number 2» for fluorinated chemicals,
polyamide 6.6 & polyamide 6.6-based engineering plastics.
Solvay is also present on the third place with its vinyls,
fluorinated polymers and cellulose acetate tow.
Concretely, it means that Solvay Chemicals is the world’s
largest producer of essential chemicals such as soda ash,
hydrogen peroxide and sodium bicarbonate. It is also a global
leader in specialty products such as fluorinated chemicals.
Solvay Plastics is a leading world producer of specialty
polymers and vinyls and has the widest plastics range
available: Solvay Specialty Polymers manufactures more
products with more performance than any other polymer
company in the world.
Solvay Rhodia is a world leader in the development and
production of specialty chemicals and provides added-value
products and high-performance solutions to diversified
markets, including automotive, electronics, flavours and
fragrances, health, personal and home care, consumer
goods and industrial.
Solvay is an international chemical Group committed to
sustainable development with a clear focus on innovation
and operational excellence. Its recent acquisition of specialty
chemicals company Rhodia created a much larger player
which is realizing over 90% of its sales in markets where it is
among the top 3 global leaders.
Solvay offers a broad range of products that contribute to
improving quality of life and its customers' performance in
markets such as consumer goods, construction, automotive,
energy, water and environment, and electronics.
The Group is headquartered in Brussels and its companies
employ about 30,000 people in 55 countries.
Dynamisme December 2011 .5
SPECIAL ISSUE
NEXANS
leading expert
in the cable
industry
TECHSPACE AERO
World Leaders
from
World leader
in lubrication
Wallonia
T
he Walloon touch of the new high-voltage submarine
power link between Mallorca and Ibiza: Nexans Charleroi.
Contract value is in excess of 90 million euros. New phase
in project to link Spain’s power grid to the Balearic Islands will
see Nexans design, manufacture and install the world’s longest
and deepest 3-core XLPE submarine power cable.
P
artner to the world’s major engine manufacturers,
Techspace Aero has been involved in the majority of
the most important aerospace programs over the
decades. A SAFRAN Group company, Techspace Aero designs,
develops and produces modules, equipment and test cells for
aerospace engines. Techspace Aero is also a leading designer
and manufacturer of valves for space engines.
The submarine cable will be manufactured at the specialized
Nexans facility in Halden, Norway and will incorporate fibre
optic elements produced at the Rognan facility in Norway.
In addition to the 115 km subsea cable, the project will
include 24 km of single-core HV land cable from the Nexans
factory in Charleroi, Belgium together with accessories
from Nexans Cossonay in Switzerland.
Techspace Aero is the leader worldwide for turbojet engine
lubrication systems. Its share in the aircraft market of
100 seats or more, in terms of deliveries, remained as high
as 55% over the last decade.
Nexans Benelux is one of the biggest manufacturers of cables
in Belgium. Indeed, it possesses wide, specialist know-how and
is heavily represented in the industrial market. Besides cables
and components, the company also offers turnkey solutions.
At present, Nexans Benelux has two walloon production units.
• The site in Charleroi produces medium and high-voltage
cables (6 to 500 kV) with synthetic insulation (XLPE).Charleroi
has its own testing laboratory and also takes care of the
installation of its cables and accessory components from
Nexans group. This site is also focused on the outsourcing
services (studies, maintenance).
LHOIST
• The site in Dour manufactures medium and low-voltage cables
(up to 6 kV) as well as aerial cables (Aero-Z). The metallurgical
department for copper and aluminium, which supplies all the
company sites in Belgium, is also located here.
Nexans, a worldwide leading expert in the cable industry,
has been awarded a turnkey contract worth in excess of
90 million euros by REE (Red Eléctrica de España), the
operator of the Spanish power system and the owner of the
power transmission grid, to create a new 115 km highvoltage (HV) submarine power link between the Islands
of Mallorca and Ibiza. This project forms part of the set of
investments that REE is making in order to interconnect
the Balearic Islands with the Iberian Peninsula so as to
guarantee and improve the reliability of the electricity supply
on the Islands. This principal goal also brings together the
efficiency, saving and reduction of emissions.
Another 100 MW link will establish two world records for
both the longest 3-core high-voltage AC connection and the
deepest, at an installation depth of 750 metres.
With energy as the basis of its development, Nexans,
worldwide expert in the cable industry, offers an extensive
range of cables and cabling systems. The Group is a global
player in the infrastructure, industry, building and Local Area
Network markets. Nexans addresses a series of market
segments: from energy, transport and telecom networks
to shipbuilding, oil and gas, nuclear power, automotives,
electronics, aeronautics, material handling and automation.
6. Dynamisme December 2011
L
hoist Group is a world leader in the production of lime,
dolime and raw limestone-based and dolomite-based
goods required for the production of glass, paper,
chemicals, building & construction materials, etc. as they
absorb foreign and polluting substances.
Over the course of the last century, the Lhoist Group,
which began in Belgium and then expanded into France,
has progressively acquired genuine international status.
Belguim’s Lhoist Group is more than 120 years old and is the
world leader for lime and dolime products, with operations
in more than 22 countries. Lhoist Group includes 90 factories
located in Europe, the USA and Brazil. The Group employs
over 5.5 thousand employees.
The Lhoist Group develops high quality solutions from
the finest natural mineral resources. The carbonates,
lime, dolime and speciality products bring essential
functionalities to its customers' processes. Lime and
lime-based products are used in a wide variety of traditional
and emerging applications because of their chemical and
physical properties.
Leadership
in lime and
dolime products
Agriculture, chemical, civil engineering, construction, gas
treatment, glass, Iron and steel, paper, refractories, drinking
water, wastewater, mining, the activities of the Group have an
endless list of applications.
Logistics, technical assistance, exclusive processes, on-site
trial, Lhoist also helps its clients to optimise their use of lime:
Lhoist Engineering & Lime Application offers a complete
range of services, from basic consultancy to the installation
of customised «turnkey» systems.
Their staff can assist with the storage, extraction, transport,
dosing, slaking, mixing and injection of lime, as well as with
the preparation of lime milk.
The R&D departments also constantly strive to improve their
current products and to develop new ones, through close
co-operation with the customers. Here are a few examples
of our new products: highly reactive calcium hydroxides for
dry flue-gas treatment, low-dust milled quicklime, for soil
treatment in civil engineering, fluidised powdered quicklime,
designed specifically for injection with magnesium in hot
metal desulphurisation.
Partner to the world’s major engine manufacturers,
Techspace Aero designs, develops and produces modules,
equipment and test benches for aeronautical and space
engines. Thanks to its high-tech products, Techspace Aero
contributes to the success of Airbus (A320, A330, A340, A380,
A400M), Boeing (B737, B747, B767, B777, B787), Embraer
(190) and many other aircraft or space launchers as the
Ariane 5. A SAFRAN Group company (F- 56% of capital),
Techspace Aero’s other shareholders are the Walloon Region
(B- 31%), Pratt & Whitney (USA-11%) and the Federal
Investment Company (B- 2%).
Based on its technological maturity, the company plays an
important role in aerospace propulsion evolution and is a
leader in its three areas of expertise. Thanks to its highly
skilled workforce, the company takes in charge complete
systems right from the preliminary design stage. It provides
its clients with innovative, integrated solutions, which
continually improve their own performance.
Techspace Aero is a world renowned expert in the design,
development and production of low pressure compressors
and front bearing supports for turbo-reactors. It works in
partnership with the world's major engine manufacturers
(Snecma, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, ...). With over
50 years experience in its field, Techspace Aero is able to
produce high tech parts.
Techspace Aero has an outstanding reputation on the world
market in oil system equipment for aero-engines: 30 years
experience and over 20.000 equipment sets delivered.
Techspace Aero is Europe's industrial reference for the
design and manufacture of valves and flow regulation
equipment for liquid propulsion of space launchers.
Techspace Aero has over 50 years experience in the
aero-engine test cell industry. That expertise has been
extended to industrial turbine facilities.
Dynamisme December 2011 .7
SPECIAL ISSUE
CMI
A collection
of world
leaderships
World Leaders
from
Wallonia
ENZYBEL
S
Leading
nature beyond
its own limits
teel galvanising and colour coating lines, steam
generators, guns and turrets: CMI Group collects
worldwide leaderships. Consequence of a long history,
inextricably linked to that of the industrial revolution…
International technical equipment manufacturer active in
three sectors (Energy, Defence and Industry), CMI has two
complementary specialities: engineering and maintenance.
The industrial group has world leadership or co-leadership
in the segment of recovery boilers for steam and gas
combined-cycle power stations, gun-turret systems for light
armoured vehicles and steel galvanisation lines.
In 1817, the British businessman John Cockerill began
his activity in Wallonia, supplying weaving looms to wool
industry. He radiply diversified the activities: blast fumaces,
industrial boilers, warships,… Passionate about steam
machinery, in 1835 Cockerill builded the first working steam
locomotive to run on the European continent. Today, with
the benefit of this centuries old understanding of industrial
processes, and driven by the same conquering and innovative
spirit of its founder, the CMI Group is an industrial supplier
of equipment and one of the leading actors in energy,
defense and industry. As an engineering conglomerate,
it has developed a wide range of services to design,
modernize and overhaul industrial equipment.
CMI Energy designs and installs boilers for electrical power
plants and industrial use, fired in turn by fossil (coal, oil, gas)
and nuclear fuels. The major product in its portfolio is the
heat recovery steam generator associated with gas turbines,
a field where CMI is the world leader. The technology used
by CMI has matured to respond to a global market that
demands ever more power and greater efficiency, and it has
diversified its products and technologies.
CMI, through its business unit CMI Metallurgy, is the world
leader in the design and supply of steel galvanising and
colour coating lines to most major steel producers in the
world. Through its subsidiary Heurbel, it also supplies
thermal equipment such as furnaces for coating lines and
slab re-heating furnaces. CMI has, since its inception, always
been closely associated with steel producers and has, thanks
to its expertise, taken part actively in the technological
development of the steel industry.
CMI Industry supplies processing equipment for the iron and
steel industry. It has developed a wide range of cold rolling
and processing solutions as well as thermal, chemical,
electrical and automation systems. It also supplies industrial
and environmental furnaces, and shunting locomotives. In
addition to new equipment, it offers a broad range of services
covering outsourced maintenance and revamping of existing
equipment in order the comply the most stringent quality and
environmental international standards.
8. Dynamisme December 2011
I-MOVIX
When the invisible
comes to light
W
ith major references and sports events attendance, the
Belgian company is a leader in the new market of slow
motion at very high speed (150 to 10,000 frames per
second). The technology has applications in live sports and other
live TV productions, as well as in commercials, documentaries,
feature films, industrial applications & scientific R&D.
I-MOVIX is a Belgian company with market-leading technology
in the domain of extreme slow-motion. The company is
developing and commercializing full broadcast integration
solutions, providing ultra slow-motion shots in real-time
and of extraordinary quality.
The company started the development of its technology in
2005 and its flagship product, the «SprintCam Live» system,
was launched on the international broadcast market in 2007.
The international development of I-MOVIX really started with
the Beijing 2008's biggest sport event in the world. Experts,
among others, agreed to acknowledge that the added value of
the extreme slow-motion technology for sports broadcasting
applications is real in bringing the excellent performance of
the sportsmen and sportswomen of the world, always trying
to surpass themselves, even better to light.
Created in partnership with Vision Research – for the digital
high-speed video part – and Fujinon – for the broadcast lens
part –, the SprintCam systems are able to meet the broadcast
needs of the most demanding live events.
In addition to their main advantages in terms of full broadcast
integration, quality of the extreme slow-motion shots and
flexibility, an important strength of the SprintCam systems is
their unmatched light sensitivity, enabling to use them even
in the worst light conditions.
The value proposition of I-MOVIX to the broadcast market is
precisely the potential to bring the invisible to light, thanks to
the ultra slow-motion shots the camera systems are able to
capture and replay instantly.
To make it possible, I-MOVIX capitalizes on key resources:
the R&D staff being at the cutting-edge of technology, an
efficient sales and marketing team, a small and highly
flexible organizational structure, the support of the company
shareholders, and last but not least, a distribution network of
professional partners and broadcast specialists.
I-MOVIX is a young company that has already succeeded
in establishing itself as a major ultra slow-motion solution
provider on the global television broadcast market, especially
regarding live sports broadcasting.
The company has now to keep and strengthen its positioning
in this worldwide market, thanks to the development of
high-quality products and services, to a strong marketing
plan, and to a growing global network of partners of
excellence.
W
ith a position of market leader in natural proteases
Enzybel International is dedicated to the production
and commercialization of compounds derived from
the nature. Its main business areas are natural enzymes
(proteases), waste management and snail extracts production.
Founded in January 2006, Enzybel International had as
primary mission to answer the world-wide needs of plant
proteases for food, pet food, nutraceutical, cosmetic and
pharmaceutical industries.
The company offers the latest technology in refining and spray
drying so as to provide its industry partners with the highest
market standards in papain, bromelain, ficin and actinidin.
Enzybel International is a worldwide leader in the
production and commercialization of natural enzymes
to a wide range of industries. Enzybel International
manages its business in three major geographic divisions:
Europe (Belgium), North America (Philadelphia) and Asia
(Hong-Kong). Currently, Enzybel International is serving
two new markets: the wastewater treatment market and
the biopharmaceutical market with the snail extracts and
the vegetable enzymes.
Enzybel is specialized in papain extraction and purification.
The company produces papain under all forms, liquid,
powder and microgranulate, according the FCC and USP
specifications. Its worldwide leadership position makes it
an essential partner for applications in food and beverage
processing, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and
textile industries.
Dynamisme December 2011 .9
SPECIAL ISSUE
KNAUF INSULATION
Belgium and
Europe’s largest
glass wool site
World Leaders
from
Wallonia
CORMAN
World leader
in butters
and anhydrous
milk fats
K
nauf Insulation is investing in Visé and expanding
its business. Its Visé-based plant will become the
largest glass wool manufacturing site in Europe.
An exciting new development for this major division of the
German group Knauf, which already has a firm foothold in
Belgium, is rolling out plans to further boost its business
activities in the Liège region. Once this expansion process is
complete, Visé will be home to Europe’s largest glass wool
manufacturing plant.
This capacity increase at the Knauf Insulation plant in Visé is
part of a long-standing expansion strategy launched by the
group. In the wake of the success enjoyed by the ECOSE®
Technology, new investments have been signed off for
Western Europe and the investment in the Visé plant is a
direct consequence of this dynamic.
AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS
The Visé plant is designed to produce more sustainable
glass wool, allowing ECOSE® Technology to manufacture a
mineral wool that is easier to handle, has a higher level of
durability and boasts all the usual advantages of traditional
mineral wool. ECOSE® Technology is a revolutionary,
sustainable binder technology based on rapidly renewable
bio-based materials rather than petroleum-based chemicals
commonly used in traditional fiberglass insulation products.
It was launched after five years of intensive research and
development, essentially in Visé.
ECOSE® Technology converts natural, rapidly renewable
bio-based materials into an inert polymer for superior
environmental sustainability. And it does not contain phenol,
formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors. By reducing
the binder embodied energy up to 70% compared to our
traditional fiberglass insulation binder, ECOSE®Technology
reduces the total embodied energy of EcoBatt® Insulation by
approximately 4%.
Knauf Insulation is the fastest-growing insulation
manufacturer in the world, with a wide range of insulation
products to meet the growing demand for energy efficiency
and acoustic performance in new and existing homes,
commercial buildings, industrial, and OEM applications.
From a practical point of view, the Visé plant currently has
a production capacity of 90,000 tonnes of glass wool. After
expansion, the capacity will increase to 120,000 tonnes,
becoming the biggest in Europe. The total investment is
estimated at 66 million euros.
The Visé plant can be held up as a model, both from a
yield perspective and in terms of its ecological credentials.
This expansion project once again goes to prove that the
insulation sector is booming at a European level. At a time
when European energy needs are spiralling upwards and
the solutions to save this same energy is more than ever
essential, the insulation sector holds a bright future.
10. Dynamisme December 2011
World leader
in physical access
control and
security equipment
S
ince a long time, Automatic Systems ranks among the
world’s top 5 in the field of automated access control
and is the world leader in automatic gates. Automatic
Systems is a world leader in the production of automated
control equipment for pedestrian and vehicle entrances.
The firm based in Wavre has a string of prestigious references
throughout the world. Automatic Systems (subsidiary of
the IER Group), applies its more than 40 years of industrial
experience in designing and manufacturing cutting-edge
control equipment for paid access and secure access.
For the vehicle access control, Automatic Systems offers a vast
range of rising, swinging, or fenced barriers and retractable
obstacles that meet the needs of highway toll operators, traffic
managers and parking lot attendants. This equipment also
provides perimeter control for entrances to sensitive sites,
such as harbour facilities or at-risk industrial sites.
Automatic Systems, leader in the automation of security
entrance control for pedestrian and vehicle entrances,
designs and manufactures a complete range of security
entrance lanes, swing gates and security booths to control
pedestrian access to office buildings, head offices, banks,
administrations and sensitive sites.
Able to integrate every kind of ticketing system, equipped
with the latest communication modules, Automatic Systems
solutions offer project feasibility specifications and analysis,
specific detection control technology, and project management,
in pedestrian or passenger access control. Designed to give
fast access to authorized persons only, Automatic Systems’
pedestrian entry control equipment – such as security
entrance lanes, swing gates and turnstiles – integrate perfectly
into office building lobbies, bank entrances, head offices,
government buildings or even recreation sites.
With its large range of barriers and retractable obstacles and
bollard Automatic Systems also meets the needs of traffic
managers and operators of highway toll-collection systems
and car parks. Automatic Systems also serves the operators
and integrators of public transport with specific access
control equipment for passenger access control in metro,
rail networks and airports (building and perimeter access,
boarding control, immigration control).
Automatic Systems provides also public transportation
operators and integrators with a range of access control
equipment that meet their requirements for performance,
integration and modularity. Using the latest advances in
single-user detection and control, Automatic Systems
develops automated solutions to allow airports and
government authorities to control passengers at
immigration checkpoints, such as aircraft boarding.
T
he keys to success? A recognized expertise and
innovation in technological butters and creams
(spreadable butters, low-fat and low-cholesterol
butters and creams) and in nutritional dairy ingredients
for the food industry, professionals, consumers, catering.
Butters with specific melting profiles for biscuits or puff
pastries, butters which can be spread straight from the
fridge, low-fat or low-cholesterol butters and creams: just
a few examples of Corman’s products, obtained exclusively
through physical and natural transformation of carefully
selected dairy cream or butter. This recognized quality of
products and services has enabled the company to build up
a position as world leader in milk fats.
Corman is the world leader in added values fats (butter,
cream, spreads,…) for consumers, professionals and
industries. In collaboration with food manufacturers, the
company develops functional ingredients for puff pastry
and laminated dough, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream, dairy
products and many more applications for the food industry.
Balade and Carlsbourg are well-known brands that supply
light products and products low in cholesterol. Balade is the
only “light” butter in the world that is 100% dairy, containing
half the fat and six times less cholesterol.
Supplied to the entire world, these products are intended for
the foodstuffs industries, artisans and professionals in the
food and drink trade and consumers.
Dynamisme December 2011 .11
SPECIAL ISSUE
MEURA
Brewery
of the future
BEA
World Leaders
from
Pioneer in the
sensor industry
Wallonia
M
ore than 25% of all beers you enjoy around the world
are produced with Meura equipment… Meura has
been manufacturing brewing equipment since 1845
when Jean-Baptiste Meura founded his workshop in Tournai.
Today, the company’s products cover malt milling, complete
brewhouses and yeast management. With the beer industry
globalising rapidly, nearly all of Meura’s business is in the
export market.
Specialist in engineering, design and manufacturing of
brewing equipment, Meura is since 1998 part of the FoodPharma division of Boccard Enterprises, a divison specialized
in the realisation of industrial projects in the wine, beer,
food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Meura’s flagship product is the Meura 2001 mash filter,
which is known and renowned worldwide. Always on the
leading edge of technology and novelty, Meura has developed
the Meurabrew: a continuous brewhouse whose major
advantages are a drastic reduction in investment costs, a
significant increase in both thermal- and electrical-energy
performance, and lower water consumption.
B
EVS wins London
Olympics contract
PMC-COLINET
World leader
in tube finishing
technologies
B
ased in Le Roeulx and in Wickliffe, Ohio (USA),
PMC-Colinet is the benchmark for tube and coupling
finishing equipment for the oil and gas industry. PMC
Colinet is the world leader in tube finishing technologies.
Since its integration into Park Ohio in 1999, PMC-Colinet
has been a dominant player in a market were globalisation
and the oil crisis affect the state of play on a daily basis.
PMC-Colinet continuously meets the challenges of
productivity and specialization. Machines bearing the
PMC-Colinet trademark are the highest production,
longest lived machines on the market today.
The Belgian Plant designs and delivers rotating product type
machines. These CNC machines use non-rotating tools to
accurately create the geometry and threads on a rotating
pipe or coupling.
The USA Plant produces rotating tool machines. These CNC
machines use rotating tools to create geometries and thread
forms on non-rotating pipe and couplings.
Both machine types are equally capable of API, standard and
premium connections. However, with their shorter set-up
times, their rotating product machines are better suited to
production schedules with frequent size changes or smaller
runs. The rotating tool machines are designed specifically for
high production, high volume product runs.
12. Dynamisme December 2011
T
he belgian company EVS has won a deal for live
and near-live production infrastructure at the 2012
Olympic Games in London. The deal covers camera
and multiple feed recording, live replays, slow-mo and onthe-fly editing solutions, central media archive, advanced
content management and media sharing workflow systems.
As part of the project, EVS will deploy more than 300 servers
across all venues controlled by the LSM remote system for
slow-motion, super-slow and ultra-slow motion replays over
the two weeks of competition. Additionally, all live-recorded
content will be controlled using IPDirector suites for quick
highlight editing, first level logging and fast turnaround media
exchange with the IBC production teams.
EVS designs leading broadcast and media production systems
for sports, news and TV entertainment. Its innovative Live
Slow Motion system revolutionized live broadcasting, and its
reliable and integrative tapeless solutions are now widely
used for non-linear editing and 3D HD productions across the
globe. EVS is the leader in live outside broadcast digital video
production systems. Its products are intelligent recorders
combined with highly reactive applications, such as the slow
motion system, that has now become a standard worldwide.
The XT3 production server, associated with dedicated
applications such as the famous LSM, enables the creation,
editing and exchange of video files.
Around 7,000 operators on all continents use our group’s
applications on a daily basis. EVS has developed substantial
expertise in compressed video and audio data processing.
The company intends to remain an innovator in the migration
from analogue to digital in television networks, and from
standard definition to high definition. In addition, EVS
will continue diversifying its offering, such as the graphic
analytical tools for live productions.
The company’s world-class systems offer a complete production
platform with live action replays (including Super and Ultra
Slow Motion), clip creation, fast turnaround editing, content
production, asset management, time delay, multicam and
multifeed recording, logging, live graphic analysis, digital
transmission, multiformat ingest and playback, as well as
second screen delivery. EVS also offers software applications,
such as IPDirector® and MulticamLSM®, which are designed
to control the industry’s most robust and flexible production
platform, the XT series server. The world’s leading broadcasters,
including NBC, BSkyB, FOX, RTBF, RTL, NHK, CANAL+, ABC,
ESPN, TF1, CCTV, PBS, CBS, BBC, ZDF, Channel One, Channel7,
RAI, TVE, NEP, MEDIAPRO, EUROMEDIA, BEXEL, ALFACAM and
many others use EVS’ solutions.
Based on its experience in the OB vans, EVS has been penetrating
since a few years the studio segment. The company first attacks
the applications for which the speed is a key success factor, but
also develops solutions for the production of other programs, such
as TV series or news channels. The «Speed to Air» strategy is
based on the XT/XS series servers, the software suites IPDirector
and Insio, and also Xedio that is mainly used by journalists. EVS
gains market shares every year in this segment, and also benefits
from the gradual replacement of tapes by digital solutions and
from the increasing use of high definition. This studio market is
an important growth engine for EVS. It is considered as 10 times
bigger than the outside broadcast market, worth USD 800 million
annually, with a current market share of around 7% for EVS.
EA was founded in Belgium in 1965 and has now over
400 employees around the globe. BEA was a pioneer
in the sensor industry and became one of the first
companies to launch a Doppler microwave radar specially
adapted for automatic doors.
The BEA headquarters located near Liège designs, produces
and distributes their products in Europe. They also drive the
Company’s global strategy, active worldwide through their
subsidiaries in the United States, China, Brazil and Japan
The technologies BEA is using are Doppler effect (RADAR),
active and passive infrared, electromagnetic induction and
laser. BEA exploits them to design motion sensors, presence
sensors and safety sensors for a wide range of applications.
Founded in 1965 by Fernand Van Genechten, BEA is now
considered as the market leader in detection for automated
doors. The company, integrated since 2002 within the AngloSaxon group Halma, owes its success to its inventiveness
which is echoed in exports around the world. Drawing from
its qualified experience in the market for the detection of
pedestrian and industrial automated doors, BEA creates and
develops detectors which guarantee the security and comfort
of its users.
A philosophy and ability which have won over the confidence
of the biggest international brand names such as Deutsche
Bank, Brussels Airport…
The technology which propulsed BEA into the world
rankings is that of radar revised and improved upon for
other applications. For example, the Eagle, their best selling
product is based on digital techniques, profiting temporarily
from analog and taking reliability and conviviality to a level
previously never reached in the industry.
BEA was the first to create overhead detectors for industrial
doors, capable of confronting bad weather, of distinguishing
between pedestrians and vehicles and differenciating their
sense of movement. Though the list of innovations is long
(intelligent communication detectors for the management
of buildings, detectors able to distinguish movement and
presence in order to avoid the unecessary opening of doors
and to save energy).
For the stands of the future, the key words are : movement,
comfort and waves concludes the designer. To resume, BEA
develops products to be seen without being seen !
Dynamisme December 2011 .13
SPECIAL ISSUE
NANOCYL
World leader
in Carbon
Nanotubes
COSUCRA & BENEO-ORAFTI
World Leaders
from
The world's
number one
inulin supplier
Wallonia
S
ince 1982 Cosucra produced fructose to meet the
demand for this interesting alternative to beet sugar.
Soon, it was clear that the native fibre from chicory
had a huge health potential.
In its early days, inulin was just an interesting fibre which
was processed to chicory fructose. Soon other properties
were discovered related to gut health such as immunity,
cholesterol maintenance and calcium absorption. Today,
inulin can replace sugars and fat and correct the texture
profile of the food, while providing an excellent source of
fibre. With over 250 recipe models, Cosucra is able to provide
application advice to merely all food products.
F
ounded in 2002, Nanocyl SA is a leading global
manufacturer of specialty and industrial Carbon
Nanotubes. Nanocyl is headquartered in Sambreville
(Belgium) and has a division in the U.S. and South Korea.
It is also well-established in on the Asia-Pacific market
through strong partnerships with distributors based in
Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and China.
The carbon nanotube is a tube-shaped material, made of
carbon, that has a diameter measuring on the nanometre
scale. A nanometre is one one-billionth of a meter, or
about one ten-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair.
Carbon nanotubes have many structures, differing in length,
thickness, type of helicity, and number of layers. Although
they are formed from essentially the same graphite sheet,
their electrical characteristics differ depending on these
variations, acting either as metals or semiconductors.
Carbon nanotubes typically have a diameter ranging from
below 1 nm up to 50 nm. Their length is typically several
microns, but recent advancements have made them much
longer in the centimetre range.
Nanocyl’s products fully meet the requirements of clients
active in producing synthetic materials and manufacturing
equipments for the automotive, electronics, aeronautic, and
textile industries, among others. As a worldwide leader in
the production and commercialization of Carbon Nanotubes,
Nanocyl™ is focused on providing high performance and
value-added solutions to its customers.
Nanocyl provides high-quality Carbon Nanotube (CNT)
technologies that can improve the properties of your plastic
and composite applications. The carbon nanotubes are
tailor-made for ESD/electrical conductivity, thermal protection,
eco-friendly anti-fouling, and mechanical reinforcement.
Nanocyl uses a CCVD production process which allows
it to permanently develop new products with high added
value. The company develops specialised nanotubes for the
automotive industry, as well as for advanced companies
active in the production of synthetic materials and materials
for the semiconductor industry.
Furthermore Nanocyl is also actively involved in a number of
European research projects on nanotechnology.
14. Dynamisme December 2011
IRM GROUP
I
RM group is a recognized leader in industrial
measurement for the metals industry by combining
industry experience, superior engineering and a
worldwide customer focus. It’s a small international
company specialized in the conception, production and
maintenance of high precision measurement systems
in real time for the metallurgy industry. Based in Belgium,
it has subsidiaries in the US, Canada and China and works
with a worldwide agent’s network around the world.
Excellence
in industrial
measurement
Created in 1980 as a research spin-off, the IRM group is
now a pioneering, high-tech company offering high accuracy
and high speed measuring systems based mainly on laser
triangulation or X-ray/nucleonic technologies. The IRM Group
is headquartered near Liege, Belgium and employs about
70 people providing a comprehensive range of products to test
the flatness, width, thickness, edge profile and coatings of metals.
The technologies referred to are the laser, X-rays, spectrometry,
electromagnetism and vibration analysis. World leader in its
sector, IRM group has received the First Price for Exportation in
2006 as well as the Innovation Technology Price in 2007, and is
among the high speed growth companies in the area. IRM group
was the first to introduce an on-line flatness measurement, the
highly successful ROMETER. IRM group was also the first to
provide an optical width gauge with laser «front» lighting, and to
provide critical plate and slab optical thickness measurement.
And the IRM group/AccuRay™ thickness gauges were the first
on-line nucleonic sensors to be introduced to the industry. Since
then, IRM group has maintained its leadership position through
constant improvement. This includes full development of its own
line of integrated X-ray sources, in-house design of rugged and
reliable sensor mechanics and the integration of state-of-theart software and hardware technologies in all current systems.
IRM Goup is specialized in the research, design, manufacture
and service of industrial measurement systems, combining
extensive industry experience and the latest technologies.
Its products can be used in all processing steps of steel
aluminium or other non-ferrous metals to improve
production and product quality. The group has currently over
1800 various sensors in more than 40 countries worldwide.
As each mill or line is unique, IRM group engineers and
products offer a higher level of flexibility in mechanical
design, operator and computer interfacing, and optimized
measurement capability, to name a few. To ensure
consistency and supportability, all IRM group products start
with a standardized system platform for each application
upon which specific customer requirements are easily added.
COSUCRA Groupe Warcoing is a Belgian group dedicated
to develop, produce and promote natural ingredients from
chicory and yellow pea. It provides solutions for healthy
food in more than 45 countries worldwide by means of
a specialized sales network. Cosucra Groupe Warcoing
offers also a multitude of services throughout product
development: Sales Service, Marketing Service, Technical
Service,Regulatory Service, Nutritional Service.
IRM group non-contact gauges are used from the caster
to the process line to measure and control all dimensional
characteristics of steel, aluminum or other non-ferrous
metals. All IRM group products are designed for the highest
reliability and performance. The superior uptime and
performance guarantees confirm the commitment of IRM
group to provide customers with the best value in industrial
measurement systems.
Headquartered in Belgium, IRM group includes subsidiaries
in the USA, China and Canada, together with a network of
agents in India, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico, Brazil, and
Italy. Consequently, IRM group has increased considerably its
market share worldwide.
IRM Group announced last summer it has been purchased
by Spectris Plc and is now part of NDC Infrared Engineering
Inc. NDC, headquartered in Irwindale California, is a leading
manufacturer of web gauging equipment for the plastics,
rubber, nonwoven, and extrusion coated. IRM group will
provide the same products and services as before. In recent
years, IRM group had grown significantly. This acquisition will
further accelerate the growth and development of IRM group’s
market position through new synergies gained from NDC’s
complementary global measurement and control expertise.
Dynamisme December 2011 .15
SPECIAL ISSUE
MAGOTTEAUX
A world leader
in differentiated
solutions for
material size
reduction
World Leaders
from
Wallonia
SONACA
Flying
with leaders
F
ounded in 1920, Magotteaux is a world leader in
grinding media and wear resistant parts for the
cement and mining industries. It is focussed on
preparing metallurgical advanced grinding media for a
variety of industries that involve crushing and grinding
processes. Products include grinding balls and wear
tables, diaphragms and linings for mills.
Magotteaux is a Belgian foundries group that has become
a global player through its presence in all 5 continents.
Magotteaux provides solutions including products and services
to industries where comminution (crushing, grinding; breaking
into small pieces) processes are essential in the manufacturing
of finished products. The supplied industries are mines, cement,
quarries and recycling and coal power stations. The Group also
delivers products and services to the dredging industry.
Magotteaux pioneered the use of composite materials in the
manufacturing of high added value products. This patented
technology allows this Wallooncompany to propose solutions
differentiated from standard steel and iron foundry products.
Combining metal and ceramics allows the development of
products that are both shock resistant and wear-resistant,
physical properties that are usually mutually exclusive.
The industries Magotteaux supplies are cement works, mines,
quarries and recycling sites, power stations and dredging
companies. These clients all share the same concern:
performance optimisation and production costs. To meet
the needs of these clients, the Group researches, designs,
manufactures and markets grinding media and wear parts
and related services through a thorough understanding of the
production processes of its various clients, the wear mechanisms
involved (abrasion, corrosion, impact) and wear resistant alloys.
Its services include pre-sales (audits, analyses, diagnostics…),
sales (installation, supervision and adjustment) and after-sales
(performance monitoring, real-time installations…). The
experience gained and shared on the field with the clients
has enabled magotteaux to turn what was originally a
passion into true expertise in the grinding process as a whole
(crushing > grinding > ultra-fine grinding) and in wear
mechanisms used in crushing, grinding, pyro-processing
and dredging.
Though Magotteaux is not a manufacturer, the Group
designs and manufactures several machines for specific
markets such as vertical shafts, separators, filling sensors,
automated ball reloading systems,… always with a view to
better meeting the needs of its clients.
16. Dynamisme December 2011
CARMEUSE
C
armeuse is a leading global producer of lime, high
calcium limestone and dolomitic stone dedicated
to many different uses. Largely considered a family
business, the lime and limestone producer Carmeuse has
seen considerable growth for decades through a long-term
policy of expansion through investment and partnerships.
Founded in 1860 in the city of Liège, Carmeuse is today a
leader in producing and supplying all forms of limestone
and its derivatives, including quicklime (calcium oxide),
slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and dolomite (calcium and
magnesium carbonate).
Carmeuse has more than 150 years experience in quarrying
and transforming limestone and dolomite into lime and
lime products using a number of manufacturing processes.
Lime related products are used in multiple aspects of our
everyday life (steel production, masonry, mortars and building
materials, road construction, glass production, agro-food,
paper, chemicals, plastics, carpets, paints, pollution and
processing of gaseous effluents, wastewater processing, ...).
Carmeuse detains strong market positions: the Walloon
company is n°2 in Western Europe, n°1 in Central and
Eastern Europe and n°1 in North America. Carmeuse has
more than 90 production sites all over Western Europe
(Belgium, Italy, France and the Netherlands), Eastern and
A world reference
since more than
150 years
Central Europe (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania
and Turkey) and in North America (the United States and
Canada) as well as Africa (Ghana).
The steel industry is one of the primary end markets where
lime and limestone products can be found. Lime is used
in the various stages of production of iron and steel to
desulfurize and remove impurities during the transforming of
ore into iron.
The second most important industry for Carmeuse is the
building industry where lime is used for soil stabilization,
namely in the construction of roads. It is also used as a
binder, as it exhibits the advantage to enhance plasticity
and to be easily applied. More and more applications are
being developed in the environmental domain to clean
hazardous air pollutants and liquid industrial discharge.
Lime products are used in the waste sector or in the flue gas
treatment to reduce emissions of pollutants from smokestack
exhaust. This sector is particularly active in North America.
Applications for lime can also be found in the glass, paper
and agri-food industries.
This global scope enables it to serve customers worldwide,
delivering products in bulk, on pallets, in bags or containers
via road, rail and sea.
S
onaca is the world leader in the development and
production of aerospace structure components.
Supplier of Airbus, of the Brazilian aircraft
manufacturer Embraer, and of renowned companies such as
Dassault and Bombardier, the company is also very active in
the military and space programmes: design, development,
manufacturing, assembly and test of aerospace structures
and their associated subsystems.
Today, Sonaca employs more than 2,400 people worldwide,
with about 1,600 at the Gosselies site. Facing a very
competitive market, Sonaca strongly repositioned itself
on the market, through a decidedly international strategy
and a diversification of its offer. The company therefore
consolidated its position to concentrate on its numerous
development projects.
At the beginning of the 80s, Sonaca set up a durable
relationship with Airbus. Since more than 3à yeaurs, the
Walloon company is in charge of the wing movable leading
edges (slats) for the A320, A330/340, A350 and A380 Airbus
programs as well as for the fixed leading edges and main
landing gear doors of the A400M. Since 1991 the company has
also been partner of Embraer on their ERJ 145 and derivatives
program, on their e-Jets 170/190 and derivatives and on their
new corporate program under development, named Legacy
450/500. The Walloon company has also commercial and
partnership relations with other aircraft manufacturers, of
which Bombardier (C-Series) and Dassault (F7X).
Sonaca group is present on American soil with three
subsidiaries in Brazil, one in Canada and one in the United
States. The parent company, which has just celebrated its
80th birthday, is located in Gosselies, Belgium.
Dynamisme December 2011 .17
SPECIAL ISSUE
INDUSTEEL
Leader in
special markets
World Leaders
from
NOMACORC
Wallonia
The world’s
leading producer
of alternative
wine closures
P
reviously known as «Fabrique de Fer», Industeel
Belgium in Charleroi employs 950 people and is
specialised in plate fabrication from thin gauge.
Industeel Belgium is worldwide leader in the fabrication of
quarto plates used for liquefied natural gas storage tanks.
N
omacorc is the world’s leading
provider of synthetic
closure
solutions for the
still wine beverage
industry. Major
international wineries
quickly saw the
product’s potential as a
solution to the pervasive
problem of cork taint in wine.
Industeel is the leader in special markets for alloyed plates,
including oil & gas, nuclear, cryogenic and specialised
distribution markets. Industeel was created through the
merger, in 1998, of 2 historic European steel companies:
Fabrique de Fer de Charleroi and Creusot Loire Industrie.
Industeel’s production activities are carried out in three
different facilities: one in Belgium (Charleroi) and two in
France (Chateauneuf-St.Chamond and Le Creusot).
Industeel is specialised in the manufacture of quarto plate at
thicknesses from 5 to 300 mm, widths of 1500 to 3800 mm
and unit weights of up to 20 tons. These type of special plates
are often used in critical applications where failures can have
serious or even catastrophic consequences for the environment.
The quality and reliability of the products, even under the most
severe operating conditions, makes them environmentally
safe for nuclear reactors, water treatment facilities, oil
refineries, gas treatment installations, chemical plants and
all environment-critical steel plate applications. More than
50% of the steel plates produced in Charleroi are exported
outside of Europe, particularly to Asia. Clients throughout the
world belonging to a variety of industrial sectors: chemical,
petrochemical and petroleum; cellulose; water treatment;
pharmaceutical; energy production. As a result, plate is put
to a large variety of uses and applications: transport and
storage of gases; desalinisation plants; refineries; treatment
of gases prior to their emission into the atmosphere; off-shore
platforms; liquefaction and regasification plants.
Each production facility has an electric furnace for the
production of steel (full cycle) and is fully independent.
Starting with select scrap iron, and after a series of operations
that include casting, refining of the liquid steel, rolling heat
treatments, performance tests and surface finishing, the
moment arrives for shipping of the plates on which the
mechanical operations of polishing, calking, bending etc. can
be performed, at the explicit request of the client.
The range of qualities is very extensive, though production
activities focus primarily on: carbon-manganese steels;
Cr-Mo alloyed steels for high temperatures; nickel alloyed
steels for cryogenic uses.
Industeel, benefiting from the work of its own research
centre (CRMC), favours, develops and produces in increasing
volumes a full range of stainless steels: austenitic; ferritic
and martensitic; duplex and superduplex; superaustenitic;
nickel alloys; and refractories. Industeel’s product array
is completed by its capacity to supply stainless steel clad
plates, as well as large-scale heads for pressure vessels.
18. Dynamisme December 2011
SALUC
F
ounded in 1923, Saluc was at that time a chemical
industry specialised in tannery products. After 1950,
this industry died out and Saluc made a conversion
to the billiards balls. Today,Saluc produces and distributes
billiard balls under the registered trademark Aramith in more
than 85 countries, and has a marketshare of 80 % worldwide.
The company is also specialised in the production of
industrial balls used in all kind of applications, as well as in 9
pin bowling balls and trackballs. The exportation represents
98% of its activity. One of the major strengths of the company
is its upstream integration : Saluc has its own chemical plant,
to produce the phenolic resin which gives the exceptionnal
characteristics to the finished products.
Thanks to the upstream process integration, a tight control
of the raw material is possi ble. The thirteen-step production
process lasts up to 23 days and includes casting and
curin processes, combined with unique grinding anstateof-the-art polishing technology Throughout the process,
computerized technology continuously interfaces with and
assist craftsmanship to guarantee the tightest tolerances
and specifications. Regardless of the man automated and
statistical quality controls used each ball is still checked
manually before leaving the factory to provide the worldwide
distribution network with reliable output.
A marketshare
of 80% worldwide
The Aramith ball sets are the reference, used in virtually
all events an tournaments worldwide, whether in pool,
snooker, or carom disciplines. Organizations such as the
United States Professional Poolplayers Association, the
American PoolplayerAssociation, and many others have
also appointed Aramith as the exclusive official balls used
in their tournaments.
The pool set chosen, as seen on TV, is the Super Aramith
Pro-Cup, which features the famous design-protected six
red dots cue ball that cumulates razor-sharp precision with
visualization of the rotation, which is a big help for both the
viewers and the players. This new product is often requested
by amateurs and the pros alike.
The Preciball division of Saluc manufactures and distributes
precision industrial balls: steel, chrome, carbon, plastic,
glass, ceramic,… Saluc quickly grew in a variety of fields
thanks to its unique chemical know-how, its state of
the art manufacturing equipment, and its in-house ball
manufacturing expertise.
Throughout the years as it recognized the demand for
chemical know-how in various markets. Our growth spread
through many markets, including tannery products, phenol
compounds and precision balls, to industrial components
used in virtually every industry.
Since then, Nomacorc has become the world’s largest
producer of alternative wine closures, providing winemakers,
wine industry professionals and consumers with the peace
of mind that their wines will be enjoyed exactly as the
winemaker intended. Using patented co-extrusion technology,
Nomacorc's portfolio of products provides consistent oxygen
management & protects against off-flavors.
For hundreds of years, over 95% of the world’s wines were
kept in the bottle by a natural cork punched from a slice
of cork oak tree bark. The industry and consumers alike
accepted and even heralded the tradition associated with
natural cork wine closures. But as with many traditions,
at some point change becomes inevitable. What makes
Nomacorc closures a superior choice can be summed
up in one word: consistency. The patented co-extrusion
manufacturing process creates engineered closures with
a foamed core and an outer skin. These two elements
work hand in hand to create predictable and consistent
preservation results. The core is breathable and allows
optimum oxygen transfer rates through the closure, while
the outer skin provides a precise and consistent seal.
In addition to its function, the skin has the appearance of
natural cork and preserves the traditional ceremony of
opening a bottle of wine, making Nomacorc appropriate for
any and all occasions. Nomacorc’s 100 percent recyclable
products are available through a vast network of distributors
and sales agents on six continents. With 500 employees
worldwide and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in
Belgium, the United States, Austria and China, Nomacorc
produces more than 2 billion closures annually. Working with
renowned wine research institutes worldwide, the company
leads the wine closure industry in fundamental and applied
research in the area of oxygen management in wine.
Nomacorc’s rapid growth has spurred expansion of its
Zebulon, N.C. corporate headquarters, the Thimister, Beligum
facility that services the European market, and its recent
opening of a production facility in Yantai, Shandong, China.
Dynamisme December 2011 .19
SPECIAL ISSUE
I.R.I.S.
ZINACOR
World Leaders
A worldwide
leader in
intelligent
document
recognition
from
Leader in zinc
wire production
Wallonia
I
Z
.R.I.S. started in 1987 as a university spin-off focusing
on optical character recognition. Since 1992, I.R.I.S. has
also grown as a developer and a provider of technologies
and products in the intelligent document recognition and
electronic document management. In 1999, I.R.I.S. added
a new division focused on IT infrastructure.
Today, I.R.I.S. is a worldwide leader in intelligent document
recognition, and a leading integrator in Europe for document,
content and process management, as well as for delivering
optimized IT infrastructure. The Walloon company supplies
its products to almost 40 million individual users worldwide,
and it directly serves over 1,100 corporate accounts in
Europe. Over 500 specialized professionals are spread over
nine sites in seven countries.
Last year, the company announced the release of its
brand-new IRIScan™ Book 2, a cutting-edge portable
scanner. Cordless, battery-powered and very lightweight, the
IRIScan™ Book 2 enables users on-the-go to easily capture
information from books and magazines without ripping their
pages off, and without the need for a computer. An ideal
device for today’s mobile lifestyle, it makes document capture
and conversion a child’s play, and completes I.R.I.S.’ mobile
scanning portfolio in the most elegant way.
Thanks to its leading wheels, the cordless scanner is steadily
and easily rolled over the book, magazine, or any other
document, and the scanned image is then saved on the 2GB
MicroSD™ card included. The IRIScan™ Book 2 takes only
13 seconds to scan an A4 sheet of paper (in color, 600dpi)
and can store up to 450 high resolution images on the 2GB
MicroSD™ card. No driver installation is needed! Once back
at home or in the office, simply connect the scanner with the
USB cable or pop-in your MicroSD™ card into your computer,
tablet PC or iPad® and share your documents. Go a step
further and use Readiris™ Pro 12 to process your scans and
get rid of monotonous retyping. Within seconds you have a
fully editable and searchable copy of your paper document
imported into your favorite word processor (i.e. Word®,
Pages®), spreadsheet application (i.e. Excel®, Numbers®),
portable document format (i.e. hypercompressed PDF thanks
to iHQC™, I.R.I.S.’ unique PDF compression technology) or
into one of the many available output applications.
IRIS introduced some crucial new features, and the portability,
design and ability to recognize and convert documents in more
than 120 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew, make it
a very attractive solution for anyone who wants to combine
superior scanning functionalities and mobility..
20. Dynamisme December 2011
inacor is world leader in the zinc and zinc alloy wire
production and sales for the thermal spraying process.
It consists in spraying molten zinc or zinc alloy wire on
to a determined surface by using a flame or electric arc gun.
UCB
Focus on
treatments for
severe deseases
I
n 2004, UCB was a diversified pharmaceuticals,
chemicals and films conglomerate. The transformation
of UCB into a biopharmaceutical company, with a
development portfolio of small- and large-molecule
drugs, began in 2004 with the acquisition of Celltech, the
leading British biotech company, and the divestment of
noncore businesses in 2005. The acquisition of schwarz
Pharma in 2006 enriched the company’s late-stage
pipeline, enhancing the company’s short- to mid-term
commercial potential.
The Company's efforts are focussed on treatments for
severe diseases treated by specialists, particularly in
the fields of central nervous system (CNS) disorders
(including epilepsy),inflammatory disorders (including
allergy/respiratory diseases), immune and inflammatory
disorders and oncology. Many of them, for example, affect
several parts of the body, producing a number of socially
and physically debilitating symptoms.
As part of its commitment to patients and to further
the understanding of severe diseases, UCB supports a
number of programs for patients and their families. These
varied programs include mentoring projects, sponsorship
programs, informative Web sites and scholarships, all of
which work toward improving the quality of life for those
affected by severe diseases.
ACAPELA
The voice expert
E
ntirely dedicated to developing and deploying
multilingual natural language interfaces, Acapela
Group is the leader in speech solutions. Acapela
enables customers to create new ways of conversing
and interacting with end-users through speech-enabled
revenue-generating applications.
The multilingual speech solutions (Text to speech and
Automatic Speech Recognition) are available in 23 languages.
Acapela's R&D department is constantly developing new
languages and continue to push back the frontiers of multiple
language ASR and TTS support. Specific languages can be
developed on demand.
Zinacor wires are mainly used to protect metallic structures
against corrosion: Zinacor zinc wires are perfectly suited to
arc as well as flame spraying process and are well known
for their excellent machinability. The main sectors are
cast-iron pipes for running or waste water mains, gas bottles
and tanks and any metallic structure. Zinacor wires are also
used in the capacitor industry.
Such as Zinacor zinc wire, ZnAl alloy wires are perfectly
suited to arc as well as flame spraying process and are well
known for their excellent machinability. Zinacor ZnAl wires
are also used in the welding/soldering sector.
Language Specialties: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch (NL), Dutch
(B), English (UK), English (US), Faroe, French, Finnish, German,
Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Potuguese, Portuguese
(Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Spanish (South America), Swedish,
Turkish are already available.Industry Specialties: With a range
of perfectly sophisticated industrialised technologies deployed in
worldwide applications, Acapela holds a rich range of solutions
well adapted to market needs such as Telecoms, Automotive,
Accessibility, Multimedia, Mobility and industry.
Acapela Group evolves from the strategic combination of three
major European companies in vocal technologies:
• Babel Technologies (created in Mons (Belgium) in 1997, spinoff from Mons' Polytechnics Faculty, proprietary Technologies
in voice synthesis and speech recognition, leader in
embedded systems).
• Infovox (created in Stockholm (Sweden) in 1983, spin-off
from KTH (Royal Institute of Technology), merged into Telia
Promotor in 1993, merged Babel Technologies in 2001, TTS
Leader in Nordic countries, Germany and the Netherlands,
accessibility and telecom expert).
• Elan Speech (created in Toulouse (France) in 1980, TTS expert
since 1996, high quality TTS Technology in 2002, telecom and
Automotive European Leader TTS).
Dynamisme December 2011 .21
IBA
25 years
of innovation
to save lives
World Leaders
from
From getting by to ying high
We support your export
Wallonia
T
riumphing over illness and recovering full health is the wish
of each patient, the goal of every physician and the motivation
for all researchers. Since 25 years, it’s more than a wish or
than a goal, it’s a fact : IBA develops and markets leading-edge
technologies, pharmaceuticals and tailor-made solutions for health
care with a focus on cancer diagnosis and therapy. Leveraging
its scientific expertise, IBA is also active in the field of industrial
sterilization and ionization. IBA: a passionate team of professionals
dedicated to developing leading-edge technologies to fight cancer,
a disease that affects us all, either directly or indirectly.
IBA is recognized as the world leader in proton therapy
systems. It means concretely that IBA proton systems are
part of more than half of the world’s clinically based Proton
Therapy facilities. IBA is committed to making proton therapy,
the most accurate cancer treatment, available worldwide. IBA
is the only supplier to have multiple centers treating cancer
patients with Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS), the most precise
form of Proton Therapy. PBS enables Intensity Modulated
Proton Therapy (IMPT), ensuring clinicians can precisely target
a cancerous tumor by controlling both the intensity and the
spatial distribution of the dose — to the millimeter.
At present, medical solutions for the diagnosis and
treatment of cancer and other disorders are often generic
and undifferentiated. Diagnoses are not early enough and
precise enough to enable doctors to identify a treatment
specific to the patient. The result is that prescribed treatments
and their side effects can sometimes be blanket solutions
that are unsuitable for a patient’s situation. For example,
removal of a kidney in which a tumor has been detected
is in fact inappropriate in more than 20% of cases. These
generic, undifferentiated solutions must make way for more
personalized medicine which is tailored to each patient.
Proton therapy is increasingly considered the most advanced
and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose
distribution and fewer side effects. Protons deposit the majority
of their effective energy within a precisely controlled range,
directly within the tumor and sparing healthy surrounding
tissue. As documented in recent studies concerning treatment
of children, higher doses can be delivered to the tumor without
increasing the risk of side effects and long-term complications,
thereby improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
The IBA vision offers doctors innovative cancer diagnosis
and treatment solutions to help them approach each individual
as a unique case and provide the appropriate treatment as part
of a much more personalized approach. This vision for 2020
is already incorporated into the day-to-day activities of IBA’s
2,100 strong workforce.
After 25 years, the company defined its vision for the next ten years:
personalized medicine for all. In other words, IBA wants to provide
doctors with the tools to allow them to tailor medicine to each
individual in both the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, and
especially in the fight against cancer.
Firstly, as part of its diagnostic solutions, IBA is about to
launch a radiopharmaceutical tracer that will allow urologists
to define with a precision of 98% whether a kidney with a
tumor needs to be removed or not. Then, in cancer treatment,
IBA continues its mission of creating proton therapy centers
throughout the world. This type of treatment, which is the most
advanced and most precise form of radiotherapy, makes the
risk of secondary cancers forming four times less likely. The
Louvain-La-Neuve company is also further strengthening its
position as an international leader in technology since over
half of all the proton therapy establishments in the world
were installed by IBA. These centers have the capacity to treat
over 20,000 patients each year. And finally, with its dosimetry
solutions, IBA provides radiotherapists with tools enabling
them to be 100% certain that radiation doses delivered to
patients correspond exactly to the prescribed course of
treatment.
These more tailored solutions, those still to come, and the
Group’s desire to make them more available and accessible
to patients everywhere in the world, are all part of giving
concrete expression to the Belgian Group's self-imposed
mission: Protect, Enhance and Save Lives.
22. Dynamisme December 2011
As an export credit agency, we offer SMEs,
large companies, multinationals and banks:
• Insurance of export transactions
• Insurance of supplier and buyer credits
• Insurance of cash payable transactions
• Insurance of investments abroad
• Forfaiting for supplier credits
• Financial guarantees
Our activities are guaranteed by the Belgian State,
resulting in Standard & Poor’s AA+ rating.
For an extended overview of the ONDD service product
portfolio and its European branches and afliates, visit
www.ondd.be or call +32 2 788 85 37.
ONDD. Your export enabled by our expertise.
THE BELGIAN EXPORT CREDIT AGENCY
O F F I CE N AT I O N A L D U D U CR O I R E
N AT I O N A L E D E LCR E D E R E D I E N S T
world leaders
from
Wallonia
ACAPELA
AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS
BEA
CARMEUSE
CMI
CORMAN
COSUCRA & BENEO-ORAFTI
ENZYBEL
EVS
FLYING-CAM
GSK BIOLOGICALS
IBA
I-MOVIX
INDUSTEEL
I.R.I.S.
IRM GR0UP
KNAUF INSULATION
LHOIST
MAGOTTEAUX
MEURA
NEXANS
NANOCYL
NOMACORC
PMC-COLINET
PRAYON
SALUC
SOLVAY
SONACA
TECHSPACE AERO
UCB
ZINACOR
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