THE FRANS WOLFS AWARD
[EDIT: Maastricht, October 10]
The Frans Wolfs Award, or medallion was awarded for the first time at Maastricht’s city hall on October 10. Frans Wolfs, who ran an art gallery, Galerie Wolfs, in Maastricht, for very many years, died recently at a tragically young...[more]
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LIMBURG IN THE HAGUE
[BIZ/GOV: The Hague, October 15]
A major Limburg lobbying group, comprising an elite of the province's political and business leaders, traveled by high-speed train to the Hague this week to demand the attention of the national government for the province's economic...[more]
EUR 43M: SIEMENS-BOMBARDIER
[BIZ/IND: Wegberg-Wildenrath/Erlangen, Oct 14]
The Transportation Systems Group (TS) of Siemens AG is to convert five ICE 3 units for service in France in cooperation with Bombardier Transportation. The Siemens-led consortium and Deutsche Bahn (German Railways)...[more]
MEUSE-RHINE MARKET
[BIZ: Maastricht/Heijenrath, October 14]
Cooperation between the university consultancy, Unipartners Maastricht and the BS International Consultancy group has led to a decision for both parties to become active in the Meuse-Rhine market. BS International is...[more]
TRICEPS
COMMUNITY
[BIZ: Maastricht, October 14]
Triceps is organizing a community evening on November 14 to discuss the business climate in Limburg. The immediate reason for this is the acceleration agenda, which the province is going to use to accelerate economic development....[more]
MERIT MEDICAL IN BEEK
[BIZ/LIFE-SCI: Maastricht, October 13]
A contract has been signed by the municipality of Beek and Merit Medical, a US company that produces endovascular instruments for cardiological and radiographic applications. The contract is for the purchase of a 14,000...[more]
CARGLASS EXPANDS IN HASSELT
[BIZ: Hasselt, October 11]
Carglass, the Hasselt car windscreen repairer owned by the D’Ieteren, has doubled the capacity and employment at its Hasselt call center. There will be another 40 places and just as many new agents. This means that they will be able...[more]
EUR 25M JULIANUS PROJECT
[BIZ: Tongres, October 11]
A start has been made on a EUR 25m shopping complex called ‘Julianus’ in the old St. Jacobus hospital. There is to be an inner courtyard, apartments, and a hotel with 60 rooms. On the second level there will be parking for 185 cars,...[more]
BEATRIXHAVEN DISASTER PLAN
[BIZ/GOV: Maastricht, October 11]
The Beatrixhaven disaster plan is a national first in the context of business park management and demonstrates the role to be played by the City of Maastricht, the Maastricht Fire Service and the regional South Limburg Fire...[more]
CHEMICAL BOOSTER
[BIZ: Maastricht, October 11]
The Intereg project ‘Process Industry 2010’ can rely on a provincial contribution of around EUR 90,000 from the budget. It will also get EUR 25,000 from the province in national funding to promote sustainable business. In concrete...[more]
ECPACK25
[BIZ: Liège, October 11]
There will be an international conference on packaging in the conference center in Liège on November 28 and 29, organized by CIRF. This is the first conference for the Eurovipp network, the European Virtual Institute for the Processing...[more]
BIO-POWER TOO EXPENSIVE
[BIZ/INFRA: Maasbracht, October 10]
The Dutch Minister Brinkhorst is going to reduce the subsidy on green power and this means, according to the power company Essent, that it will be no longer profitable to produce it, and the company is considering stopping...[more]
WALLOON MONEY IN WINCHESTERS
[BIZ: Herstal, October 10]
The Walloon region is going to invest EUR 20m in the US location where Winchester rifles are produced. The FN arms plant in Herstal is the only shareholder of Winchester, so the Walloon region is involved in the restructuring of the...[more]
TRIANEL POWER PLANT IN TICINO
[BIZ: Aachen/Bellinzona, October 10]
The Aachen-based Trianel European Energy Trading company (TEET) has concluded a partnership agreement with the Azienda Elettrica Ticinese (AET) from Bellinzona in Ticino, the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland. They agreed...[more]
NEW BRANCH FOR KUFFERATH AG
[BIZ: Dueren, October 10]
The US branch of the Dueren producer of stainless steel architectural wire mesh (woven metal fabrics engineered for the architecture and design communities) GKD - Gebrueder Kufferath AG is attracting new orders. At its 4,000m2 location...[more]
NATURAL GAS INJECTION ENGINE
[BIZ/SCI-TECH: Aachen, October 9]
The mechatronics specialist Vemac GmbH and the Spanish engineering company Applus + Idiada, (Santa Olivia/Tarragona) have set up a European project for the development of a fuel injection system for natural gas powered engines....[more]
SERVATIUS SUCCESS
[BIZ: Liège, October 8]
The housing project for 39 rental and 49 private housing units in the Rue de Hesbaye in Liège is well underway, and someone from Maastricht has bought the EUR 160,000 penthouse, according to a report in Dagblad De Limburger. The area,...[more]
DSM: CHIEF INNOVATION OFFICER
[BIZ: Heerlen, October 7]
Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths, DSM's new strategy for the next five years that was presented yesterday, has a strong focus on accelerating market-driven growth and innovation and on New Business Development. In this context an...[more]
DSM & AABEL EU SUBSIDIES
[BIZ: Eupen, October 7]
DSM in Limburg and the Maastricht-based company AABEL Dairy Products received the major share of EU agricultural subsidies in the province of Limburg. DSM received EUR 8m from Brussels last year and the Maastricht company received EUR...[more]
NEW DSM 2010 STRATEGY
[BIZ: Heerlen, October 6]
Vision 2005 - Focus & Value transformation strategy successfully completed;
Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths strategy will focus on:
- Market-driven growth and innovation
- Increased presence in emerging economies
-...[more]
BLUE PHOTONICS SELECTS AIXTRON
[BIZ: Aachen/ Walnut, Ca, October 6]
AIXTRON AG, the Aachen-based leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, has completed the installation and commissioning of a Thomas Swan 19x2” Close Coupled Showerhead (CCS) GaN production reactor...[more]
ESW STOLBERG TOP YEAR
[BIZ: Stolberg, October 6]
Electronic service Willms GmbH & Co. KG (ESW) is looking forward to its best result in 20 years. The company is particularly successful with its solutions in LED technology, the light-emitting diodes, and includes both Aixtron and...[more]
GRUENENTHAL IN ECUADOR
[BIZ/LIFE-SCI: Aachen/Quito, October 6]
The Aachen-based pharmaceuticals multi-national Gruenenthal has set up a new production facility in Ecuador’s capital Quito, representing an investment of USD 7.5m. Ecuador is going to be developed into the hub of the...[more]
A&M: LARGE LOAN PORTFOLIOS
[BIZ: Aachen, October 5]
AachenMuenchener has sold two portfolios of large loans for industrial financing of a total volume of roughly EUR 1.0 bn. “With this we are continuing our course of focusing systematically on our core business”,said Michael Westkamp,...[more]
AWEX TO STRENGTHEN GERMAN TIES
[BIZ: Eupen, October 5]
The Walloon export agency AWEX wants to strengthen its ties and involvement in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The most important objective for the export agency is to attract investors, and it has been successful in 33 cases. Six hundred...[more]
AACHEN COLLOQUIUM NEWS
[BIZ/IND: Aachen, October 5]
The 14th Aachener Colloquium for the automotive industry, which is currently welcoming 1,500 specialists to the city, has had a focus on alternative forms of drive including the hybrid, a combustion and an electric motor combined...[more]
SPI+ PUBLIC HOUSING CASTLE
[BIZ/INFRA: Angleur, October 4]
The provincial development company in Liège SPI+ has spent EUR 730,000 with the housing association Le Logis Social, to buy the well-known Château Nagelmackers in the Liège suburb of Angleur. The building used to be the property...[more]
WUST TAKEN OVER BY BESIX GROUP
[BIZ: Malmédy, October 4]
The Malmédy construction company Wust has been taken over by the Besix Group. Wust will retain its name and operate independently. It employs 600 and produces revenues in the region of EUR 100m and will have a 10% share in the Besix...[more]
NOMACORC EXTENDS IN THIMISTER
[BIZ: Thimister, October 4]
The Nomacorc company, which produces synthetic corks and was founded in the US six years ago by Marc Noel from Eupen, is now extending its premises into Thimister where it is going to set up a production facility. The company is the...[more]
ARXES FOR SALE
[BIZ: Cologne, October 3]
The former Aachen-based IT service provider Arxes is for sale. The Dutch company NDO Services, which belongs to the private equity business Waterland, wants to take it over for EUR 2.40 per share. In 2004/2005 they had EUR 44m and employed...[more]
MRI WINS INTERNATIONAL TENDER
[BIZ: Maastricht, October 3]
The Belgian branch of the MRI Capital group, which has a base in Maastricht, has won an important international tender. This relates to the complete outsourcing of human resources and payroll activities of the external sales group...[more]
Q-PARK PARKING AWARD
[BIZ: Maastricht/Glasgow, October 2]
Q-Park, Europe’s leading car parking company, has today hailed the receipt of an award from the European Parking Association (EPA) as a sign that the parking industry has changed to become a design and quality led consumer...[more]
Z-O-O BETS ON INTUITION
[BIZ: Maastricht, October
2]
Z-O-O [Zuid Organisatie Ontwikkeling] -south development organization, which has been holding workshops on the decision-making procedure, has shown that 99% of decisions are made on an intuitive basis and it has been exploring this...[more]
80 NEW JOBS AT FORD GENK
[BIZ: Genk, October 2]
Despite Ford’s worldwide cutback on suppliers, the Genk supplier Ford Genk Service Magazijn Limburg (SML) will be starting 80 new jobs next year, according to a report in Het Belang Van Limburg. SML had been hit by the move of the Ford...[more]
MAJOR SIEMENS TEST CONTRACT
[BIZ/LOG: Wegberg, October 2]
At the Siemens rail test track in Wegberg-Wildenrath a contract worth millions of euros has been tested. The transport system in Norway’s capital Oslo has ordered 30 metro trains with a total value of EUR 140m. These trains are...[more]
NRW AIRPORTS: MORE PASSENGERS
[BIZ: Cologne, October 2]
The North-Rhine Westphalian Airports are announcing a lot of activity as the Fall holiday nears. Around 1.4 million passengers want to fly from Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn to warmer parts — this is more than ever before. The most popular...[more]
GENK FLANDERS BUSINESS GATEWAY
[BIZ: Genk, October 2]
In 2007, as part of the Flemish government’s Limburg plan, Genk will be recognized as the business gateway. The assets of the city are primarily its interesting logistical options in Limburg. In three years time there have been 16 new...[more]
3I: 1 BELGIAN TAKEOVER P.A.
[BIZ: Brussels, October 2]
The British private equity 3i is looking to make a major buy-out each year in Belgium. The company sees it as a less mature market than The Netherlands with more opportunities for investment. Recently the company has taken over ABX,...[more]
SUEZ TAKEOVER SYNERGY
[BIZ: Paris, October 2]
The takeover of Electrabel by the French utilities group Suez is going to cost EUR 110m before there can be any revenue from operational synergies. This is what Suez says in a prospectus relating to its public bid for Electrabel. The...[more]
NUON: EUR 1BN POWER PLANT
[BIZ/INFRA: Amsterdam, October 2]
The Dutch energy company Nuon is developing a new power plant to provide two million households with power. The cost of the project is around EUR 1bn and this is the largest investment ever made by Nuon. According to the company...[more]
GRUENENTHAL INVESTS EUR 25M
[BIZ/LIFE-SCI: Aachen, October 2]
Grünenthal has invested EUR 25m in its central building in South Eilendorf in Aachen. The modern packaging plant can pack 200–600 packages in blister packs in a minute and then they go on to the racks, which are 26 stories high....[more]
QUECK EUROPEAN EXCELLENCE
[BIZ: Düren, October 2]
Queck, the steel company, has been awarded the European Steel Construction prize. The first building completed this year was the Grand-Duchesse Josephine-Charlotte Concert Hall in the Luxemburg district of Kirchberg. The European steel...[more]
AVIAPARTNER INTO IT & SECURITY
[BIZ: Liège/Brussels, October 2]
The Belgian provider of ramp and aircraft handling services, Aviapartner, is going to focus on improving existing activities for the next 18 months. Three of their existing operations are losing money. In a later stage they will...[more]
ANGLO-FRENCH TAKEOVER OF SPE
[BIZ: Brussels/Hasselt, October 2]
The British energy concern Centrica and its French counterpart Gaz de France (GDF) have taken over the Belgium power company SPE. They are taking a 50/50 joint venture via Segebel, and 51% of SPE. The Flemish energy provider...[more]
XDC (EVS) BRANCH IN FRANCE
[BIZ: Liège, October 2]
EVS, the Liège-based broadcast equipment company, has set up a branch in France for its digital cinema subsidiary XDC. The company has to equip 300 cinemas in four years. XDC provides digital cinema servers and rents or sells them with...[more]
PUNCH: ONBOARD COMPUTERS
[BIZ: Brussels, October 2]
Punch International has taken over Industrial Control Systems (ICS) from Pon, and in exchange, Pon is taking a restricted stake in Punch Telematics Holdings, the company that links all of the telematics activities in the company. ICS...[more]
FLANDERS ON THE BIOTECH MAP
[BIZ/LIFE-SCI: Brussels, October 2]
Flanders is the location of one of four European biotech clusters. Although the United States is still virtually the monarch of all it surveys in this sector, Copenhagen in Denmark, Cambridge in England, and Ivry in France,...[more]
JAM GROUP’S NEARLY-NEW CAR
[BIZ: Hasselt, October 2]
The Limburg Jam Group, which has a concession for Mercedes, Chrysler, Jeep, and Smart, is going to expand its offerings. From October 1 Jam Group’s clients at their branches in Lommel, Hasselt, and Bree can also get a nearly-new, second-hand...[more]
TESSENDERLO GROUP IN CHINA
[BIZ: Tessenderlo, October 2]
The Tessenderlo chemicals group is investing EUR 3.5m, doubling its capacity for benzyl chloride and benzaldehyde in China. The investment will also be used to improve the quality of the benzaldehyde. This investment is a response...[more]
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| Logistics and Infrastructure |
TNT AIRWAYS EXPANDS FLEET
[LOG/BIZ: Liège, October 11]
The Belgian airline TNT Airways, which operates from Liège Airport, has concluded a contract with GE Capital Aviation for the delivery of two Boeing 737-300s, according to the magazine Air Cargo World. The Israeli company IAI/Bedek...[more]
BERGLAND EXPRESS
[LOG: Utrecht/Brussels, October 10]
The Bergland Express rail service to winter sports destinations will be running from Friday, December 30, 2005, through March 19, 2006. In Belgium, it runs from Brussels and Louvain to Liège with the last stop in Aachen. Destinations...[more]
MEUSE-RHINE LOGISTICS
[LOG: Liège, October 5]
The ‘Heartbeat of Logistics’ organization held a seminar at Liège airport recently, to update major players on the logistics sector in Meuse-Rhine. Speakers included Vincent Gernay of Liège airport, Frans Ridderbeekx of the Limburg development...[more]
HEIJMANS EXPANDS INTO RAIL
[LOG: Rosmalen, October 3]
Heijmans NV (property development, building and infrastructure) expects to take over the German railway construction company, Heitkamp Rail GmbH, soon. The intended acquisition fits in with Heijmans' strategy of expanding its activities...[more]
FRANS MAAS & SUN MICROSYSTEMS
[LOG: Venlo, October 2]
Limburg-based Koninklijke Frans Maas Groep N.V. has won the Sun Supplier Award for the second year in succession. This annual prize is awarded to suppliers for service excellence. Frans Maas operates a complete distribution me for Sun...[more]
ESSERS’ AIR CARGO IN OSTEND
[LOG: Genk, October 2]
Essers, the Limburg (B) based logistic group, has opened an air cargo branch at Ostend Airport. The branch is being developed to respond to customer demands to achieve a better service at lower prices via regional airports. Essers Group,...[more]
NO TO MOECHENGLADBACH RUNWAY
[LOG: Mönchengladbach, October 2]
The planned extension to the runway at Mönchengladbach Airport has been halted by a tied vote of the town council. This is not the end of the project, but it’s an important signal for the planning. The final decision will most...[more]
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EUROMOBILITY MEETING
[GOV: Aachen, October 14]
There will be another daylong session on the Euromobil Zeit project at the Kreishaus in Aachen on October 28....[more]
COUNTRYSIDE GETS EUR 245M
[GOV: Maastricht, October 11]
There is to be funding for a new approach to the countryside. The project has received EUR 245m in government funding for measures in the areas of agriculture, quality of life, the countryside, and water....[more]
CROSS-BORDER CONSULTATIONS
[GOV: Aachen, October 10]
There will be an information session for migrant workers at the REGIO Aachen office from 14:00 to 17:00 on October 19. There will also be a general program in the Eurode Business Center, Eurode-Park 1, Herzogenrath/Kerkrade. Various...[more]
LASERS IN DENTISTRY
[EDU: Aachen, October 6]
The "Lasers in Dentistry" Master’s degree is a 2-year, modular program for professionals. It is for dental practitioners who will, among other things, learn about the functioning of laser systems and laser supported therapies. There...[more]
ETON ON THE MEUSE
[EDU: Maastricht, October 4]
Maastricht’s Hotel School is a key institution in the city and numbers among its graduates many of Maastricht’s leading entrepreneurs. At regular intervals it hosts events reflecting interesting aspects of other European cultures....[more]
U LIÈGE/U LOUVAIN IN LUXEMBOURG
[EDU: Liège, October 4]
The presidents of the University of Liège and the Catholic University of Louvain have met to set up an innovative project to develop higher education in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. Links with the University of Louvain, the Blaise...[more]
THE EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE
[EDU/SCI-TECH: Jülich, October 4]
The Excellence Initiative set up by the German government is intended to promote top-level research and improve the quality of German universities and research institutions, thereby making a significant contribution to strengthening...[more]
DI RUPO NEW WALLOON PM
[GOV: Namur, October 3]
Following the resignation of the Walloon Prime Minister, Mr. Van Cauwenberghe, the position has been taken over by the Chairman of the Socialist Party Elio Di Rupo. Mr Di Rupo (54) started life as an academic with degrees and a doctorate...[more]
GOVERNANCE IN MAASTRICHT
[EDU: Maastricht, October 2]
On October 4, a special event was held at the MECC in Maastricht to mark the opening of the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. The school used its launching date to hold a seminar called “Yalta and Beyond” to which the grandsons...[more]
NEW ONLINE DATABASE
[EDU: Bonn/Berlin, October 2]
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has set up a new online information service for students, graduates, and postgraduates interested in a study stay in Germany.
Apart from the scholarship programs run by the DAAD www.funding-guide.de,...[more]
WALLOON
GOVERNMENTAL REFORM
[GOV: Namur, October 2]
The Walloon government wants to reform local administrations to prevent conflicts of interest and the accumulation of mandates. What is meant by this are jobs of various degrees of importance that are handed out very often by politicians...[more]
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BAESWEILER BIOTEC MEETING
[LIFE-SCI: Baesweiler, October 10]
There will be a sixth Baesweiler biotec meeting in the International Technology and Service center Baesweiler on November 25, which will provide an opportunity to talk to life-science companies based there. It offers new life-science...[more]
DSM, PHILLIPS & CHAIRMAN YEO
[LIFE-SCI: Eijsden, October 4]
A major life sciences project was introduced at the Biopartner center in Maastricht, a custom-designed 5,200 m2 building, adjacent to the university hospital and the faculty of medicine, at the beginning of October. The Province...[more]
’PELTZER-LA TOURELLE’ BEST
[HEALTH: Verviers, October 2]
The 'Peltzer-La Tourelle' clinic in Verviers is among the best hospitals in the province of Liège. This was revealed by a study made by the consumer protection organization Test-Achats. The award is based on a questionnaire taken...[more]
HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT
[HEALTH: Aachen/Cologne, October 2]
The Health Sciences Department at the Cologne- and Aachen-based education institute KFH NW is offering MScs in hospital management for medical specialists and has received a ‘Best Practice’ seal. There are also BA and MA studies...[more]
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THE RAINBOW UNIVERSE
[SCI-TECH: Liège, October 12]
Fifty years ago, astronomy underwent a complete revolution: with the help of brand-new equipment (rockets and satellites), the sky was unveiled to our feeble eyes in new colors (radio, X-rays, gamma rays, UV, IR). In these "colors",...[more]
LISA: EUROPE’S 2ND PROBE
[SCI-TECH: Liège, October 10]
Following the success of the first European probe SMART-1 (Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology), which is still orbiting the Moon, the European Space Agency (ESA) is already preparing number 2 of the series of small...[more]
WHEELCHAIR WITH FACE
[SCI-TECH: Aachen, October 6]
A wheelchair that is able to analyze facial mimicry has been developed at the Department of Technical Computer Science at the RWTH University in Aachen. It can be used effectively in speech recognition and for special trials in...[more]
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JENEVER FESTIVAL
[LEI: Hasselt, October 15]
This weekend, it's time again for Hasselt's Jenever Festival, which has a lot more to it than just drinking gin. Go and see. The jenever is excellent.Check the web site....[more]
EIFEL NATIONAL PARK
[LEI: Aachen, October 11]
In the past year, the Eifel National Park has recorded 20,000 visitors who took part in guided walks and events. The number of overnight stays has also risen by 11.3%. Incidentally, the area also has the largest population of wildcats...[more]
CHATEAUX ON THE MEUSE
[LEI: Eupen, October 10]
The châteaux along the banks of the Meuse are going to be marketed as a major new tourist product. This is part of a Euroregional Intereg project in the provinces of Liège, Namur, and Belgian and Dutch Limburg. The plan is to develop...[more]
STEREOTYPES
[LEI: Aachen, October 10]
We tend to think in stereotypes: the Dutch are thrifty; the Belgians are fond of French Fries; and the Germans dig holes in the beach. This is the way we often view people in terms of prejudices born out of conflicts, fear, and ignorance....[more]
MECC WINTER CIRCUS
[LEI: Maastricht, October 10]
There will be winter circus at the MECC in Maastricht from December 14 through 18. This Euroregional circus is being produced in partnership with Ahoy, in the business for 35 years....[more]
ROAMING MEMORIES
[LEI: Aachen, October 8]
Roaming memories is an exhibition at the Ludwig forum in Aachen, presenting the work of the following artists: Francis Alÿs, Thomas Demand, Teresa Hubbard & Alexander Birchler, Aernout Mik, Jonathan Monk, Jacco Olivier, Tony Oursler,...[more]
MAASTRICHT SCHOLAR ON FRENCH
[LEI: Lille, October 2]
Paul Wijnands, the Maastricht scholar currently teaching at the Université Catholique in Lille, has published a new booked called La Française Adultère. Professor Wijnands deals with the question of mixed languages. The influence of dialects...[more]
L1 MEDIA PRIZE
[MEDIA: Maastricht, October 2]
The Maastricht radio and television station L1 has been declared the media company of the year in the Netherlands. This is the first time that the public broadcasting station has been awarded this prize....[more]
Top
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