|
For ads, banners, webcasts and other commercial advice, please
contact.
GOOD LUCK BORIS
[EDIT: Eijsden, April 30]
Although this journal takes no political position, we do feel justified in wishing Boris Johnson good luck tomorrow in his effort to become Mayor of London, as your editor was once privileged to employ him to cover the Maastricht Treaty...[more]
TOP STORIES
[EDIT: Eijsden, April 30]
Top stories in this issue include the news that Mayor Jürgen Linden is stepping down next year, after twenty years in office. There are also a number of developments at DSM on the new materials front, résumés of last year’s business...[more]
TOP INTELLECTUAL TO VISIT MSM
[EDIT: Eijsden, April 25]
The number one ranking intellectual from the US, Professor C.K. Prahalad, holder of the Harvey C. Fruehauf chair of Business Administration at the University of Michigan’s Business School in Ann Arbor, is coming to MSM. He will be there...[more]
Top
NEW AGIT BOSS
[BIZ: Aachen, April 29]
Dr. Helmut Greif took over as the boss at AGIT in November last year, following Bernd Thomas, who had been at the helm for 19 years. AGIT has now vouchsafed us some background information on the new man. Dr. Greif graduated and did his...[more]
AGIT 2007 RETROSPECTIVE
[BIZ: Aachen, April 29]
The number of technology-based companies to come to the Aachen region continues to be above average. In 2007, AGIT was able to assist 28 start-ups, which expect to employ 138 in the region. This is an increase of 300% on the previous...[more]
CADAC AND AUTOCAD 2009
[BIZ/SCI-TECH: Heerlen, April 28]
The Cadac Group, a leading Microsoft Gold Certified Partner developing Microsoft SharePoint-based engineering document management solutions, has announced the support of AutoCAD 2009 in Organice. AutoCAD 2009 was introduced...[more]
MAASTRICHT CULINAIR
[BIZ/LEI: Maastricht, April 28]
Members and associates of Maastricht Culinair, the association of Maastricht’s top restaurants met on Monday afternoon at Hotel Beaumont in Maastricht, where they were addressed by their president Harrie Beaumont, by Hans van...[more]
GOOD BIZ IN EAST BELGIUM
[BIZ/GOV: Eupen, April 25 ]
The East Belgian business community has given the German-speaking community high grades, according to deputy Prime Minister Bernd Gentges in his most recent visit to companies. The trump card is regarded as being the multilingualism...[more]
STRATEGIC INNOVATION
[BIZ/SCI-TECH: Liège, April 25]
Six hundred and fifty companies have taken part in the Meuse-Rhine strategic innovation project, and the innovation certificate was handed on April 25 to Mr Dirk Ceyssens, the CEO of Glas Ceyssens, and the 200th company to have...[more]
IMMOQUEST AGAIN
[BIZ: Liège, April 25]
On the occasion of its first anniversary, Immoquest is making a list of its most recent logistical activities in the region and pointing to the future. More than 145 million investment transactions have been carried out in the Walloon...[more]
LIOF LOOKS BACK
[BIZ: Maastricht, April 25]
LIOF, the Limburg (NL) Development Company, looked back over a good year in 2007. It showed a profit of EUR 8.3m, a figure which it had improved upon only once before in its history, in 1998, when it sold its Libertel shares – now...[more]
DSM PA4T POLYMER PLANT
[BIZ: Heerlen, April 25]
DSM has announced the opening of the market development plant for PA4T, its new polymer for high performance engineering thermoplastics. The plant is already operational in Sittard-Geleen, where DSM has its R&D center. PA4T, developed...[more]
CARBON HOTEL
[BIZ: Genk, April 24]
A new Belgian-design hotel, known as the Carbon Hotel, opened at Genk’s Stadsplein on April 25. This is rather a special hotel. The beds are designed by the fashion guru Stijn Helsen, and it’s one of only 150 hotels of this type in the...[more]
SPORT HOTEL SNOWWORLD
[BIZ: Landgraaf, April 24]
The SnowWorld Sport Hotel has been opened by SnowWorld director Koos Hendriks, and the former Dutch sports personality and politician, Erica Terpstra, and Nicolien Sauerbreij who won the world cup snowboarding event twice in 2008....[more]
NEW LIFE FOR DE KOUMEN
[BIZ: Heerlen, April 22]
The De Koumen business park is going to be completely renovated in the April 2008–October 2008 period. The project is expected to cost EUR 1,370,000, EUR 520,000 of which will come from the province and this will be a complete upgrading,...[more]
AGM MACINTOSH RETAIL
[BIZ: Maastricht, April 22]
Macintosh Retail Group NV’s financial statements 2007 were adopted at today’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders.A dividend of EUR 1.00 per share, or 40.8% of the net profit for 2007 (2006: EUR 0.83, or 40.2%), will be distributed. ...[more]
UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE
[BIZ: Hasselt, April 22]
Limburg has underground domed structures which seem interesting for the storage of natural gas, but it is not yet known which domes are satisfactorily airtight. This is the result of the first seismic investigations that were carried...[more]
IMTECH’S BELGACOM ORDER
[BIZ: Brussels, April 21]
The Dutch technical service provider, Imtech, with bases in Limburg, has received contracts to provide technological solutions for data centers in Europe. Imtech has received orders worth more than EUR 90m for Total Technological Solutions...[more]
SNCB INVEST EUR 10BN
[BIZ/LOG/GOV: Brussels, April 18]
The SNCB Belgian Rail Group (SNCB Holding, SNCB and Infrabel) wants to invest EUR 10.4bn in a period of five years. The Belgian federal government will finance 60% of this and La Libre Belgique derived the figures from the 2012...[more]
LIDL CHOCOLATE FACTORY
[BIZ: Übach-Palenberg, April 18]
The European low-cost supermarket, Lidl, from Neckarsulm, has completed a chocolate factory project at the Holthausen business park in Übach-Palenberg, which is expected to produce 100 new jobs. The project has been planned since...[more]
MONTEA INVESTS EUR 12.9M
[BIZ/LOG: Liège, April 18]
Montea, the warehousing solution specialists, have bought a 28,000m2 logistical platform in the Hauts Sarts business park in Herstal/Liège. The investment will provide real estate revenue of 7.7% on the basis of guaranteed rental for...[more]
BELGIAN & GREEN ABP BOARD
[BIZ/GOV: Heerlen, April 17]
The board of the Dutch public service pension plan, ABP, now APG, has been joined by new members in the shape of Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium, and Paul Rosenmöller, a former Left/Green Dutch politician and...[more]
BIG DYNEEMA INVESTMENT
[BIZ: Heerlen, April 17]
DSM has announced plans for a substantial capital expenditure program, expected to involve up to USD 450m. This will increase production capacity in its Dyneema business, enabling DSM to capitalize on expected continuous growth in demand...[more]
OOIT TONGEREN
[BIZ: Tongres, April 17]
Sylvain Sleypen, the Belgian deputy responsible for tourism talked about plans referring to what was called the ‘Once Upon a Time Land’ (or the Land van Ooit) in Tongres, and spoke of turning it into a small bungalow park. It had been...[more]
FOREIGN VAT RETURN
[BIZ: Maastricht, April 16]
Dutch companies that regularly do business abroad are often charged local VAT. This is the case with importers of goods in another country, participation in local affairs, conferences, training, hotel stays, taxi trips, and the foreign...[more]
CROSS-BORDER SEMINAR
[BIZ: Maastricht, April 16]
There will be a seminar on Thursday, May 15 at the WTC building in Avantis, which will look at issues involving the labor law, tax law, and social security, and discuss particular cases. The cross-border work seminar begins at 16:30...[more]
NEW GERMAN PACKAGING RULES
[BIZ/GOV: Berlin, April 16]
On January 1, new packaging rules came into effect in Germany. The core of these rules is that producers and those selling sales packages must accept their return for use or recycling. Distributors of the packaging will be obliged...[more]
1AACHEN AT PROVADA
[BIZ: Aachen, April 16]
The City of Aachen and Parkstad Limburg will be making a presentation, June 10 through 12 at PROVADA the real estate fair for national and international property professionals at the RAI in Amsterdam. Other partners will be Avantis, AGIT,...[more]
SENIORS AT HOEVE CASTERMANS
[BIZ/INFRA: Maastricht, April 16]
Despite earlier expressions of concern, after the Servatius housing association presented its new design for a senior complex at Hoeve Castermans in Wolder, the plans elicited a favorable response. The 44 apartments will be...[more]
MACHIELS STOPS SMELLS
[BIZ: Houthalen-Helchteren, April 16]
A recycling project at the Remo waste center in Houthalen-Helchteren is going to be the location of the Machiels Group’s new system to neutralize odors produced by the rubbish and waste material buried at the site. The company...[more]
TESSENDERLO TAKEOVER
[BIZ: Tessenderlo, April 16]
Eurocell, a British subsidiary of Tessenderlo Chemicals, is taking over Sprinter 1233 which used to be known as Plastmo Profiles. Plastmo Profiles has its headquarters in Northampton in England, and was set up 40 years ago for specialist...[more]
AUTOMOTIVENET PROJECTS
[BIZ: Heerlen, April 16]
The members of AutomotiveNET.eu, a Euroregional joint venture, are planning for closer cooperation and also to extend the number of their development projects. “The interest expressed in the project by the corporate world was even greater...[more]
JOSLY PIETTE FOR MEUSEINVEST
[BIZ/GOV: Liège, April 16]
A former minister of labor, Josly Piette (1943), is to head the Meuseinvest investment bank and succeed Laurent Burton. The former trade union leader and mayor of Bassenge, who started work at FN at the age of 16, was already a member...[more]
Top| Logistics and Infrastructure |
AMSTERDAM AIRLINES
[LOG: Maastricht, April 28]
The Dutch airline Amsterdam Airlines and the operator TourJet are going to start flights from Maastricht-Aachen Airport at the end of June. There will be five weekly flights. Two will go to the Turkish capital of Ankara and another...[more]
MAASTRICHT-HASSELT TRAM
[LOG: Maastricht, April 22]
The green light seems to have been given for a tram linking Maastricht and Hasselt by 2012. The projected investment is EUR 30m, of which the city has already reserved a quarter. There are also thoughts about linking De Heeg and even...[more]
CLEANER TRUCKS
[LOG: Maastricht, April 17]
EVO and Transport and Logistics Netherlands (TLN) are pleased that the municipalities of Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen and Maastricht have signed a national covenant to encourage clean trucks and environmental zones. This covenant was signed...[more]
Top
OPEN HOUSE IN EUPEN
[GOV: Eupen, April 30]
The Meuse-Rhine Euroregion is holding an open day in Eupen on May 9 at the Ministry of the German Speaking Community, Gospertstrasse 1, from 09:00 to 16:00 hours. All are welcome in the context of Europe Day....[more]
MICHAEL WALLNER WINS
[EDU: Aachen, April 30]
The award of the 2008 Schools’ Prize for Literature in Meuse-Rhine was made after three hours of debate and the advocacy of 13 passionate supporters at the Eykhagencollege in Landgraaf on April 17. The winner is Michel Wallner for his...[more]
DRUGS IN MEUSE-RHINE
[GOV: Maastricht, April 29]
The governors of the five partner regions in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, met on April 22 to discuss the drug problem in Meuse-Rhine and accompanying criminal activity. A new approach to drug crime in Meuse-Rhine will be presented,...[more]
EUROREGIONAL STATS
[GOV: Aachen, April 28]
Euregional Information Service / E.I.S. of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion and Meuse-Rhine North collects, harmonizes and presents statistics to aid Euregional policymaking, cooperation and location marketing. At a symposium in Roermond on...[more]
LAW FOCUS
[EDU: Hasselt, April 28]
Hasselt University’s magazine puts the focus on law in its most recent April issue. The topics also include an article entitled ‘law does not stop at the border’....[more]
EUR 200M FOR WALLOONS
[GOV: Namur, April 25]
The Walloon government is investing EUR 200m in crèches for children in police and fire service buildings, and in city halls. This should add 1,200 extra places to crèches for children....[more]
DG AND FEDERAL POLICE
[GOV: Eupen, April 25]
The cross-border activities of the federal police are at the center of a meeting of those responsible for the police, which took place on April 24 in Eupen. The head of the federal police, Fernand Koekelberg, took part. In addition to...[more]
ORTHOGRAPHY IN EUPEN
[EDU/GOV: Eupen, April 25]
The Council for German Orthography has met in Eupen. This includes inter-state committee, with Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, South Tyrol, and Belgium’s German-speaking community. Prime minister Karl-Heinz Lambertz and...[more]
MAASTRICHT PSYCHOLOGISTS
[EDU: Maastricht, April 25]
The citation index for publications in international scholarly journals notes that Maastricht University psychologists have done particularly well. Before the period 1997-2006 contributions to Neuron, Psychology Review and Brain Research...[more]
ALARM CLOCK MUSEUM
[EDU/LEI: Diepenbeek, April 25]
On May 11, in the cellar of the City Hall at Diepenbeek, that alarm clock museum will be opened. This is the first museum in the municipality of Diepenbeek and Willy Billen is going to house his private collection there. His first...[more]
CARL ALEXANDER PARKS
[GOV: Baesweiler, April 25]
Baesweiler is holding a special event to mark the completion of its EuRegionale 2008 project from May 21 through 25....[more]
MAYOR LINDEN STEPS BACK
[GOV: Aachen, April 25]
Mayor Jürgen Linden has decided that he will not take part in the mayoral elections in 2009, which will mark his 20th year as Mayor of Aachen. The 61-year-old lawyer is among the longest serving mayors in Germany. In 1999 he was elected...[more]
ARMY IN LIMBURG (B)
[GOV: Hasselt. April 24]
At the invitation of the provincial commandant Joris, Governor Steve Stevaert of Belgian Limburg visited the Saffraanberg campus on April 24. This is where all Belgian army NCOs are trained. The defense department is the biggest employer...[more]
NO SMOKING
[GOV: The Hague, April 23]
The prohibition on smoking, which comes in on July 1 in The Netherlands, includes the following provisions.
• Smoking on terraces outside is permitted, as long as the area is not enclosed on all sides
• Smoking in smoking rooms...[more]
REGIONS AND CITIES OF EUROPE
[GOV: Brussels, April 23]
This vast Committee of the Regions, headquartered in Brussels, has once more produced a magazine covering some, one hopes, of its activities. This spring’s issue of the magazine on Energy Policy includes: Meeting future challenges:...[more]
CHEMELOT OPEN LAB
[EDU: Geleen, April 22]
Chemelot, the high-tech campus adjacent to DSM in Geleen, and Hogeschool Zuyd, the principal tertiary education establishment in South Limburg are joining hands in a project involving education, research and business related to innovative...[more]
PARKSTAD HOUSING MARKET
[GOV: Heerlen, April 18]
The executive of Parkstad Limburg has established a quality policy for existing and new housing plans and a policy for withdrawing housing permits. Parkstad is operating on a program which was set up in 2007. This program notes which...[more]
MAY 3 FOR EUREGIONALE 2008
[GOV: Aachen, April 18]
On May 3, there is to be a presentation of the program of the EuRegionale 2008. This series of projects, which focus on the economic transformation of what used to be a mining region, has now developed in many different directions, and...[more]
NRW AND NL COOPERATE FURTHER
[GOV: Düsseldorf/Maastricht, April 18]
The German state of North-Rhine Westphalia and The Netherlands want to increase cooperation in the areas of science, research, technology and innovation, and they signed an agreement for this purpose in Maastricht on April...[more]
SECOND THOUGHTS ON BIOFUEL
[GOV: Brussels, April 17]
Belgium is having second thoughts about the production of bio-fuel. Belgium has already expressed concern about decisions in the EU to promote the bio-fuel. In a meeting between Prime Minister Leterme and the EU Commission president,...[more]
CROSS-BORDER UNI PROJECT
[EDU: Aachen/Maastricht, April 17]
Aachen’s RWTH University, HS Zuyd its other college and the University of Maastricht are setting up a joint educational project in the area of information science and mathematics. From the summer there will be an exchange of...[more]
POLICE COORDINATION
[GOV: Maastricht, April 16]
Cary van Gestel (59) has been succeeded, as of April 1, by Jaap van der Meulen as the coordinator of the South Limburg police prevention team. The team comprises experienced police, prevention advisors, construction advisors, etc,...[more]
SOUTH LIMBURG FOR LANGUAGES
[EDU: The Hague, April 16]
South Limburg is to be a trial region for a Dutch language learning project. The government in The Hague is going to provide EUR 4m to help with language learning deficits in children up to their fourth year, and then specialists will...[more]
MORE WALLOON TAXES
[GOV; Namur, April 16]
Starting in 2009, the Walloon region will collect a number of taxes which were formerly collected at the federal level. These include taxes on gambling which should amount to EUR 35m. In the cabinet of the Walloon Minister of Finance Mr...[more]
Top
DSM ACQUIRES PTG
[LIFE-SCI/BIZ: Heerlen April 28]
DSM has announced an agreement to acquire biomedical polymer specialists -the Polymer Technology Group, Inc. (PTG) of Berkeley, California. This will give DSM a leading position in this field, one of DSM’s future key growth areas.The ...[more]
FAST GYNAE OPS
[HEALTH: Maastricht, April 23]
Maastricht’s UMC+ is starting with easy and rapid gynecological services in May. The outpatient department for obstetrics and gynecology will provide sterilization via the uterus, the removal of polyps and cauterization of the...[more]
Top
THE BIESENBURCHT SAGA
[LEI: Alden Biesen, April 28]
On Sunday, May 11 from 10:00 to 18:00 there will be a medieval spectacle at the Alden Biesen in Belgian Limburg, with noble ladies and all the fun of the fair. Check the website for details....[more]
THE SCHUMAN LECTURE
[LEI: Maastricht, April 28]
Professor Ulrich Beck, a German Sociologist from the University of Munich, will give Maastricht University’s Schuman Lecture on ‘Understanding the real Europe’, on May 7 at 20.00hrs in the lecture theater, Tongersestraat 53 (FEBA)....[more]
MOUNTAIN-BIKE NETWORK
[LEI: Tongres, April 26]
The Euroregional mountain-bike network was officially opened on Saturday, April 26 at the Sport Oasis, Eburons Dome in Tongres. Check the website for further information....[more]
ART AT VAL DIEU
[LEI: Val Dieu, April 26]
Every year, for the last five, there has been an art show entitled Materials and Sculptures in the cellars of the hostelry of the Abbey of Val Dieu, at Aubel. This year the exhibition will run from April 26 to May 18, and it’s open...[more]
POETIC INSPIRATION
[LEI: Lummen, April 20]
Eighteen leading Dutch-language poets were inspired by the work of Jan de Smedt, a painter and sculptor from Mechlin in Belgium. At the Moffart Foundation in Lummen there will be a series of 30 paintings, pictures and drawings, accompanied...[more]
BEER AND CHEESE
[LEI: Hasselt, April 17]
May is the beer and cheese month in Belgian Limburg in the Campine area. And four local breweries and a number of dairies are continuing a great cheese and beer tradition. This involves cycle routes where you can stop for a glass of...[more]
STEAM TRACTORS, ETC
[LEI: Selfkant-Tuddern, April 17]
There will soon be an exhibition of steam-driven tractors and steam rollers on May 11 and 12, thanks to the sponsors West Energie and the Raiffeisenbank in Heinsberg, who have managed to get hold of an 11-ton Dutch steamroller...[more]
SILVIA TRAEY IN THE BARN
[LEI: Fourons, April 17]
There will be a concert in The Barn on Sunday, May 18 at 15:00, featuring Silvia Traey. The concert is entitled ‘From Bach to Bernstein’....[more]
VACATIONS IN EAST BELGIUM
[LEI: St. Vith, April 16]
The spring edition of the East Belgium tourist authority’s newspaper focuses on walking, horse riding and fishing. There are seven new brochures with themes that include trips by car. The best restaurants and producers of regional projects...[more]
MEUSE MARATHON
[LEI: Visé, April 16]
The tenth edition of the Meuse Marathon will take place on Sunday, May 11. It will leave and finish in Visé, and will go through Oupeye, Maastricht, Eijsden and the Fourons. The Meuse marathon is a unique circuit at the centre of Europe....[more]
PS LIEGE WINS
[LEI: Liège, April 16]
Shortly after the publication of our last newsletter the news came through that Liège had beaten Anderlecht 2-0 in the Belgian football cup, which gave rise to major celebrations throughout the city, even attracting a leading Liège supporter...[more]
CHINA AT THE INDUSTRION
[LEI/EDU: Kerkrade, April 16]
‘Made in China’, is an exhibition, at the Industrion in Kerkrade from June 2 through August 31. The 1000m2 exhibition is being shown for the first time in the Euroregion. It is a science and technology exhibition from China’s Museum...[more]
Top
You are receiving this newsletter because
we believe the contents will be of interest to you.
We endeavor to ensure that our information is correct but do not accept any liability for
errors or omissions. You may make copies for your personal use; but should acknowledge the
source whenever material is copied or published.
Contact us
If you have any relevant news to share or wish to send comments, please e-mail Stafford
Wadsworth, editor@meuse-rhine-journal.com
at Meuse-Rhine Journal
or send a fax to +(31)(0) 43-4098899.
WADSWORTH & WADSWORTH ASSOCIATES, CONSULTANTS
for web content, PR, business journalism, specialist translation, audio, video and live
presentations.
|
