Made in Liege: the high technological approach
What type of business surroundings do you expect from Liege?
Every day many companies in many fields develop high technological equipment meeting the most stringent requirements for new markets. So it happens that you are already analyzing, playing, flying and using software from Liege. Success is just not a piece of luck.
(Refer to the "News" chapter for further examples: BEA, Schréder, Cockerill Sambre).
Analyzing: unique process
Orthodyne S.A. is specialized in the designing and production of industrial gas analyzers which determine the purety of rare gas with a very high level of accuracy. They are unique as they use high frequency in chromatography to detect any kinds of impurities, a process without any drawbacks.
Multinationals rely on this quality check to ensure the performance of their products: the Aerospatiale in Kourou for the Ariane launcher, Motorola, BASF and Texas Instrument for their microprocessors.
Analyzing in the medical world
Biocode works in research, development, manufacturing and the marketing of human diagnostic kits for thyroid auto-immunity, fertility, phosphocalcium metabolism and so on. It is one of the world leaders in this field and is especially active in Europe as well as in Japan, either under their own label or under the name of pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson & Johnson, Coulteur and ICN.
Playing: beyond the game
Neurones’ designers and computer experts develop animation software for the synthesis of 3D images. Their know-how is unquestionable: the firm is the world leader in lipping animation. Their high technology is now on your television screen here and in the USA where a new series, called "Dragon Flyz" and made in coproduction with the French company Gaumont, whose programming is starting up. Alias/Wavefront (USA) and Softimage (Canada) are but two other important partners.
As far as arcade video games are concerned, you cannot miss the Art & Magic company, one of two working in this sector in Europe. Indeed, this seems to be an Asian specialty. And still... The "Ultimate Tennis", the first game designed by the Liege company, has turned out to be more proficient and less expensive than its competitors. As a result this video game has been adopted on the Japanese market where it has had a smashing success.
Flying: in outerspace
As space still remains the final frontier, Liege can be proud of its space industry which has been constantly developing for the last two decades. Companies now work with the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as NASA.
CSL - Liege Space Center - has taken the forefront in the evaluation of optical instruments and is one of the four resource centers coordinated by ESA. Amos is a spin-off company which studies and develops the adaptator-rotators for the Very Large Telescope, the largest in the world, being built for the European Southern Observatory in Chili. Spacebel Instrumentation is another spin-off company which works in launcher programs, in space programs (Columbus, Mir-2, Alpha space station) and in telecommunications. Techspace Aero cooperates with large engine manufacturers such as Rolls Royce, General Electric, Snecma as well as Pratt & Whitney. Techspace Aero also participates in the Ariane 5 program for the design, development and manufacture of state-of-the-art propulsors of machinery along with the production of engine valves for the launcher’s main stage.
Computerizing: software on the waves
Star Informatic owe their success to a high degree of specialization and the diversity of their integrated products. Which products? Applied software in architecture, transportation, land utilization, mapping, and so on. Technical departments in New-York City make use of their software, which has quite convinced the city’s designated expert. Other well-known customers trust in their computer merchandize, such as Canadian telecom companies - even though Canada was the birthplace of graphic computerizing - the Italian and French telecom companies, as well as Paris’s land registry.
