Agro-food production has been growing for years now in the region of Liege. Liege is internationally renowned for the quality of its agro-food products. Its fertile soil is being used by both national and international companies, as well as SME, to produce a wide range of products. Agro-food is the region’s fourth industrial sector, including in particular meat, milk, water and lemonade, as well as the bakery and brewery sub-sectors. The production of meat, milk, butter, cheese, bread, chocolate, mineral water, beer and various other foodstuffs is in full expansion in Liege.

SPI+ has been actively promoting agro-food products from Liege on the global market. About twenty years ago, the agency set up the ‘Liege Food’ association, supporting agro-food companies in the region in terms of logistics and trade. Among the 350 members of the association are meat producers Detry and Derwa; fruit marmalade producers Meurens and Lambert; chocolate producers Jacques and Galler and coffee maker Liegeois. The association participates in national and international fairs and exhibitions and promotes the special products of the region, such as ‘Herve’ cheese, ‘Sirop de Liege’ marmalade, ‘Peket’ genever, ‘Chaudfontaine’ and ‘Spa’ mineral water and ‘Jupiler’ beer.

For further information, please contact Mr Andre Pierre, SPI+, Tel: +32/4/230.11.11 and Fax: +32/4/230.11.20
 

Liege welcomes environmental co-operation between Wallonia and Quebec

The Province of Liege has welcomed the recently concluded Convention between the Scientific Institute of Public Service (ISSEP) and the Industrial Research Centre of Quebec (CRIQ) on a study for setting up a technological security system for the environment. The co-operation project envisages putting in place an information network with a view to gathering and spreading relevant data, taking into account different standards used by companies. For ISSEP, which is gradually taking on a pivotal role in the Walloon environment policy, the Convention represents a BEF 3.730 million (Euro 0.093 million) investment.

ISSEP, located in Liege and Colfontaine, currently employs 70 scientists, 80 technicians, 45 administrative employees and 25 qualified workers. The institute carries out technological research, studies and analyses for the Walloon Government. ISSEP’s laboratory and certifying activities are recognised by both national and international authorities. In April 1999, the Walloon Government adopted two Decrees with a view to refocusing ISSEP priorities in the environmental field. While the first Decree created a laboratory for water, air and waste, the second one established the Observatory for Environmental Technology (OTE). The Convention with Quebec will enable the institute to refine the OTE project.

For further information, please contact the ‘Institut Scientifique de Service Public’, Tel: +32/4/252.71.50 and Fax: +32/4/252.46.75
 

New Director at Liege subsidiary of Hishi Plastics

Mr Sawada has become the new President of the Liege based European headquarters of Hishi Plastics Europe, a company that produces heat shrinkable tubing in PVC. Hishi Plastics Europe specialises in flexo printed seamless PVC tamper resistant sleeves in either roll or pre-cut form, however, it also produces primary labels and specials for hard-to-seal containers. The company uses special formulations, such as UV pigmented materials and non-standard shrinkage materials.

One of the advanced products of Hishi Plastics Europe is the Hishi Tube, providing a highly sophisticated means of accomplishing shrinkage of a sleeve on a totally controlled and predetermined basis. Hishi Tube can be found in several applications for isolation and inviolability in the agro-chemical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry, but is also widely used for the electric insulation of batteries and for condensers. Developed by Mitsubishi Plastics Industries and produced by Hishi Plastics, the Tube is manufactured by a special extrusion process incorporating the very latest technology and providing an immediate answer to tamper evidence.

For further information, please contact Mr Rothkranz, Hishi Plastics Europe SA, Tel: +32/87/31.35.89 and Fax: +32/87/31.52.77