The University of Liege has set up a Transport Association with a view to bringing together some 30 partners and putting Liege among the top 10 of European transport valleys. According to Mr Willy Legros, Rector of the University and President of the Transport Association, “The Province of Liege is one of the few regions in Europe, which has a major road junction, a central freight airport, the second largest river-port in Europe, a High Speed Train station and a densely populated city area”. Vice-President Francis Hambye adds that “Liege benefits from a unique infrastructure and the aim of the Association will be to define and co-ordinate the strategic guidelines and to optimise deployment of means. The Transport Association will not only serve the partners by analysing the market, but also by reflecting on logistics and identifying needs for professional training”.

Due to its excellent geographical location at the crossroads of Europe, Liege has always been an ideal choice for investors. By road, trucks can reach over 25% of Europe and 42% of its inhabitants in less than 24 hours, while major European business and financial capitals such as Amsterdam, Paris, London and Frankfurt are reached in just a couple of hours. In order to connect West to East and South to North in the shortest possible time, intermodal platforms have been set up in Liege, meeting all the requirements of modern logistics. Continental, Mercury Marine and Owens Corning are just a few examples of companies already profiting from the Liege expertise in logistic services such as warehousing, stock management and packing.

For further information, please contact Mr Willy Legros, Rector of the University of Liege; Tel: +32/4/366.52.27
 

Excellence area 2 – The automotive industry: Spider in the web

The Province of Liege is geographically situated in the centre of a network of more than 8 major car manufacturers, including Daimler-Chrysler, Ford Motor, General Motors (Opel), Nedcar, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Cars. Top priority for the Province is to create the best possible distribution opportunities for the automotive industry and car component suppliers. These opportunities are not only based on efficient communication routes and real experience in logistics and automotive technology, but also on favourable financial conditions and assistance. On top of that, the local Walloon Government and the European Union offer attractive incentives on automotive investment options, which can reach up to 30% depending upon the type of investment.

The Province of Liege has a long automotive tradition. From 1895-1950 the whole region flourished as a result of the automotive industry, with renowned models such as Nagant, Minerva, Singer, Imperia and FN manufactured or assembled in Liege. With 75% of production being exported, between 1895 and 1915 Belgian cars were considered among the best in the world. Today, the Province itself does not house any large construction plants, however, it is home to some 30 enterprises that earn their living by either manufacturing parts for the automotive industry or by shaping and equipping vehicles. These include Bundy SA, Cockerill-Usinor, Jonathan’s Industries and Uniroyal-Continental.

For further information, please contact Mr Jean-Paul Dispas, SPI+; Tel: +32/4/230.11.11
 

Excellence area 3 – Call centres: The Liege Telecom Forum and the Teleparc

SPI+ has set up an independent association of professional telecom users with a view to stimulating the use of telecommunications in the Province of Liege. The idea was born in 1996 when the Telecom Forum was set up with the support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Walloon Region. The Forum deals with a wide variety of subjects from call centres, the Internet and teleworking to electronic messaging and network security. Telecom activities have been growing rapidly in Liege over the past 5 years and the region brings together all the major factors required in this expanding market: A central location, population density and availability of a skilled workforce, as well as multilingualism and multiculturalism.

Wishing to emphasise these natural assets, SPI+ was the first in Europe to set up a Telebase, located in the middle of the ‘Hauts-Sarts’ Teleparc and totally set aside for call centre operations and specialised business communications. High investment by SPI+, the Walloon Region, the ERDF and Belgacom in the Teleparc, have created a unique telecom business climate. The Teleparc has turned into an on-site Local Distribution Centre (LDC), due to shared double-routed infrastructure from Belgacom. For a maximum of security, international companies benefit from a possibility of a back-up offered by an independent fiber optics connection with ALE-Teledis, in addition to the Belgacom network. As all companies have access to the back-up infrastructure, there is no need for own investment. And on top of that, a specific one-off agreement between SPI+ and Belgacom includes a special investor priority clause, giving priority and quality service guarantees to the companies located within the industrial parks. However, other operators have also settled in the Teleparc and each company is free to choose its own operator.

For further information, please contact Mr Jean-Paul Dispas, SPI+; Tel: +32/4/230.11.11

Excellence area 4 – Biotechnology: New opportunities for Japanese companies

Last month, representatives of the University of Liege participated in a successful biotechnology mission of the Walloon Office for Foreign Investment (OFI) to Japan. The mission came just at a point when the Japanese Government took several measures to promote activities in this sector and is looking for foreign investment opportunities. The Province of Liege is an eligible candidate. Over the past years, many biotech companies have settled in the Liege area, including Biocode SA, Bio Whittaker and the Eurogentec/Pharos Group, the latter being a spin-off of university laboratories. Most of them are located in the Research Park of Liege, close to the university campus. This proximity encourages cross-fertilisation between industrial and academic research, and it also allows collaboration for teaching mainly at the post-graduate level.

This synergy has been structured into an association: BioLiège. Its originality is to gather not only 15 academic laboratories, but also 8 biotech companies. So, one finds a wide range of interests united by a similar technological approach. All major trends of modern biotechnology are represented, from human medicine and pharmaceutical industry, to toxicology and waste management. BioLiège is not only stimulating contact with other universities in Belgium, in neighbouring countries and abroad, but it also sets up interactive forums and debates on current issues in the field and is a privileged intermediary between biotechnologists and regulatory or subventioning authorities. It acts as an efficient showcase for biotech development.

For further information, please contact Mr Bernard Rentier, Chairman of BioLiège and Vice-Rector of the University of Liege; Tel: +32/4/366.52.27
 

For further information, please contact Mr Jean-Paul Dispas, SPI+; Tel: +32/4/230.11.11

Excellence area 5 – High tech: Liege University and its Science Park

The high tech sector has experienced rapid growth in the Province of Liege over the past years. Around Liege University specific industrial activity has developed fast. On the Campus at Sart Tilman, research laboratories are working with the most modern applications of technology in a wide variety of sectors. All major trends in Research and Development (R&D) are represented: There are applications in biotechnology, metal, aerospace, information technology, telecommunications and technological development.

The Sart Tilman Science Park has given R&D companies the best possible location to develop new products, processes and technologies. Set in a quiet and wooded environment, it is fully equipped to ensure the highest efficiency. The Science Park benefits from its proximity to the Liege University, which has encouraged co-operation between industrial and academic research. All exchanges take place effortlessly, since an integrated circuit ensures easy communication.

For further information, please contact Mr Michel Morant, Director Interface Enterprises-University, Tel: +32/4/349.85.12 and Fax: +32/4/349.85.20