Dutch ISPC makes $8 million investment
ISPC, an international holding specialized in Hotel & Catering wholesale dealing, is setting up a 7,000 sq.m. selling area in Liege. Offering more than 70,000 different products, the plant, representing an investment of $8 million (300 million BEF), was completed in September. One of the reasons Liege was chosen in preference to other sites is its good geographical location, close to the German and Dutch borders as well as to a major highway intersection. Turnover is likely to reach $ 16 million (600 million BEF) by 1998.
At the technological core
CMI (Cockerill Mechanical Industries) is a Liege subsidiary of Cockerill Sambre, the Belgian steel Group. It is currently manufacturing a metallic structure to be placed at the Massachussetts General Hospital of Boston. One cyclotron and two gantries are to be used as a protontherapy instrument in the treatment of cancers. As extremely high mechanical precision is required, CMI was chosen by IBA (Ion Beam Applications) for its high tech approach and know-how combining heavy and precision engineering. IBA, world leader in the field of particles accelerator, designed the device together with a Japanese partner, Sumitomo Industries.
"Just invented"
Liege people are innovative. So no wonder they participated in the Inventions Fair in Geneva. And no wonder they received awards.
Gold nuts In the mechanics category, the ELD (European Locking Devices) company has been rewarded by two gold medals for two different automatic locking nuts. While one system is devoted to a very specific field of application (aerospace and space), the other one without any particular fitting equipment, is intended for the whole general mechanical industry. Today approved by the famous F.I.A. (Fédération Internationale Automobile), the latter system has already drawn the attention of Formula 1 constructors.
The Chocolate spoon In the food category, a vermeil medal has been won by the "Les Trois Lions" company. Their entirely edible chocolate spoon is to be used as a substitute for the standard teaspoon and the little chocolate served with coffee. The international patent was registered in the United States last July. To date, 77 orders have been received from all over the world.
Science International Congress
In July, Liege welcomed 1200 top-level scientists from around the world on the occasion of the 20th international congress on the history of science. This year’s theme was the relationship between theoretical and applied research, one of the fields in which Liege University has earned a global reputation.
