Shoe retailer Runners Service Lab recently received a 152 000-euro subsidy from the Flemish innovation agency IWT to investigate the possibility of manufacturing affordable custom-made running shoes with 3D printers. The Louvain-based company Materialise, one of the world leaders in 3D printing, is also involved in the project. Materialise is a well-known player in healthcare applications such as printed dental prostheses and artificial hips, but with printing technology the possibilities are becoming endless. Thirty years ago company founder Jempi Wilssens, an electrotechnician by trade and keen runner himself, developed the first footscan: a pressure plate with thousands of sensors that gauge the pressure on the feet hundreds of times per second during running. Runners Lab Services offers its customers advice on running shoes at its three stores in Flanders, where they walk barefoot on a ramp to process a foot scan registered on a computer screen. Now, with their 3D printing technology, the retailer hopes to take the process one step further, so to speak.

“We can basically manufacture shoes from nothing. We have gained the know-how after years in the business. But at this stage we cannot do it in a profitable way. 3D printing is however widening our perspectives. If we could manage a retail price of 200 to 220 euros, it would be commercially viable.” But the challenges are enormous. “Printing on hard materials is not a problem, but the typically tempering materials used for shoes are another kettle of fish.” Wilssens swears by innovation, saying: “We estimate that we could employ five to ten additional staff at a microfactory.” Runners Services Lab quintupled its turnover to 5 milion euros since 2005 and survived the crisis unscathed as customers don’t seem to have a problem paying up to 150 euros for a pair of running shoes. And in the meantime running is becoming increasingly popular, with one million Flemings actively exercising the sport. Runners Service Lab plan to open their fourth store in Paal-Beringen next year and are also scouting for a perfect location in Brussels.

Flemish-Brabant crane concern Sarens has bagged a 25-million euro contract in Canada, where they will construct a refinery to process bitumen from tar sands. Sarens, a world leader in engineered cranes, has become increasingly involved in complex projects ranging from the construction of nuclear power stations and oil refineries to the transport of wind turbines at sea. 

The oil and gas company Canadian Natural Resources announced their plans to explore a new tar sand field at Fort McKay in the Canadian province of Alberta. Oil sands are large reserves of oil embedded in the sand and contain sand, clay, water and bitumen. Bitumen can be upgraded to oil products and then turned into more value-added fuel products. Exploration is a much more costly process than the pumping of crude oil, but considering the price of oil at 10 dollars a barrel, oil sand fields are becoming increaslingly profitable. Environmental activists have been opposing tar sand exploration for years as it causes deforestation and results in higher greenhouse gas emissions than classic oil exploration. The Spanish concern Tecnicas Reunidas has been contracted to build the entire installation and Sarens will transport the 600-ton modules from the port to the site, where Sarens cranes will lift them onto the foundations. The estimated 22-month project is scheduled to start in February next year. A second Sarens project, valued at 15 million euros, might be launched at a next stage.

Sarens, which earned a turnover of 560 million euros last year, employs a staff of almost 4 000 and is active in more than 50 countries. They plan to invest 120 million euros this year.

University of Louvain chairman Herman Daems has added community building as the fourth tenet to the university’s key pillars of education, research and service delivery. Daems believes community building could even be the most crucial tenet as it facilitates the exchange of information and experience between groups of people around different subjects. Groups form spontaneously and with little direction from above or outside. Thirty years ago Flemish universities were insular and individualistic, but these days community building is encouraged. Daems differentiates three types of communities: deepening, broadening and extra muros (outside the university walls). The deepening type consists of groups of scientists and subject specialists whose exchange of insights extends their acquired knowledge to use in applications or to start something new. New breakthroughs often result in new communities. Groups are formed from different disciplines, universities and research centres. Broadening communities link people at the university with those on the outside. Formally, in the shape of alumni associations or informally in the shape of business and university linkages. A perfect example is Leuven Inc., which links technology companies with the University of Louvain, giving birth to entrepreneurship. Daems further established the existence of communities outside the university, with businesses, organizations and people from a wide range of knowledge, science and creative backgrounds establishing themselves in the areas around Louvain and Ghent because they would like to be in close proximity to university life. Daems finds it quite fascinating that the need for physical closeness and university agglomerates continues to increase despite the fast-growing virtual world of today. Universities are probably the biggest human mobilisers in the world, with inter-university exchange programmes for students, researchers and professors serving as only one example in addition to international congresses, study and educational days.

Bringing people together leads to relationship networks which could increase the effect on the creation and spreading of ideas and initiatives as well as stimulate growth and development. The myriad of positive effects of communities further includes the acceleration of knowledge spread, the promotion of peer group quality and internationalization through exhanges and congresses, amongst others. The role of universities as growth engine of the modern economy could serve as the fifth tenet if one considers how these places of teaching provide the breeding ground for tomorrow’s businesses. This fact is quite obvious in Louvain and Ghent as both regions have experienced spectacular growth in the past few years because of their universities, and form the core of the Flemish economy, Daems concludes.

Banks have confirmed their commitment to raise at least 1 billion euros for SME funds, with the first funds extended to provide long-term financing for small and medium-sized enterprises released during the second half of the year. Flemish minister-president Kris Peeters (CD&V) met with representatives of the banking sector, the sector organisation Febelfin and the employers’ organisations yesterday. During their meeting the four major banks, BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, Belfius and ING, confirmed their plans to start the first funds, which will increase to at least 1 billion euros during the latter half of the year.

 The SME funds are part of the Flemish government’s banking plan to provide businesses with more financial breathing space and assist the growing number of businesses struggling with credit extension from banks. The Flemish government will guarantee the loans via its Gigarant guarantee scheme. The amended Gigarant decree must still be voted on in the Flemish Parliament. Peeters hopes the vote can take place before the summer to get the legal go-ahead for the launch of these funds.

“The crisis threatens to further affect the vigilance of SMEs with respect to their own capital basis” says Peeters. “That could put credit extension to businesses further at risk and consequently also threaten economic recovery.” Thanks to the banking plan businesses will now also enjoy further access to credit from friends and family in a fiscally favourable way via the extended win-win loan.

Flemish culture minister Joke Schauvliege (CD&V) has agreed to raise the annual subsidies for the Flemish Opera and Flanders Royal Ballet, scheduled to merge in 2014, by 791 000 euros. The Royal Ballet and the Flemish Opera currently receive an allowance of 18.1 million euros and 5.9 million euros respectively. With this announcement the minister has countered criticical rumours that the provided merger of these cultural institutions will never take place.

The merged Opera and Ballet are poised to become the biggest cultural organization in Flanders and its first general director will soon be appointed. He must complete the merger and manage the newly formed organisation. This most senior role among peers will preside over a three-headed board committee, with Assis Carreiro serving as artistic director of the ballet and Aviel Cahn as artistic director of the opera. “The merger gives the Ballet immediate access to two additional stages in the Ghent and Antwerp Opera buildings,” says Schauvliege in defence of the merger. “Moreover it will also be provided with its own orchestral support.”

Within the next few weeks the Bruges city canals, the Burg and the Grote markt will be the stage of Bollywood stars. The new film by Indian director Rajkuman Hirani will be partially set shot in Bruges. The film tells the story of an Indian student living in that city, who wants to marry her boyfriend, but all kinds of obstacles appear. The unfolding of the story, according to Eurydice Gysel of the production house Czar, remains a secret but rumours have it that the girl is a student in Bruges who falls in love with someone she cannot marry because of her background. Following a series of twists and rebellious plans to marry, she returns to her own country.

This may sound like just another romantic Bollywood tale, but according to Dipti –Nagpaul D’souza, a columnist for The Indian Express, there’s more to the story. “Hirani produces comedies with a social message. He makes people think,” she says. Even though she is also not familiar with the storyline, she has no doubt that it will not be a simple romantic Romeo and Juliet story. Rijani is a filmmaker who reaches a wide audience, but he remains intellectually credible with plausible scenarios. At this stage Hirani himself has only mentioned that the film will deal with “God and Godmen”. Peekay, the title of the film, refers to the alcoholism of the principal character, played by top Indian actor Aamir Khan. His co-star in this “political satire” is Anushka Sharma. A few Belgian actors will star in smaller roles when the 50-strong Indian team starts shooting in Bruges on 9 June.

The choice of the Indian crew to film in Bruges was partly the result of budgetary problems. According to Gysel they initially planned to shoot in Italy. “They were looking for a romantic European city with an abundance of water,” says Gysel. They then contacted Czar via the City Film Office Bruges, the production house which also acts as production service provider. “We organized the 10-day shooting in Bruges but we did not finance anything,” Gysel adds. Hirani Films contacted the Belgian consulate in Mumbai, which put them into contact with the Flemish Tourist Office. Bollywood films increasingly include Europe in their locations, says Dipti -Nagpaul D’sousa. “They are especially keen on cities reminiscent of an English university city,” says Gysel, who doubts the film will even mention the name Bruges in the film. Not that the city is complaining, as it stands to benefit handsomely from the wide audience Raj Hirani films attract. In addition to the benefits of providing a huge film crew with board and lodging for a few weeks, Bruges mayor Renaat Landuyt (SP.A) hopes tourism to the city will benefit from the exposure. In the UK and Switzerland the effect of Bollywood films on tourism is enormous. In Bruges the local Film Office will act as contact and coordinate enquiries, but the Flemish Tourist Office may come on board with logistic support. “It’s important to positively identify and promote the location. We will consider ways in which we can use the film to promote the city as a tourist destination.”

European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas will table a proposal for more competitive ports today. In the recent past  the liberalization of port services has proved to be a delicate matter on the continent. Following massive protests in 2003 and 2006 from harbour workers regarding the liberalization of ship loading and unloading in particular, the European Parliament gave up its plans to reform port policy.

Therefore Kallas has left controversial topics such as the transhipment by the ship's crew or curbing of the excessive long term contracts for harbour services untouched and limited his concerns to open markets, financial transparency and more autonomous port management.

He proposes total transparency in respect of the expenditure and financial flow of six harbour services, including piloting, fuelling, waste disposal and dredging. Monopolies such as the Flanders monopoly on piloting must be justified and open procedures must designate the provider of the service. If the port decides to subcontracting a specific service, the selection process must be transparent. Financial transparency must also be the rule for all public services. It will enable Flemish port authorities to have a clearer vision on the use and possible abuse of funds by rival ports. Belgian port authorities are currently autonomous, but if Kallas’s proposals are accepted, all port in Southern Europe will also follow suit. All issues pertaining to dock worker and employer relations will be handled via social consultation.

According to the European Commission the upgrading of ports is not an isolated strategy but an economic necessity as 74% of all imports arrive in Europe by sea. The fact that Europe’s three key ports (Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg) handle 20% of all freight traffic, whereas Europe counts 319 ‘key ports’, inevitably results in congestion and additional costs.

The port directive aims at stimulating short sea shipping (coastal traffic) to avoid congestion in the interior and stimulate investment. The commission believes that this port directive could save Europe 10 billion euros by 2030. The European Commission also believes that Southern European harbours like Marseille and Genova could do with more flexibility and efficiency as well as a more independent port authority.

It is said that the new directive won’t have much impact on the four Flemish ports but it can boost the new strategy for short-distance freight transport between the country’s harbours and other Southern European ports.

French oil giant Total plans to invest 1.05 billion euros in its Antwerp site in the next few years and will give the refinery and petrochemical installations a profound facelift. The Antwerp harbour is home to Total’s biggest integrated refinery and petrochemical platform in Europe. “We will spend just over one billion to upgrade our European flagship and increase competitivity,” says Total’s president of refining and chemicals Patrick Pouyanné. An estimated 700 million euros have been earmarked for the refinery and more than 300 million euros will be spent on its linked petrochemical installations. Investments at the refinery will be spent mostly on the treatment of heavier fractions of unrefined petroleum or the so-called ‘bottom of the barrel’ which contains large amounts of sulphur and is less economically viable. “We plan to convert this into products with a bigger demand on the market such as diesel that is low in sulphur,” explains Pouyanné, who adds that these investments are also made in reaction to more stringent environmental standards. The less commercially viable sulphur-containing fractions of oil are traditionally used as bunker oil but with the standards for bunker oil and household fuel becoming stricter in future, they will need to be lower in sulphur.

Investments in the petrochemical industry serve to recuperate the so-called residue gases which are currently incinerated. The refinery’s use of residual gases at the petrochemical installation is a great example of the integration of their refinery and petrochemical activities in Antwerp, says Pouyanné. “And it increases competitivity of our entire Antwerp outfit.” These investments will yield an estimated 250 million euros extra each year. The Antwerp investment programme was actually initiated as far back as 2011, when Total took over ExxonMobil’s minority participation in joint crackers.

The investment will create about 3 000 jobs for suppliers between 2014 and 2017 but will not result in any new jobs at Total Antwerp, with its staff of 1 700. A cracker and polyethylene production line will be scrapped as polyethelyne production will be cut by 15% following Total’s decision to focus its European production lines on products with a higher added value. “In this way Total Antwerp distiguishes itself from the basic plastic mass-produced basic plastics from the Middle East,” says Pouyanné.

Next week sees the opening of Dutch businessman Bram de Swart’s Antwerp branch of 3D Hub, a network of 3D printers where customers can have basic designs printed in plastic that range from an iPhone cover to a bracelet or vase. They simply send their design to the website and then the linked printers carry out the orders after receiving a payment. According to fans of the technique, this is the birth of a new way of doing things. Belgian 3D veteran Mario Fleurinck does however warn against high expectations, saying: “I will not have anything made on this type of machine that carries a safety risk.” As director of Melotte Direct Digital Manufacturing with its years of experience in three-dimensional printing he should speak with authority as his company, based in the Limburg Zondhoven, has carved an international name for itself as manufacturer of specialized products commissioned by customers such as aircraft maker Boeing, chemical giant DuPont, arms manufacturer FN Herstal and chip machine manufacturer ASML. Fleurinck is nevertheless in favour of enterprising initiatives like 3D Hub as he believes in the future of this manufacturing technique. Last month De Swart launched a similar network for basic products in the Netherlands. Launching these printers in Antwerp and Amsterdam are only the first steps towards popularizing the technique and De Swart and his 3D start-up company 3D Hub is a veritable hub of treasures waiting to be unlocked in European cities. Hubs in other European cities are ready to become operational once there are enough print owners who have approached De Swart. This will result in increased production in Europe without the damaging effects on the environment often caused by large-scale production in far-off countries like China.

This innovation marks the gradual rise of a ‘blue economy’, as Fleurinck brands this new technique which prides itself in the minimal waste of raw materials. A qualified engineer, Fleurinck himself boasts a background in the American aerospace industry. Computer-driven three-dimensional printing makes it possible to create objects without the old-fashioned use of drilling, cutting or lathes which require lots of materials, energy and cooling water. One industry that benefits immensely from these new techniques is the medical industry with its custom-made 3D printed heart valves, bone and tooth protheses.

Fleurinck recently presented a tooth prostethesis with metal-based printed castings that could possibly serve as the best set of dentures in the world, and he hopes it will win him the prestigious international Energy Globe Award next week.

Melotte currently manufactures 70 000 components at his lab in Zonhoven each year. There is a staff of 60 who work mostly on the development of new applications for a variety of industry sectors. The new products that will hit the market in the next decades will create employment opportunities in Belgium and Europe, says Fleurinck. “In fifteen years’ time you will be able to have quite a few things made just around the corner.”

Each year the Flemish government runs a check on its progress towards positioning itself among the top five regions in Europe by 2020 when their research unit compares the government’s achievements with the examples set by the other fifteen top achievers in Europe. According to the most recent report, the Flemish region withstood the banking crisis better than the other regions. With the Flemish GDP at 29 900 euro per capita (commuters to Brussels included) in 2009, the region’s ranking at number four showed an increase of two positions.

It seems the Flemish economy’s strong and weak points remain unchanged, with Flemish wealth mostly due to its high labour productivity. A number of regions have however overtaken the region in the past few years and Flanders currently ranks in the fifth position. Despite a slight improvement, the employment rate in the age group 20 to 64 remains a weak point, but at number four in Europe the region scores well in the unemployment stakes and upped its ranking by one position since 2008. This is a further indication that Flanders managed to survive the 2009 crisis relatively well. The research unit nevertheless warns the region against taking this performance for granted and advises the region to increase its efforts in respect of innovation. Even though the region has been doing much to catch up on this level and has spent more than the European average on research and development, these efforts are not yet reflected in the figures  and the region still scores below Germany and Scandinavian countries.

Judging by the comparative study on indicators such as environment and welfare which the research introduced into their study this time as well, Flemings are doing pretty well and ranked in the third place with an average of 490 kilogram of household waste per capita. When it comes to recycling at 190 kilogram per capita, Flanders is in second position after the Southern Netherlands, which is also the only region that outperforms Flanders in respect of decreasing the poverty risk.

An increasing number of Flemish producers of fiction series are discovering distant shores. Following in the wake of Flemish film, television series are geared to conquer the international arena. Series like De matroesjkas (VTM) and Vermist (VT4, Vier) have firmly established themselves on the international scene with sales in 51 and 91 countries respectively. Salamander, the Saturday series on channel Een of the public broadcasting company VRT soon starts on the British BBC Four and an American remake of the series is currently underway. According to Peter Bouckaert of the production house Eyeworks, the sale of Salamander to the BBC could pave the way for more Flemish offerings. Dubbelleven, another Channel One series produced by Eyeworks, is also geared for an international remake and the rights to Code 37 were recently sold to a Canadian production house which is currently at work on a remake of the North American version of the VTM series. Clan, one of last autumn’s hypes, is also about to make an international breakthrough.

The answer to the question why all of a sudden the Flemish series have become so succesful seems to be quality. “The quality of scriptwriters, directors, producers and actors on the Flemish market continues to increase,” says Christian De Schutter of Flanders Image, the communication division of the Flemish Audiovisual Fund (VAF). Veerle Baetens received rave reviews from HBO for her role in The White Queen. In the past many Flemish series and a number of other television programmes received mention locally but failed to be sold abroad; often because they did not seem to interest producers. According to Jan Theys, owner of the production house Skyline Entertainment that released Salamander, the success of Danish series like Borgen and The Killing picked the interest of many producers. He too was inspired by the success of these Danish series when he decided to make an international trailer of Salamander, which produred calls from three Hollywood producers and three distributors.

“Money does play a role,” says VTM network manager An Rydant. “Programmes which are bought abroad cost a mere 5 to 10% of the cost of a locally produced series. As in Flanders, broadcasters in the UK and US have to watch their budget. In Flanders they can find programmes which meet their standards.”

The opposite also rings true, and tight budgets force many Flemish producers to look abroad for additional income. The fact that Bouckaert’s Eyeworks is currently shooting the fifth and sixth seasons of Vermist is purely due to the international sales of the crime series. It seems the answer is also unanimous when asked what the government is doing to put Flanders on the international map: they invest much appreciated funds. Their tax shelter system makes it possible for businesses to invest in Flemish fiction and their Media Fund (the television affiliate of VAF, Flemish audiovisual Fund) supports documentaries, prestige and animation series. But according to Rydant there are shortcomings: “The fund only supports the first season of prestige series. Most foreign broadcasters only become interested after 24 episodes, which means at least two seasons.” Selling productions abroad has always been an initiative by the production houses themselves. 'It would be very useful if the authorities started a policy for the export of television series', Ellen Onkelinx of the associaton of production houses concludes.

Subsidies to social economy companies will come to an end by the middle of next year when the decree on customized work will be introduced and funds diverted directly to employees. Works minister Freya Van Den Bossche (SP.A) has received the go-ahead for this profound reform from her colleagues in the Flemish government.

The decree on customized work stipulates that Flemish government subsidies will no longer be granted to social economy companies but to the concerned employees themselves. In future ‘employees with a work disability’ will receive a ‘backpack’ which the employer can use to finance a portion of their wage (and possibly also the cost of training and mentoring).

This approach is similar to the new form of support in the care industry for the disabled which sees funds redirected from the institutions providing care to the individual receiving the care.

According to minister Van den Bossche the existing subsidy system is “too complex” and “not entirely fair”. Currently normal companies that employ disabled staff are not entitled to the same amount of subsidy as social economy companies. The decree on customized work will change this approach, which Van den Bossche hopes will open doors to employ more job seekers with disabilities.

The Flemish Employment Services and Vocational Training Agency (VDAB) has been commissioned to screen applicants and to determine their wage subsidy and required level of training and/or mentoring. The Flemish social economy currently employs a staff of 22 000 spread over 67 sheltered workshops, 97 social workshops and 200 insertion companies. As from the middle of next year, however, these will be referred to as ‘customised work  companies’.

The Belgian pork industry has been in a crisis since 2007, causing pig farmers, butchers, boners and wholesalers alike to fight for their survival. With a relatively stable retail price and the number of pigs hardly diminished on the market, consumers and outsiders have barely noticed the serious changes in the industry. Still almost the number of pig farmers has dropped by 25% in Flanders since 2006. These changes went largely unnoticed, as many farmers continued to work for the party they sold their business to, usually a fodder company. Similarly small slaughterhouses and wholesalers were consolidated or merged with bigger companies. One example is the alliance in 2011 between slaughter group Covalis and meat trader and processor Viangro. But the big names did not escape the slump either.

It’s not too difficult to see why the industry has been experiencing problems if one considers the fact that the cost of producing pork has exceeded the retail price for many years. The cause is a little more complicated. Originally 50% of all Belgian pork was exported. But things started to change when Germany produced enough pork for local consumption, no longer imported from Belgium and started to export itself. Furthermore, the Belgian pork industry is forced to compete with international market prices. “Our biggest customers are situated in a 300-kilometre radius around Brussels, but within that area a number of major co-ops like the Dutch VION, the German Westfleisch and Danish Crown dictate the price,” explains General Farmers’ Syndicate advisor, Ludo Dobbels. “The co-ops are not profit-driven, so they agree on rock-bottom retail prices.” Instead of keeping up with increasing production costs, the price of pork remains more or less the same. Changes in the price of wheat have caused the prize of fodder, which makes up 70% or farmers’ costs, to increase exponentially in the past five years. Not to mention the fact that pig farmers in this country incur much higher costs than their competitors in neighbouring countries as they adhere to much more stringent hygienic and environmental standards and pay wages that are much higher. In simple terms, a labourer here receives 25 euros per hour compared to the 8 euros he earns at Westfleisch.

Late in 2011 Flemish minister-president and minister of agriculture Kris Peeters (CD&V) launched an action plan to secure economic sustainability for the sector in the medium term. It now seems his efforts were unsuccessful and the only other option would be for retailers to increase the price of pork. “Pork meat will have to increase by 10 to 15 eurocent to remedy the chain,” says Bert Bohnen of De Boerenbond (Farmer's Union). “But the consumer will have to be willing to pay this price.”

Last year 24-year-old civil engineers and computer scientists Bram Vandewalle and Sander Goossens were full-time university students. Today they run their own software company Endare. Their first apps, a comic book app for Blackberry, a , a mindmapping tool and parking aid they rather consider to be hobby projects. Their latest app, Unite, is a little more serious though and intended to turn meetings into a shorter, more efficient and pleasant experience. The application, which is currently only available on iPad, cuts the paperwork out of meetings and makes it possible for users to consult the agenda and all relevant documents, make notes on the document, draw sketches and compare drawings with other users.

The accessible app is compatible with other cloud applications such as Dropbox, Google docs and Outlook, and is based on a complex system which works in realtime, guarantees confidentiality and automatically backs up data. Moreover Unite is always linked to Endare’s servers via 3G or wifi.

After testing previous versions of Unite in different business environments, Bram and Sander conducted interviews with users to obtain feedback to further streamline their application. “We noticed that users met too often and worked inefficiently,” says Sander. “Thanks to the feedback we probably changed Unite a hundred times, but we stuck to our basic line of approach.”

In September 2011 the two entrepreneurs realized that tablets were an undisputed fact of the future and decided to develop a tool to facilitate paperless meetings. They spent three days a week at the Startup Garage, a collaborative hub run by iMinds, the research institute which stimulates ICT innovation commissioned by the Flemish government and in partnership with research institutes. iMinds brought Sander and Bram into contact with potential trial users and provided financial support in the shape of convertible loans which will eventually become Endare shares.

The two have meanwhile set up their own office and are now waiting to see how Unite is received when it is launched on Thursday. Once they’ve downloaded the app, users enjoy the first month free before they can subscribe on a monthly basis. The Unite  business plan stipulates that by September this year they should have bagged 200 licences at a cost of 15 to 25 euros each, irrespective of the number of users per business. “If our tool allows you to save five minutes per meeting, the amount is immediately returned to you,” says Sander. As is typical of a start-up business, the two handle just about everything themselves except for the design of their app and the accounting. They support the helpdesk and promote themselves at trade fairs If one considers their age, they look rather mature and level-headed, but they have not lost their enthusiasm.

Salamander, the series televised on Flemish broadcaster’s Channel Eén on Sunday evening, will start a second career on BBC Four on Saturday evening. It will mark the first ever screening of a Flemish series on the English TV channel. Established in 2002, BBC Four has ‘made’ numerous international successes. When it first screened the Danish public broadcaster’s series The Killing and Borgen in original version and subtitled, it started a worldwide hype. Salamander’s Saturday screening is quite significant as it fits into the time slot of The Killing and Borgen. BBC Four programme director Sue Deeks, famed for ‘discovering’ The Killing, is excited about Salamander, describing the series as a tense and highly gripping political thriller which fits in perfectly with their Saturday evening programme offering. A North American remake of the series is currently being shot in Canada.

Salamander’s first episode opens with a huge robbery at a private bank which sees top-secret documents stolen from 66 safe-deposit boxes belonging to top Belgian individuals. When police officer Gerardi (played by Filip Peeters) becomes suspicious that the content of these documents is a closely guarded secret and starts snooping around, he has to start running for his life.

The series was produced by Skyline Entertainment, the production house which also released the series Aspe and De Rodenburgs for VTM and films like 'Groenten uit Balen' and 'De hel van Tanger'. “We continued to believe that quality and public success could be reconciled,” says Skyline owner Jan Theys.

Congratulatory messages have been streaming in and even media minister Ingrid Lieten (SP.A) lauded the success in a press release, saying: “I’ve always felt that we should nurture the creative TV talent in Flanders. That’s why we established the Media Fund to give the talent an extra boost.” The brain behind the series and scenarios is former journalist Ward Hulselmans, who wrote the script for quite a few other popular Flemish series.

 In the middle of June 22 Flemish aviation and aerospace companies leave off for the annual air show at the Le Bourget airport in Paris. It will be the biggest Flemish delegation ever to have attended the airshow. With 60 Belgian companies attending, the Belgian pavilion will rank among the ten biggest exhibitors at the Bourget-Paris Air Show, which accommodates 2 100 exhibitors and attracts an estimated 350 000 visitors.

The Flemish aviation industry has great expectations in Paris, says Guy Putman, managing director of the sector federation FLAG (Flemish Aerospace Group). “Every modern aircraft boasts pieces of Flemish technology. Our aviation companies specialize in hi-tech niche products. For example, every super jumbo A380 Airbus carries components of 13 Flemish companies.”

These niche products vary from screens, composite materials and satellite sensors to GPS navigation systems and pilot training simulators, and include a mix of big guns like Asco Industries, Sabca Limburg, Imec and Barco, but also smaller enterprises and Flemish research institutes like Vito.

This is the first time a delegation of the somewhat smaller Flemish aeronautical industry will be represented. According to spokesperson Hans Bracquené, the aeronautical industry is in full swing with its annual turnover growing in excess of 5% every year and translating as 200 million euros, and a total of 13 000 workers employed by the aviation and aeronautics industries.

As the Flemish government mentions this industry as one of the forefront industries in its New Industrial Policy, the government agency Flanders Trade & Investment (FIT) also had its share in the promotion of the Le Bourget air show. According to CEO Claire Tillekaerts, the industry faces huge challenges to recruit sufficient trained technical staff. Guy Putman of FLAG is happy with the support from the Flemish government, saying: “During trade missions we are the little guys compared to our Flemish colleagues in the diamond or dredging industry. But our high ambitions are justified. Growth in the aviation industry is not over. On the contrary: the current 80 000 flights taken with Airbus equipment could double in ten years. We must be prepared for that by continuing to invest in technology aimed at quieter and greener flying.”

One third of the diamonds cut in Antwerp last year were destined for China, which has caught up with the US as the biggest importer of diamonds. With just over 31% of its diamonds exported to China last year, Antwerp increased its exports to the country by almost three quarters during the last five years.

With its upwardly mobile middle class, many people in China are spending money on jewellery; especially diamond engagement rings. With many diamond cutters now working from India and also increasingly from China, Antwerp is no longer the hub for diamond manufacturers. Interestingly, this Belgian city often sends it uncut precious stones to be cut in China before they return to Antwerp, just to be returned to jewellers on the Asian continent. In April China imported 55 768 carats at a cost of 116.6 million dollars (90.5 million euros). The value of 39 290 carats exported to the US was however substantially higher at 240 million dollars (186 million euros). With exports to China at 72 324 carats or 142.5 million dollars (186 million euros), the US represent almost 80 800 carat or 311.65 million dollars (241 million euros). The Antwerp diamond industry plays a key role in uncut diamonds with almost 80% of all diamonds passing through this city on the River Scheldt.

Argus Labs, the small enterprise owned by Filip Maertens, has raised 500 000 euros to further develop its Jini Smartphone application. The app must be for sale on the market this summer. The intelligent Jini app is a personal advisor for smarthpone users, applying various sensors and functions to collect personal data about the mobile phone user, ranging from location, movements, type of music, hours of sleep, sport etc. With the permission of the user the app converts the data into personal advice aimed at “drastically improving the life of the user”. The Argus Labs project, which also plans further developments from the Californian Silicon Valley, enjoys the support of a number of heavyweights in the industry, including strategic chief of Samsumg Electronics Young Sohn and Viacom’s former operations director for Northern Europe, Marco De Ruiter.

Similarly the Ghent developers of the pay system Posios, Jan Hollez and Zhong Yuan Xu, signed a deal in the US to distribute their Restaurant Butler mobile cash register system to the restaurant and hotel and retail industries in collaboration with a platform from Merchant Warehouse, one of the biggest and fastest growing pay platforms in the US. Earlier this year Posios signed a similar deal with Griffin. Posios magically transforms iPhones and iPads into mobile cash register systems used in restaurants and shops. It is integrated with a website, online ordering, promotions and payments. Hollez and Yuan Xu have firmly established themselves in this growth market borne from the need in many countries for a registered system to control moonlighting.

The Flemish government has allocated 500.000 euro for the Bike Valley wind tunnel project to test bicycles and related products. The project is a collaborative platform for bicycle and cycling gear manufacturers Ridley and BioRacer, helmet manufacturer Lazer, the research institute Energy Lab and sporting management company Golazo. Businesses and cycling teams currently test new products in wind tunnels built for cars, which makes the Bike Valley tunnel a world first specifically built for bicycles in the world.

The 47-year-old artist Koen Vanmechelen beat 567 candidates for the most important international award for contemporary media art, the Golden, with his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project (CCP). The Austrian organization Ars Electronica initiated their annual award for digital, electronic and interactive art in 1987. This year 4 071 candidates from 73 countries submitted their projects in seven categories. Vanmechelen won his Golden Nica, often referred to as the Oscars of Media Art, in the category ‘hybrid art’. “I’m obviously excited, especially because I won in this category,” said Vanmechelen before departuring for Venice today to prepare for his participation in the biennale. “CCP is about cross-breeding. Not only between materials and disciplines, but also between concepts.” Vanmechelen will present his project in an exhibition when he receives his award in the Austrian city of Linz in September. The 10 000 euros in prize money will be invested in the project. “We are now on our seventeenth generation of chickens”, says the prolific Vanmechelen, who is currently also working on a solo exhibition in Washington and keeping himself busy with projects in Wageningen, Venice, Watou, Amsterdam and the Cuban capital of Havana.