The week in business

Air freight • CMB

CMB, one of Antwerp’s leading shipping groups, is beginning to reap the benefits from its diversification into air transport. Last year, it acquired ASL Aviation, the air freight activities of the French post office. CMB has subsequently transformed ASL’s fleet of seven Boeing 737 aircraft to carry freight during the night and passengers on daytime flights.

Auto parts • Bosch

Bosch, the Tienen-based affiliate of the German equipment company, is to slash 420 jobs at its windshield wipers and car parts production unit. The move is a result of the poor performance of the automobile sector.

Auto testing • A-Katsatus

A-Katsatus, the Finnish automobile testing and control specialist, has finalised its acquisition of the Antwerp-based Bureau voor Technische Controle (BTC). The company has six testing facilities and two driving examination centres. The move, which follows an earlier deal signed in Limburg last year, gives the company a 25% share of the country's auto control and testing centres.

Biotech • Galapagos

The bio-technology company Galapagos has signed a research agreement with the US-based Merck pharmaceutical company to develop anti-inflammatory products. The deal is Galapagos' sixth in recent months signed with some of the world's leading pharma groups.

Construction • BESIX

BESIX, one of the country's largest building groups (which generates up to 50% of its turnover in the Middle East) is confident that its existing construction programmes in Abu Dhabi and Qatar will more than compensate for the marked slowdown of its activities in Dubai. The company is also reshuffling its staff to seize business opportunities in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, where it will build a €65 million villa for the country's

president.

Consultancy • Amaze

The British-owned technology and marketing consultancy Amaze has opened an office in Brussels, its first in continental Europe.

Property • sales

The Flanders property market showed surprising resilience last year, with prices dropping by only 1.1% on average compared to 2007. In addition, the number of deals fell by just 0.4%, according to the Federation of Notaries. West Flanders suffered most, due to a significant drop in the number of upmarket sales at the coast. In Brussels, property values increased 2.8%, while the number of sales contracts was down 7%. For the first quarter of this year, the federation claims that activity has already bounced back to pre-crisis levels.

(April 28, 2009)