Flemish Brabant Promised Land for Smart Logistics

1 Contents Innovation fuels economic development 1 Strong together 2 Flemish Brabant as a Logistics Hub 3 Flemish Brabant, the smart region 10 Flemish Brabant, the province that boosts innovation 13 Flemish Brabant as a Smart Hub: the promised land for smart logistics 15 Organisations actively involved within (innovative) logistics and mobility 32 Knowledge institutes with in-depth research on logistics and mobility 33 Flemish Brabant: more than just a logistics hotspot! 37 Flemish Brabant: think Smart, act Hub 39 Contact 40 Colophon 41 Innovation fuels economic development…

Jean-Paul Olbrechts, economic representative province of Flemish Brabant

In Flemish Brabant, we are absolutely convinced of that statement. Plenty of assets account the social and technological evolutions, and what role can Flemish Brabant all over our province prove our point, starting with the know-ledge region around play therein? What is our (current or future) level of strength on a European or Leuven, the association with healthcare (UZ Leuven), and the world-renown global scale? What type of research is being done in our knowledge institutes, research centre, imec. In recent years, this region has evolved into a unique myriad which companies are actively involved, how can industrial actors in Flemish Bra- of knowledge institutes as well as “knowhow”-driven private companies. The pres- bant make an optimal use of the innovation potential available? ence of an international airport and the good coverage by the logistics sector in the county of Halle Vilvoorde perfectly complements the role of the VUB, together Through a selection and analysis processes, we can boost innovation by gather- with its associate partners Erasmushogeschool Brussels and AZ Jette (Academic ing together the ideal parties involved and having them start concrete innovation Healthcare Facility), as a Flemish knowledge pool in the Brussels region. trails. Our guiding principle is the “triple helix”: knowledge institutes, industry and The added value for the regional development of our province lies in the synergies the government join forces to build Flanders and Flemish Brabant up as a leading and interactions between the aforementioned assets. knowledge region. Flanders Smart Hub is the most active player on behalf of the province of Flemish The province wants to foster this and, in its role as director and pioneer, give the Brabant, with a broad partnership behind it. As a province, we recognised the largest possible boost to innovation. The aim is for the province of Flemish Brabant importance of this approach and committed ourselves even further to this in- to further excel as a top end technological knowledge (knowhow) region, with novation platform. an emphasis on “smart logistics”, healthcare (including healthy food and nutrition), high-tech systems, cleantech, nanotechnology and nanoelectronics. The first cluster we have put in the picture recently is the “logistech-cluster”. This brochure constitutes the first result of their initial findings. A great deal of attention goes to the business application, the so-called “valorisa- We hope it provides new impulses for innovation in this sector and leads to an tion” and marketing of the expertise and knowhow developed in our province. optimal valorisation of the knowhow and expertise available in our province. This seems to become the proverbial “bottleneck” in many cases. How are we going to tackle this? How do we render innovation tangible? How do we route new promising innovations from their conception to the concrete applications and the finished products with important economic potential and impact? Jean-Paul Olbrechts, The first steps are the follow-up, monitoring and steering of the innovation scen- economic representative ery. What is at the forefront of todays’ and tomorrows’ technologies, taking into province of Flemish Brabant

1 Ingrid Lieten, Vice-Minister-President of the Government of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Innovation, Public Investment, Strong together Media and Poverty Reduction

Logistics and mobility are extremely important to Flanders. To perpetuate and enhance Flanders’ position as an excellent logistics region, it is important to main- tain our investments in logistics and mobility. Training and innovation are deciding factors. Innovation in logistics will certainly not limit itself to a mere technological innovation. Process innovation and innovation in the field of labour organisation are going to be of key importance. There are many organisations actively involved in logistics and mobility. Better and more intense cooperation between the different actors is what I personally deem extremely important. As a minister in charge of the “competence centres”, I initiated the streamlining of this cooperation. This cooperation is essential to avoid duplication and to safeguard the efficient use of public funds. An initiative such as Flanders Smart Hub can play a prominent role in boosting both innovation and cooperation between different organisations.

On this brochure: In the first chapter, we create a picture of the logistics sector in Flemish Brabant today. our province. The final chapter is a summarisation of the aforementioned components, With up-to-date figures and data (most recently made available at the time), this where industries, knowledge institutes and government organisations elaborate on how publication should reflect the present situation as accurately as possible. each of them has an innovative angle for making logistics smart. In the second chapter, our focus will be on the knowledge component of the region; Our sincere thanks obviously go to any contributor to this brochure! and in a third chapter, you will learn more about the support for innovation available in

2 Strong together Flemish Brabant as a Logistics Hub

Capital economic value in Flanders

The logistics sector is an important economic industry in Belgium, Flanders and It is only logical that Flanders, within the regeneration project “ViA 2020” - “Vlaan- the province of Flemish Brabant. According to a study of the National Bank of deren in Actie” (that aims to turn Flanders into a leading region within Europe by Belgium (based on figures 2008), the logistics sector accounts for 8% of the total 2020), wants to develop itself into the “Smart transit point in Europe”. This entails: prosperity (GNP or Gross National Product) and contributes in the same propor- “Flanders strives through its productivity and cost efficiency to become the most tion (8%) to the total employment in Belgium. attractive region for logistics in Europe. Through optimal accessibility and our people’s skills, know-how, expertise and drive to innovate, we will sustainably create high added value and prosperity for the economy and the community”.

To realise this ambitious goal, the Government of Flanders created “Flanders Logistics”. Flanders Logistics is an initiative that strives towards the development of several subdomains of the logistics sector: Added value Added value Employment % of total (% of GNP) (in MEUR) employment Flanders Port Area (FPA) (Ports), in Belgium Flanders Inland Shipping Network (FISN) (Inland navigation), Flanders Air transport Network (FAN) (Airports), Direct 3,1 9296 130.000 3,4 Indirect 1,9 5885 70.000 1,9 Taskforce Flanders Land Logistics (TFLL) (Road- and process logistics). Other 2,9 8559 100.000 2,7 Total 7,9 23741 300,000 8,0 Flemish Brabant plays an important role in these initiatives, putting in all its assets to help shape Flanders’ ambition. Within the University of Antwerp, the “Steun- Direct: Transport companies, logistics punt Goederenstromen” (Research Centre Commodity Flows) is a knowledge service providers, handlers, freight centre giving academic support to the initiative. forwarders, terminal operators, etc. Indirect: incl. ICT providers on behalf of direct logistic activities Overig: industrial shippers

1 Vlaanderen in actie - Doorbraken 2020” - januari 2009 - Vlaamse Overheid, pag. 73 aanpassen 3 The world within easy reach

Distribution logistics Not only is the province of Flemish Brabant located in the heart of the “Blue Banana” area that comprises most of the European regions, from which, at favour- able transport rates under workable lead times (24/48 hrs.), the largest part of Europe can be reached - it is equally centrally located between major consumer markets in Europe, namely the Randstad in the Netherlands, the Ruhr area in And meanwhile in Flemish Brabant… Germany, the Flemish Diamond, Ile-de-France in France and the London Met- ropolitan Area in the United Kingdom. + KAART Blauwe Banaan (copyright @ Cushman&Wakefield).

The logistics sector in Flemish Brabant is focused on activities with a high added value and many supporting activities.

In 2005, the logistics sector accounted for a share of 9.23% in the employment figures of Flemish Brabant. Comparing this percentage with an average share of 6.64% at the entire Flemish Region level, we can conclude that the sector is strongly represented in Flemish Brabant.

Moreover, thanks to the presence of the Brussels Airport, the logistics sector in Flemish Brabant accounts for 16% of the total added value in logistics in Flanders.

This is confirmed, among other things, by the number of FTEs actively working at Brussels Airport: direct employment in 2008 was good for 19.905 FTEs. Indirect employment in the airport generates another 19.732 FTEs. Activities at the airport are a boost to the level of activity and thus account for employment with subcon- tractors as well as organisations making use of the airport. copyright @Cushman&Wakefield

2 Logistieke Poort Vlaams-Brabant, 2007 3 Statistisch jaarverslag Brussels Airport Company, 2008 4 Economic Importance of Air Transport and Airport Activities in Belgium, NBB, 2009

aanpassen 4 Starting in Flemish Brabant, these consumer markets, where the vast majority of the European buying power is located, can be served in one day. Research revealed consumers within a range of a three-hour drive from Flemish Brabant - equivalent to the market available within one working day inclusive of the loading and unloading operation both ways - have a purchasing power equal to €675 million. This makes the province of Flemish Brabant an ideal location for distribution logistics.

Industrial logistics Besides these distribution activities, Flemish Brabant is the perfect place for industrial logistics. Three so-called “spearhead sectors” prevail in our province: the strong presence of developers, products and distributors of high value IT and telecom products. As regular users of the airport for the transport of their commodities, they create a logistically prominent role for the airport and the province of Flemish Brabant; the position of the province of Flemish Brabant on the super-provincial axis around pharmaceutical products. The province does lie directly between the Wal- loon “Pharma Valley” (in Walloon Brabant) and the high concentration of pharmaceutical industries in” Klein-Brabant” (in the Rijksweg region near the cities of Puurs and Bornem); the Agro- and Food Logistics finds the perfect breeding ground in the province of Flemish Brabant. The eastern-most part of the province is characterised by highly present industry focusing on food-related products.

Value logistics Moreover, the presence of the Brussels Airport, in combination with excellent connections to the different seaports (such as the Port of Antwerp via both E19 and the A12 motorways), means that the world lies at our fingertips. This is a particular asset for products with a high value. In addition to the earlier mentioned pharmaceutical products, it involves diamonds from Antwerp, the transport of luxury goods, race horses and various other live animals.

Flemish Brabant, the location of choice for “sea-air” cluster activities.

5 copyright Vlaams Instituut voor Logistiek Vlaams Instituut copyright Infrastructure

The province of Flemish Brabant is perfectly accessible by motorway (road), rail, A12: the A12 runs parallel to the E19 and connects, as does the E19, Brussels with inland navigation and air. Antwerp and the Netherlands. E411: the E411 connects Brussels with France. The Autoroute des Ardennes goes via Wavre and Namur to Arlon and continues to the east of France. Road network E429: the E429 links Halle with Tournai and connects further to Lille and Dunkirk in France. The province of Flemish Brabant lies on the crossroads of several motorways: E314: the E314 links Leuven with the province of Limburg (Genk) and the Dutch RO: the “ring road around Brussels” is the central node in the Belgian road and German motorways. The E314 crosses the E313, linking Antwerp with Liège. network. This ring road provides access to the other motorways. E40: the E40 is an important link in the trans-European road network and con- These motorways connect the province with trans-European north-south and nects with the north of France (Chunnel) towards the west, and towards Germa- east-west axes; the province also provides a dense network of regional roads. ny (Ruhr area), Poland and further through to the Ukraine and Russia in the east. E19: this motorway connects the province with Antwerp and the Randstad in the north and connects to the R0 at Vilvoorde. To the south, the E19 is the link to the Île-de-France region.

6 Waterways network Trimodal terminal The cargo transport by inland navigation in Flemish Brabant is primarily carried out Moreover, the industry of Flemish Brabant can also make use of the trimodally- on one of the three canals running through the province. On the ABC junction accessible Port of Brussels for their commodity flows. The Location Analysis Model (Antwerp-Brussels-Charleroi), there is the Sea Canal Brussels-Scheldt (ships with for Belgian Intermodal Terminals (LAMBIT), developed at Vrije Universiteit Brussel a capacity of up to 4,500 tonnes) and the Brussels-Charleroi Canal (ships with (dept. MOSI-T), reveals clearly that the marketing area of the Brussels Container a capacity of up to 1,350 tonnes). Finally, there is the smaller Leuven-Dijle Canal Terminal (BCT), located in the Port of Brussels area, is extending itself up into a large (ships with a capacity of up to 600 tonnes). part of Flemish Brabant.

The Port of Brussels is accessible through inland navigation and by sea for ships with Railway network a capacity of up to 4,500 tonnes. From the Port of Antwerp, the navigation time is a mere five hours through the Brussels-Scheldt Sea Canal, with only two locks to Just as for the motorway network, the province of Flemish Brabant has a dense be passed. The Charleroi-Brussels Canal links the Port of Brussels with the Walloon railway network mainly directed towards Brussels. This railway network provides a Region. There is direct access to the motorways network and also connects through suitable connection with the largest nearby consumer concentrations. its outport to the northern European railway network - one of densest in the world. The Brussels Airport cargo terminal (Brucargo), near the motorway to Antwerp, is located a few minutes from the outport and the platform for international road Multimodal terminals transport, the so-called “T.I.R. centre”. Our province has three bimodal, waterfront terminals. A study by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (dept. MOSI-T) calculated that on a Belgian level, • Cargovil Container Terminal (CCT) is situated along the Sea Canal the savings realised by inland navigation on the external costs thanks to the presence Brussels-Scheldt in Vilvoorde-Grimbergen. of the Port of Brussels (including pre- and/or post-delivery transport) compared to • Batop container terminal (Herent) is located along the Canal Leuven- the transport by road, which would be imperative if the Port of Brussels did not exist, Dijle and sails to/from Antwerp. amounts to €7.4 million, not taking into account the parameter “congestion” (based • Multimodal Inland Container Terminal (Van Moer Stevedoring) in on loadings and deliveries made in 2007) and €19.1 million with congestion taken Vilvoorde. into account. 400,000 truck journeys to/from Brussels would be necessary every year to compensate for these flows by inland navigation, flows that all would have to For the use of a railway terminal, the industry in Flemish Brabant can make use of cross Flemish Brabant. In addition to the above, another 280,000 truck journeys are the nearby container terminal (Dry port) in Muizen, located just over the province avoided thanks to transit flows on the Antwerp-Brussels-Charleroi Canal. border in the province of Antwerp. This terminal has daily railway services for cargo to and from southern and central Europe and the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge.

The striking presence of a multitude of different transport infrastructures, i.e. motorways, waterways and the railways, combined with the 5 Macharis, C. and E. Pekin, 2009, “Assessing policy measures for the stimulation of intermodal transport: a GIS-based policy analysis”, Transport Geography, Vol 17(6) pp 500-508; PEKIN E. proximity of several transfer terminals makes “Intermodal Transport Policy: A GIS-based Intermodal Transport Policy Evaluation Model”, PhD Thesis. Brussels. VUB, 2010. Flemish Brabant an exceptionally suitable 6 Van Lier, T. & C. Macharis. 2009. “Calculating the impact of the external costs of an inland location for intermodal, sustainable, ecological port.” In: Macharis, C. & L. Turcksin (eds.) Proceedings of the BIVEC-GIBET Transport Research Day 2009 Part 1. 27 mei 2009, Brussel. 4 and socially responsible transport. aanpassen

7 Airport The “Brucargo Secured Gateway” project of the Flemish Institute for Logistics (VIL) will position Brucargo as the most secured and most efficient air freight cargo zone Brussels Airport is, as the second largest economic pool of Flanders, the “gate- in Europe. way”; in other words, it is the primary economic gateway to and the centre of Not only will the control of the in- and outbound flow of vehicles raise the level logistics activities in the province of Flemish Brabant. Thus Brucargo, the cargo part of security, it will also create more opportunities for amplifying and expanding the of Brussels Airport, was good for 666,000 tons of air freight in 2008, and in the special customs status that Brucargo already enjoys. The raised security level is to the same period, transit cargo for the airport by road haulage accounted for another advantage of all the companies applying for a status of market conformity based on 300,000 tons. the Authorised Economic Operator certificate (AEO). Brussels Airport has a prominent place within the European ranking of favourite The AEO status, granted by an EU Member State, identifies a certified company as a airports of non-home-based full freighters and airports related to scheduled full reliable party regarding customs transactions, and thus results in advantages through- freighters. out the whole EU territory. It is a European label recognising that all commodity flows through the certified company meet the most stringent customs requirements. Excellent weather conditions as well as a coordinated cooperation between Maximum effect of the AEO status, a quick circulation/flow of goods and smooth involved partners ensure an efficient inbound and outbound cargo process. handling of customs formalities is achieved when a supply chain environment is cre- No wonder Brussels Airport was proclaimed the “most punctual airport” by the ated, which allows commodities at external EU borders and through the whole sup- Association of European Airlines (AEA) in both 2006 and 2007. ply chain to travel without or with a minimum of controls. Whenever such an AEO supply chain has been established, where commodity flows can easily be followed, it is referred to as a Secured Trade Lane (STL). Only AEO-certified companies can benefit from these swift and safe commercial flows. By its participation in the aforementioned projects, Brucargo as a zone is to be considered more and more as a “Secured Gateway” and use this to take a leading posi- Some features: tion in Europe. • 18 cargo airlines The interest group SCALE (Stakeholders Committee for Airport Logistics and • 80 passenger airlines Economy) represents the freight community of the Brussels Airport. All stakeholders • 74 flight movements per hour in the air freight supply chain have, together with VOKA (Chamber of Commerce • Landing strips / Length: (Halle-Vilvoorde)), united under this air freight umbrella. All the parties involved in the • 07L/25R: 3,638 m supply chain of air cargo want to fine tune their specific tasks better to each other’s • 07R/25L: 3,211 m in the total supply chain. • 02/20: 2,984 m • Over 150 freight forwarders and logistics service providers with several Brussels Airport also participates in several international programmes, aiming for the international hauliers are present on the airport premises evolution towards a paperless information flow, such as “E-freight” and “Paperless Customs”. Brucargo is a state-of-the art industrial estate on Brussels Airport territory. Moreover, they are preparing to be one of the first European venues to welcome the newest and most environmentally friendly cargo aircraft, namely the Boeing 747-8F. Some figures: As an office location, the airport zone distinguishes itself from other airports through • Surface area of 130 hectares its unique blend with Brussels, capital to the European Union, a magnet for interna- • 120,000 m² freight handling area with loading and unloading bays having tional organisations and multinational headquarters. immediate access to runways Located near the slip roads on to and exiting the E19 motorway, the ring road around • 9 B747 parking spots Brussels, and the Sea Canal, Brussels Airport offers a variety of assets to the logistics • Several perishables centres sector, making it a strategically prime location not only for Belgium, but for the whole • Public transport solutions of Europe and its transport companies and logistics service providers.

8 9 Flemish Brabant,

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (est.1834)

Research of the highest level • VUB has a research budget of over MEUR 70 Good results • Cooperation with all Flemish specialised research centres (SRC: VIB, IBBT, imec, etc.) and international research institutes Creation of knowledge, talent, technological innovation • VUB in European top 4 of and entrepreneurship are the basic ingredients for dynamic “University-Industry Cooperation regional development. Intensity - all fields of science” In recent years, Flemish Brabant has developed into one Leading research institutes of the leading and guiding knowledge regions in Europe. • VUB – 1,802 researchers; 2,700 members of staff Within the province, K.U.Leuven, imec and the Vrije Uni- • UZ Brussel – 3,000 members of versiteit Brussel, with its numerous related high-tech en- staff terprises, make an important contribution to the creation, • 100 active patent families in valorisation and dissemination of the acquired knowledge. portfolio • 18 active spin-offs in 2009 • Brussels: 16,254 students (VUB + Erasmushogeschool Brussel) Research infrastructure • VUB - 26.5 ha total infrastructure • IICB (Innovation and Incubation Centre Brussels) – 13.2 a total infrastructure IMEC (est. 1984) • ICAB (Incubation Centre Arsenal Brussels) – 20 a total • imec is the largest European autonomous research centre for nanotechnology and nanoelectronics infrastructure • 1,700 researchers • Science park Neder-over- • 3.5 ha total infrastructure Heembeek – 17 ha 25 a • 23 active spin-offs in 2009 • Science park Zellik – 20 ha • Turnover (2008): MEUR 270 © Bernadette Mergaerts www.vub.ac.be www.imec.be

10 the smart region

K.U.Leuven (est. 1425)

Research of the highest level • Over MEUR 330 for research • Cooperation with all Flemish specialised research centres (SRC: VIB, IBBT, imec, etc.) and international research institutes Its role as a knowledge region obviously has a strong interna- • K.U.Leuven and UZ Leuven are tional dimension. The key element is the strategic and struc- ranked among the top 25 European tural collaboration between Leuven, Eindhoven and Aken research centres (Aachen), known as the ELAt (Eindhoven-Leuven-Aken trian- Leading research institutes gle) collaboration, in which the three regions ensure synergies • K.U.Leuven – 4,250 researchers; 990 in research and innovation. This spans from partnerships in re- professors search through to alliances in education and training, coopera • UZ Leuven – 1,200 researchers tion with fellow universities and academies to projects and • K.U.Leuven: 386 active patent contract research for the industry and the authorities. families in portfolio • 78 active spin-offs in 2009 • Leuven: 35,000 students (K.U.Leuven, Groep-T, KH Leuven)

Research infrastructure • K.U.Leuven – 50 hectares total infrastructure • K.U.Leuven + imec – 15 ha dedicated to research • Science parks: Haasrode (136 ha), Arenberg (13 ha), Termunck (14 ha) • Incubation and business centres: • imec is the largest European autonomous research centre for nanotechnology and nanoelectronics Innovation and Incubation Centre • 1,700 researchers I&I Leuven (0.3 ha), Bio-incubator, • 3.5 ha total infrastructure Campus Remy and Ubicenter • 23 active spin-offs in 2009 • Turnover (2008): MEUR 270

www.kuleuven.be © K.U.Leuven www.imec.be

11 12

The province of Flemish Brabant has initiated a provincial grants ruling to sup- Flanders, through the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT), port projects contributing to the development of Flemish Brabant as a knowledge funds a great deal of innovation activities both for industry and research institutes. region. Grants are bestowed upon partnerships between knowledge institutes and Financing of R&D into innovative products, processes and services with valorisation industry, social partners or public services. potential within Flanders are key. In 2008, this support accounted for MEUR 297. The R&D expenditures in the public sector (non-BERD) amounted in 2007 to Moreover, the province provides funding for co-financing intended for European BEUR 1.197 (0.63% of GNP). Moreover, there are government loans for R&D, regional development project, that are consistent with the provincial economic po- good for MEUR 1.494 in 2009. licy of prioritising innovation. For the stakeholders involved, this extra co-financing is in many cases crucial for the region to be able to capitalise on the opportunities In addition to the programme for small- & medium-sized enterprises (SME), IWT offered by European projects. offers supplementary grants for protection of Intellectual Property (IP) and one can turn to them for Baekeland mandates, a doctoral mandate fit to the industry’s Funding for research, development and innovation for companies is not exclusive needs. to Flemish Brabant. As from January 2009, companies can invoke the SME portfolio of Economic The Government of Flanders has made it an absolute priority in recent years to Agency for technological advice by a recognised knowledge centre. accrue resources for science, technology and innovation. The position of Flemish industry and Government services in the various technology and innovation indi- On a national level, the main incentives are fiscal measures to boost R&D; partial cators is far better than the European average. exemption of company taxes for researchers and the R&D tax credit, investment In 2007, 2.03% of the GNP was invested in R&D, exceeding the European average deduction and notional interest are just a few examples. Furthermore, the system (EU27: 1.76%). of the innovation bonus for creative employees rewards people who bring a new idea to life within the company.

On a European scale, many funding and cooperation mechanisms exist, including Eureka and the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for research, technological development and demonstration projects. The focus here is on the cooperation 7 De GERD (Gross Expenditure on R&D) wordt opgesplitst in een BERD-component: Business with other EU Member States. An overview can be found at Flanders’ Contact Expenditure on R&D, i.e. de O&O uitgaven van ondernemingen, inclusief de collectieve onderzoekscentra, en een nonBERD-component: de optelsom van de GOVERD (GOVernment point for European Programmes (www.europrogs.be). Expenditure on R&D: de overheidsuitgaven voor O&O), HERD (Higher Eduction Expenditure on R&D: de uitgaven van het hoger onderwijs voor O&O) en PNP (O&O uitgaven van semi- publieke en private non-profit organisaties). aanpassen

13 Risk capital: Most of the time, grants alone are insufficient. Starting or fast growing companies cannot always rely on banks as their risks are considered too high for financial backing by private financial organisations. Flemish Brabant holds a strong concentration of risk capital providers, Business Angels and specialised academic growth capital funds. The Participation Company Flanders (PMV) offers funding solutions for projects and industries valued important for Flanders’ future. Through this project funding and industrial investment, PMV creates added value for the money Flanders invests in its future.

In addition to Flanders Smart Hub, several network organisations in Flemish Brabant focus on boosting innovation:

Leuven.Inc (Leuven Innovation Networking Circle) is a horizontal network organisation building bridges via events, workshops and trainings for technological entrepreneurs, knowledge institutes, investors and other innovation actors in both Leuven and Flanders. www.leuveninc.com

CROSSTALKS, the university and corporate network of VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), wants to boost innovation and cooperation through organising workshops and events involving all stakeholders. http://crosstalks.vub.ac.be/

DSP Valley is a network/cluster organisation in the field of hard- and software design for digital signal treatment, focussing on various applications, including logistics. www.dspvalley.com

The Innovation Centre of Flemish Brabant is at the service of SMEs with questions or plans concerning innovation. They audit innovation, look for expertise and partners and monitor innovation files. http://vlaams-brabant.innovatiecentrum.be/

The Flemish Innovation Network (VIN) groups together the expertise of various Flemish organisations. Innovation questions are being replied to in a “one-stop-shop”. www.innovatienetwerk.be/

Voka – Chamber of Commerce and Industry Flemish Brabant wishes to create an optimal framework for successful enterprise, and thus seeks to make a fundamental contribution to its region’s welfare and well-being www.voka.be

14 © Bernadette Mergaerts Flemish Brabant as a Smart Hub: the promised land for smart logistics

Sustainability, environmental impact, reliability, safety, quality and functionality are Flemish Brabant supports key trends in relation to transport-logistics-services and just a few examples of the features within logistics where quality requirements and the supply chain management as reported in the VRWI study of 2006, “Technology needs will be raised right now and in the future. To meet these needs, it is impera- and innovation in Flanders, priorities”. Attention and focus is given to the following tive that the transport and logistics industry foster and make use of the newest trends: expertise and technologies, innovative products, services and concepts. • Intermodal transport Flemish Brabant holds the needed logistics web and infrastructure and features • Intelligent supply chain management innovative industry and a large presence of knowledge institutes active around a • Intelligent transport systems vast number of topics. That is why the Logistech cluster has huge economic potential with numerous growth opportunities. All companies, organisations and knowledge institutes featured in this brochure are - each of them within their own trend - focused on supply chain optimisation and full supply chain control, the use and marketing of logistical expertise and innovation as well image building of logistics on the labour market and cultivating the image of a region dedicated to logistics.

All parties do agree on the common ambition to make Flemish Brabant one of the leading, smart and most reliable multimodaI logistics nodes.

8 Technologie en innovatie in Vlaanderen, prioriteiten – proces van prioriteitsstelling en resultaten. Technologieverkenningsstudie uitgevoerd door de Vlaamse Raad voor Wetenschapsbeleid in samen- werking met de onderzoeksdivisie van Incentim, K.U.Leuven, samengesteld door Elke Smits, Elie Ratinckx, Vincent Thoen o.l.v. prof. Koenraad Debackere, Elisabeth Monard, Danielle Raspoet, 2006. aanpassen © Bernadette Mergaerts 15 Strategy

IFB

Infrastructure Intermodal transport Organisation (Supply Chain Management)

WenZ Buying/ Material Transport, Transport, Distribution Production Purchaising Forecasting Intermodal transport and Logistics Management

information flows Multimodal transport implies the use of different transport modes in combination with each other. A specific form of multimodal transport is intermodality. Intermodality is a Influential transport system combining several transport modes and integrating them to offer a Technology systems Enviroment consumer-oriented, door-to-door service. Use is made of freight unitisation (containers, IBM CASE swap bodies, etc.) to raise the level of efficiency of transfer between transport modes.

A consequence of the higher external costs of road transport, compared with other CASES transport modes, is that the authorities pay more attention to intermodality. Commod- ity flows are constantly growing in volume and a further increase of road transport, with its negative congestion impact, decreased reliability of deliveries, accidents and IBM: S emissions are not always appropriate. Railways and inland waterways constitute a • Smarter Mobility & Logistics Solutions sustainable alternative. To facilitate this multimodality and the interoperability between • Active in hardware, software, services, financing, research andI technoO- diverse transport modes, there is a need for rational and powerful control and infor- logy development mation systems, as well as innovative “transhipment terminals” that allow air and sea • http://www.ibm.com/ibm/be/nl T M transport, inland navigation, railways and road transport to be developed in an integrated manner. Eliminating bottlenecks impeding interconnectivity and interoperability of infrastructures, vehicles, access modes, payment methods and accurate data gather- The Cargobox ing will shorten the total lead time. This development will increase transport velocity The IBM Smarter Trade Lane concept is the first full “Service Oriented Archi- and frequency, with the bonus of a much higher reliability with regard to the end users/ tecture” model in the logistics scenery. It can be used for containers in both air consumers and more flexibility. freight and sea freight. For air freight-related matters, a cooperation exists with Cargobox (NL). The Cargobox containers are primarily designed for optimisation of transport by air. Its unique sealing mechanism, built into the lock bar, makes door-to-door transport under an AEO regulation possible. Since these Cargobox containers can also be accommodated in a classic container, they can serve as a component of a dense transport network combining railways, inland waterways and motorways, enabling horizontal collaboration and bundling of commodity flows. Thus, beyond its contribution to safety, this concept enhances supply chain efficiency. 9 Bron: Macharis, C. and A. Verbeke, 2004, Intermodaal binnenvaartvervoer. Economische en strategi- sche aspecten van het intermodaal binnenvaartvervoer in Vlaanderen, Garant, Leuven.

aanpassen 16 Transport solutions: The IFB Group, with important activities in Flemish Brabant, provides integrated transport solutions by rail, inland navigation and road haulage (and linked services) and has high terminal capacity. One of the core services is “Narcon” (National Rail Container Network). This network offers daily railway connections between the seaports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge and the hinterland (Belgium, France, the Netherlands). IFB operates the largest intermodal terminals in Belgium, four of which are in the Port of Antwerp. RailForce is a division of IFB and provides specific logistical solutions for the chemical and automotive sectors. IFB’s inland navigation is being organised through the subsidiary, H&S Container Line, headquartered in Duisburg.

IFB: • Multimodal solutions based on S railway transport of containers I O • Member of NMBS Logistics • http://www.interferryboats.be T M

Keeper of Flanders’ waterways: As the keeper if Flanders’ waterways, Waterwegen en Zeekanaal NV (W&Z) is an active partner in innovative initiatives such as: • Waterslag en Inlanav: cross-border initiatives to make smaller waterways more attractive for goods transport through research into fit of ships and loads; • Kraanschip: ship with crane on board, useful alternative for industry not having own quay or cranes; • Stimulating transport of pallets through inland navigation; • Agroship: cross-border initiative to demonstrate both economic and logistical potential of inland navigation for transport of agricultural products. • Boosting estuary shipping: adapted inland vessels sailing on a part of the sea between Zeebrugge and Vlissingen, thus improving accessibility of coastal ports.

W&Z: • Sustainability and dynamic management S of sailable waterways I O • Boosting multifunctional use of waterways or real estate linked to the waterways T M • http://www.wenz.be/

17 Modal Shift: are covered by the “market areas” of Charleroi and Brussels’ terminals. This can innovative cooperation within the province of Flemish Brabant be shown by the Location Analysis Model for Belgian Intermodal Terminals (LAMBIT) model (Macharis et al., 2008). The market area of the terminal is the region in which cities or villages can be served most advantageously from the respective Colruyt Group terminal. The diagram below shows the Halle DC to be in the market area of the • Managing over 350 shops in Belgium and France inland terminal of the Port of Brussels. Inland navigation is thus the most interest- • Marketing different formulas : Colruyt, Okay, DreamLand, ing transport mode for flows ex Antwerp to Halle. Road transport is the next Collishop, Dreambaby, and Wholesale stores best alternative. Ghislenghien DC does not lie in the Charleroi market area, or in • Has 12 distribution centres in Belgium any other terminal’s market area. Its location is very near to the Avelgem terminal. • Carries the banner of “Sustainability-minded enterprise”, Besides unimodal road transport, inland navigation is the most logical alternative. taking corporate social responsibility The diagram below represents the various terminals and their market areas rep- • www.colruyt.be resented by coloured territories around the terminals. The two DCs are indicated by stars.

Colruyt Group has, together with Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Department MOSI-T), researched opportunities in intermodality. First, a feasibility study was conducted into shifting container transport by road to inland navigation or railways. Today, containers arrive in the Port of Antwerp, are picked up by Colruyt, and trans- ported by road to the various distribution centres in Halle, Lot, Ghislenghien, and Pommeroeul. The containers could be brought from Port of Antwerp to an inland terminal via inland navigation or railways. Then only the last mile from the Diagram 3: Analysis of the LAMBIT model with grants for inland navigation intermodal terminal to the DC are done by road haulage, thus reducing environ- Source: VUB MOSI-T mental impact. Colruyt chose the inland terminal of the Port of Brussels for DCs in Halle and Lot, and the railway terminal of Charleroi for DCs in Ghislenghien and Pommeroeul.

A key issue, in addition to cost reduction, to make the modal shift is less CO2 emissions. Cost function is featured in relation to the distance; it is an increasing proportion. In the port, road haulage cost is relatively lower, since intermodal transport generates extra cost for transfer of load units on the inland vessel. Inter- modal transport has, however, a lower unit cost by economies of scale (meaning one inland vessel can carry more than one truck) than road transport. For the main transport fraction, the cost parameter of inland navigation is lower than road haulage. At the end of the transport cycle, intermodal transport cost is again increased by the extra handling costs in the inland terminal. This transfer is una- voidable. Finally, road haulage remains an alternative for the last mile. The pre- and post-transport have also become inevitable in the supply chain, since most shippers and receivers do not have a railway connection or are not located near an inland waterway.

The feasibility study revealed intermodal transport to be an interesting and finan- cially viable option for Colruyt. That is why Colruyt has been using intermodality for containers, containing wines and canned goods, arriving in the Port of Antwerp with final destination Ghislenghien, since 2009. The Ghislenghien and Halle DCs

18 Service providers of different transport modes*

Air Vrije Universiteit Brussel - MOBI: Mobility and automotive technology research group - Department – MOSI Transport & Logistics: Air Cargo Managers Association of Belgium (ACMAB) • Active in logistics and transport management Lobby group for cargo airlines • Department is chaired by Prof. Dr Cathy Macharis • http://www.vub.ac.be/MOSI-T Belgian Aerospace Industries Association (GEBECOMA) www.gebecoma.org/ Lobby group for the air freight industry in Flanders External costs Belgian Air Freight Institute (BAFI) The second part of the study related to the external cost calculation. With it, one www.bafi.be can verify the difference in external costs between unimodal road transport and Lobby group for the logistics service providers active in air freight on a national, intermodal transport. It implies assumptions towards euro-classification of trucks, European and international level, developing and promoting air freight weight of the transport loads, type of inland vessel, etc. This results in the external costs per transport mode. The next step is to determine the total external Belgian Courier Association (BCA) costs for intermodal transport and unimodal road transport. The following are www.b-c-a.be external costs categories: air pollution, congestion, climate change, accidents, noise Lobby group for express and courier sector in Belgium and several up- and downward processes. Intermodal transport is, when external costs are evaluated, almost always more economical than unimodal road transport The Brussels Airport Company (Macharis & Van Mierlo, 2006). www.brusselsairport.be Private airport operator The Colruyt study has shown that 1000 truck journeys were made superfluous on yearly basis, saving some 30 tons in CO2 emissions. Contact group Cargo Afhandelaars (Freight Handlers) Brucargo (CCAB) Contact group between diverse freight handlers at Brucargo

Stakeholders Committee for Airport Logistics and Economy (SCALE) www.scalebelgium.org Coordinating organisation of Brucargo lobby groups & industry (ACMAB, BAFI, BCA, The Brussels Airport Company, CCAB, OTM and VOKAS Chamber of Commerce Halle-Vilvoorde)

Railways - Transport per railways

Buhlmann NV NMBS - IFB www.buhlmann.be www.interferryboats.be

CFL Cargo SNCF Fret www.cfl.lu www.sncf.be

Crossrail Benelux Veolia Cargo www.crossrailtrainingcenter.com www.veolia-cargo.com

ERS Railways www.ersrail.com

* Non-exhaustive list 19 Aanbieders van verschillende transportmodi*

Waterways General SAV www.sav.be Belgian Federation of Transport Providers in Inland Belgian Instituut der TransportOrganisatoren (BITO) Flemish lobby organisation of road hauliers, logistics Navigation www.bito-ibot.be service providers as well as advisory and services & www.bftb-fbotf.be/ Organisation representing transport organisers for studies for their members and the public third parties Cargo Community System vzw UPTR ICT platform for data exchange on transports and Confederatie der Expediteurs van België (CEB) www.uptr.be loads between authorities and/or private players www.conexbe.be/ Belgian lobby organisation of road hauliers and National umbrella organisation of freight forwarders logistics service providers Flanders Port Area and customs brokers in Belgium www.flandersportarea.be Vereniging voor Inkoop en Bedrijfslogistiek (VIB) Federation of port-related and logistics enterprises, European Intermodal Organisation www.bevib.be lobbying and port promotion, services and practice- www.eia-ngo.com/ Lobby organisation and platform for development, based training courses European association working to improve education and permanent training of all partners cooperation between different transport modes active in the “Supply Chain” Institute for Inland Navigation www.itb-info.be/nl/instituut.htm Febetra Vlaams Logistiek Verbond (VLV) Research service, lobbying and promotion for www.febetra.be www.vlaamslogistiekverbond.be Belgian inland navigation Belgian lobby organisation of road hauliers and Member organisation of Flemish companies logistics service providers, advice and service, data providing logistics services to third parties Royal Belgian Shipowners’ Union gathering and knowledge dissemination www.brv.be VOKA - Local Chambers of Commerce Flemish Lobby group of all ship owners and ships’ managers, ITLB vzw (Instituut wegTransport en Logistiek Brabant established in Belgium and active in the international België) (former Instituut voor Wegtransport - IWT) www.voka.be/halle-vilvoorde/Pages/default.aspx maritime sea transport www.itlb.be www.voka.be/leuven/Pages/default.aspx Federal Public Service of Mobility and Transport with Flemish Employers Association Promotion Inland Navigation Flanders representation of professional organisations of road To advise companies on inland navigation options www.binnenvaart.be hauliers (SAV, FEBETRA, UPTR) for freight transport, VOKA, waterway management Promotion and marketing of inland navigation in organisations Waterwegen en Zeekanaal nv and nv Flanders OTM (Belgian Shippers Council) Scheepvaart have hired transport experts to assist www.otmbe.org individual companies. These independent engineers Waterwegen en Zeekanaal nv Organisation of professionals in logistics and shipping are consultants with a great deal of practical www.wenz.be industry experience, with no commercial attachments Flanders’ Waterways keeper: operation, maintenance whatsoever. Their support is free of charge for the and management, marketing & promotion PICS Belgium: the Belgian Association for participating companies. Production and Stock Management. www.picsbelgium.be Meeting place for professionals active in (internal) logistics

* Non-exhaustive list 20 NYO ALATUS

Intelligent supply chain management Strategy

Hessen- natie In production and distribution, the goal is to maximise capacity usage and improve the processes’ quality and reduce stocks. Cooperation between customers, suppliers and logistics service providers is focused on cost and stock reduction, but equally targets Infrastructure Intermodal transport Organisation accuracy and reliability in shipment delivery. Such a successful supply chain requires (Supply Chain Management) thought through planning, management, supporting ICT and coherent decision-making on all subprocesses of the supply chain. Evolution towards integrated management with cooperation beyond organisational boundaries is a must. Advanced logistics information systems can synchronise goods and data flows as well as automate, combine and Buying/ Material

optimise production processes. Input of ICT innovations and permanent research and Transport, Distribution Production Purchaising Forecasting and Logistics application of process innovations are vital for the optimal control and full management Management RFID of the complete industrial supply chain

CASES information flows ORTEC

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Influential Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automated identification technology Technology systems Enviroment allowing companies, through the use of radio waves, to wirelessly obtain a wide CASE range of data from “tagged” units to manage and improve the supply chain. Assembly crates equipped with RFID tags can be read at the entry dock of the warehouse. Atlas Copco, in Wilrijk near Antwerp, has been actively involved in developing, Clear advantages of this system are: prototyping and testing an ARP system for many years. The system calculates, on • Improved visibility and tracking of products as well as assembly crates; the basis of a twelve-month planning horizon, the monthly occupancy ratios, lead • Speeding up of the picking process by immediate and simultaneous data times, stocks, services degrees and similar planning requirements. Thus the effec- monitoring of all assembly crates; tiveness of key management decisions (stock build-up or reduction, overtime or • Better organisation of stock management; dry runs, outsourcing or insourcing, shift changes or weekend labour, order intake • Streamlining, accelerating and boosting of the efficiency of the supply or postponement, order transfer or order refusal, introduction of new products chain are simultaneous. and/or resources - people and machines - etc.) can be evaluated with regards to KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) every time. This is the renewing force of the Advanced Resources Planning (ARP) ARP system. Intelligent planning, both of the complete and partial supply chain as well as individual elements, constitutes a giant leap forward by applying the basic principles of physics (so-called “flow systems”) to the logistics challenges of today. Flow systems are systems in which the elements (flows) spend a certain amount of time in a The ARP system, as mentioned in this example, has been network that is composed of resources, such as cars in the traffic system, patients developed by NYO ALATUS (spin-off of K.U.Leuven): in an hospitals, passengers in an airport, data in a communication network, orders/ • Develops advanced planning-and scheduling systems S customers in a company, products in a production unit of the supply chain. for industrial and service-oriented applications I O • Offers systems process performance follow-up and evaluation within Lean and Six Sigma philosophies T M • www.nyoalatus.com

21 Advanced Planning Systems (APS) Ortec, European market leader in APS (advanced planning systems), has been active for over 25 years in the route planning software market. In view of a specific need, which differs greatly from sector to sector, either a static tool for daily planning or a more dynamic tool for real-time monitoring and execution is put to use. For ORTEC, this results in the use of ORTEC SHORTREC or ORTEC TRANSPORT & DISTRIBUTION.

A customer using Ortec Shortrec is Toyota. The Toyota Parts Centre Europe (TPCE) in Diest optimises its network for dealer distribution with a specific EDC module, linked with Ortec Shortrec. This software tool enables the selection of the most ideal cross-docking locations out of a vast set of possible locations, taking into account costs and service levels. Each of the dealers is linked to a specific cross-dock. In a third phase, optimal routing is monitored from each of the cross- docks to the distributors. Thus the full picture is built up from the TPCE, from the cross-dock to the distributor.

Route planning software also helps to enhance cost efficiency in the transport network set-up, to make a substantial contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions of the explored network.

ORTEC: • Specialised in “advanced planning”, software solutions S and consultancy I O • Over 1,250 customers worldwide, 700 staff and offices in America, Europe and Asia T M • www.ortec.com

Horizontal collaboration In addition to aligning processes and stocks within the integrated supply chain of one principal/shipper, it is a duty of the logistics service provider to be ready and prepared in the near future to support, integrate and continuously improve the supply chains of different principals/shippers under one umbrella of operational and management control. Sharing resources such as infrastructure, equipment, personnel and products generate huge opportunities for economies of scale, and thus also the enhancement of efficiency & effectiveness. Such horizontal collaboration can also result in vast warehousing, transportation and stock management cost reductions. It takes place with full respect for the autonomy of the respective principals/shippers. Transparency and elaboration of the correct gain sharing mechanisms are other crucial features for horizontal collaboration. A few logistics service providers are ready (as to infrastructure, processes and technology) for

22 Easics & ICsense: a world-class innovative partnership Two companies from Leuven, Easics and ICsense (both spin-offs of the K.U.Leuven), found each other in a unique partnership for the development of ICs (Integrated Circuits), better known as the chip.

Both develop custom-made ICs, so called ASICs. Their customers are typically system manufacturers integrating these ICs into their products. The difference between the two companies is the specialisation of Easics in digital and ICsense in analogue design.

Thanks to increasing integration, ASICs are increasingly evolving towards full systems on a chip. Some elements are best executed digitally, others require an analogue approach. Such ASICs are referred to as mixed-signal ASICs. Companies involved in the design of mixed-signal ASICs have an important competitive edge in the future. However, the difficulty is that while both analogue and digital circuits start from silicon, their design disciplines are fundamentally different. To meet the challenges, Easics and ICsense have opted for a structural cooperation. Both companies offer their complementary competencies, together in a partnership, for mixed-signal ASIC projects. Both organisations believe this is more efficient than building up new competencies themselves. Thus own competencies can be con- this innovative approach, but right now only a very few decision-makers have solidated, which is not a superfluous luxury, given the rapid technological evolution. made a clear move. The collaboration model received a warm and enthusiastic welcome, especially because the enhancements in efficiency, effectiveness and sus- The organically-grown cooperation is originating from projects with success. A tainability can be clearly demonstrated. nice example to consider in this regard is the development of an advanced RFID tag IC on behalf of the American company, Te g o . The logistic service supplier needs to convince its market to join this sustainable logistics solution. H. Essers (former Hessenatie Logistics) worked on some suc- In their original shape, RFID tags are an electronic replica of a barcode. The tag cessful cases and is convinced that the concept of “horizontal collaboration” will stocks an identification digit that can be read by a reader. The major difference with soon become a standard within supply chain management. a barcode is using radio frequencies, allowing the reader to view through obstacles, such as packaging, and reading remotely over longer distances. Moreover, an RFID tag provides much more accuracy. H.ESSERS: • With 850,000 m² of warehouse space, Technological evolution has enabled the industry to integrate much more memo- a fleet of 1,050 trucks and 2,200 trailers, H.Essers is S ry into the RFID tag. Identity cards with an RFID tag not only contain identification one of the largest and most successful logistics I O data, but they also have a picture of the owner. As a result, an entirely new range providers in Europe. of applications becomes available. Tego’s slogan is rightfully, “Beyond Identification”. • The company has over 3000 employees across 30 offices T M in 10 countries in Western and Eastern Europe To illustrate these new opportunities, one can make the analogy with vehicle data. • www.essers.com A classic RFID tag can save a registration number for identification. A new generation RFID tag can contain the full maintenance booklet, thus allowing status control of maintenance history at any given time.

A key application is found in the aircraft industry. An aircraft contains thousands of components that require an accurate follow-up in view of, e.g. taking the right actions whenever a default occurs. This is actually a very heavy administrative bur-

23 den, consuming a great deal of both time and money. By providing each component with its own “maintenance guide”, the necessary information is obtained Easics: directly from the spare part. • Founded in 1991 as a spin-off of K.U.Leuven and imec • Designs digital and mixed-signal chips for machine production, medical Tego recently announced an agreement with Airbus to tag the spare parts of applications, wireless and wired telecommunication, multimedia and the A350 aircrafts with RFID tags based on their technology. These tags generate digital signal treatment improvement of the aircraft configuration, the line maintenance, the workshop, • www.easics.be warehouse & distribution logistics, the payload tracking and monitoring of short lifespan components. The chip for this project was designed by the Easics-ICsense partnership.

The chip design was extremely challenging. To reply to its reader, the chip obviously ICsense: needs energy. Tagging of thousands of components cannot result in each tag having • Founded in 2004 as a spin-off of K.U.Leuven to be equipped with a battery. That is why the chip literally gets its energy out of • Designs analogue and mixed-signal chips for sensors, MEMS and the air, namely from radio waves the reader is sending out. To make this energy power management for automotive, medical and industrial applications available for use within the chip, very advanced electronics are needed. • www.icsense.com

The harvested energy needs to be used with great care. Therefore, each functional module is put on a strict energy diet. Voltage and electrical flows are kept to a minimum and only created when needed. The chip is completely modular, allowing non-active blocks to be fully disconnected. These advanced low-power techniques demanded a close cooperation between analogue and digital design teams.

Meanwhile, new evolutions are closely monitored. RFID tag functionality could be inserted in other chips, making separate tagging superfluous. Another idea is to have tags directly communicate with each other, without the support of a reader. Thus their new generation could become the building blocks of the “Internet of things”.

Whatever the future brings for RFID tags, it is obvious that the mixed-signal ASIC design will have its crucial role. Easics and ICsense are ready.

24 translation?? Bedrijven actief binnen de trend van intelligent supply chain *

ANSEM RFID Exact software Belgium Prodata Systems (spin-off of K.U.Leuven & imec) Optimisation supply chain ICT infrastructure & applications to enhance ww.ansem.com www.exactsoftware.be operational effectiveness www.prodata-systems.com CCS Software Solutions Flexlink systems ERP/CRM Production logistics solutions Project Engineering and Contracting www.ccs.be www.flexlink.com Embedded electronics & software for, among others, logistics Cegelec IBS Technology and Services www.pec.be System integrator Supply management software for distribution and www.cegelec.be production units Septentrio http://www.ibs.net/benl Navigation & positioning (spin-off of imec) Computer Compta Systems www.septentrio.com/ ERP/Mobile data communication/Tracking Intrion www.ccs.be/ Technology for warehouses/streamlining logistical Sick nv flows Automation & optimisation of distribution centres Dastronic www.intrion.com/ www.sick.be WMS www.dastronic.be Luciad Spacechecker Advanced software solutions for use of geo- Track & Trace DEXX information www.spacechecker.com Solutions in customs (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) www.dexx.be www.luciad.com Tech Data ICT & Logistics management Easics NXP www.techdata.be Micro-electronics (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) RFID www.easics.com www.nxp.com Vision ++ Bin picking Econcore Nyo Alatus www.visionplusplus.com Lightweight materials and innovative packing ARP (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) material www.nyoalatus.com Zenitel (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) Communication apparatus www.econcore.com Phi-Data www.zenitel.com RFID, barcode, WMS, stock control & management Essensium www.phidata.be RFID, Real-time location (spin-off of imec) www.essensium.com

* Non-exhaustive list 25 Intelligent transport systems:

Mobility of goods and people is one of the most important social themes. To solve the Strategy related bottlenecks, there is a need for more than just smart/intelligent vehicles (cars, GIM trains, boats and aircrafts); flexible, adapting and innovative transport networks are also necessary. New telematics applications, originating from soft-/hardware and ICT innovations, will impact the vehicles’ intelligence. By directly linking the level of intelligence of vehicles, Infrastructure Intermodal transport Organisation transport systems and networks will have to be enhanced by implementing the newest (Supply Chain Management) ICT technologies. This will lead to a more intelligent and flexible traffic infrastructure and more efficient traffic flow management, which means that the cruising speed will increase. In the end, the authorities are expected, through thorough integration with information and communication networks, to take up their role of regulator. Buying/ Material Transport, Transport, Distribution Production Purchaising Forecasting and Logistics Management

CASES Flexsys information flows Punch Flexible Traffic Management: Tele- matics FLEXSYS (Flexible Traffic Management) has shown a possible solution for one of Influential the biggest paradigms in the traffic movements: while there is a constant change in Technology systems Enviroment traffic situations, the traffic infrastructure is a predominantly static element. Flexible CASE traffic management systems can contribute significantly in improving safety, mobility and driving comfort. With the FLEXSYS project (2008), clarification was given on how traffic management systems can be adapted based on ever-changing circumstances on our roads: road works, diversions, evacuations. This implies important innovative changes in the different processes forming the backbone of traffic management systems: detection, network & communication, data processing and signalisation. In a proof of concept demonstrator, an autonomous functioning FLEXSYS system is demonstrated, from traffic camera to variable data traffic signs, deployable with road works, deviations and evacuations. New markets for intelligent traffic management are explored. These tools also en- able local authorities, police squads, shopping malls and companies involved in and responsible for road works signalling to follow and steer various traffic situations.

26 FLEXSYS: • IBBT (Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology) project • Result of partners’ cooperation: Icoms Communications, FLOW , Touring, Traficon, Transport & Mobility Leuven, Tritel, Heijmans , Vialis, Verkeerscentrum Vlaanderen, S ITS Belgium and I O • research groups: K.U.Leuven DistriNet, K.U.Leuven ICRI, VUB ETRO ,K.U.Leuven CIB T M (Centre for Industrial Policy). • www.ibbt.be © Pascal Vyncke, SeniorenNet.be Vyncke, © Pascal

Geographic Information Systems: In emergencies, every second counts; arriving to the scene of the disaster on time is imperative for rescue operations. The Oost-Brabant Fire Brigade used the reform in fire brigades to order an extensive feasibility study on its territory. GIM assisted them in finding a solution for this spatial issue. Using the geographic information system (GIS) and routing software, reachability zones were demarcated for all fire brigades, depending on the variability of their respective response time. The impact of various optimisation measures, such as professionalisation of the voluntary fire brigade or adding a fire brigade, was calculated. The routing software allowed driving time zones and subsequent demo- graphic data to be combined in order to assess the impact of different scenarios on the number of citizens that cannot be reached in time. This procedure enables scenarios to be compared in order to achieve optimal risk coverage.

GIM: S • Experts in Geographic Information Systems and geo-ICT, earth observation services and I O management of geographic information M • www.gim.be T

27 Transport management: Ninatrans uses the CarCube Punch Telematix on-board computer for the optimi Ninatrans: sation of their transport management. In this application, real-time information • Belgian family-owned company, HQ in Bierbeek and efficient salary administration are the key words. All trucks are equipped with • An asset in the road transport sector for over 40 years a CarCube on-board computer with integrated data communication, navigation, • Specialised in transport of air freight GPS and a “start/stop” (“interruption” feature). These on-board computers are • www.ninatrans.be linked to a self-designed back office system. The CarCube-registered data (hours and activities) are easily transferable into a salary administration, which is a time saving as well as communication cost-improving asset. The track & trace module improves the contact with drivers and enables quick and efficient feedback to the Punch Telematix (now known as Trimble Logistics & Transport) customers, an added value for time-critical commodities. Customers can follow up • Develops and markets solutions for transport management, in real-time and get direct reporting. such as on-board computer CarCube, wireless S communication services and web-based back I O office applications • Reputation as telematics reference in Western Europe T M • R&D department in Leuven • http://www.punchtelematix.com/en/

28 NXP operates - in a public-private cooperation - towards innovative solutions for road charging, e-call and mobility services.

NXP Semiconductors, headquartered in Eindhoven, develops standard product solutions and specialised chips. Innovations are being used in a wide range of applications in the following sectors/industries: automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial production, mobility, consumer electronics and data treatment. The Leuven Research Centre houses 180 researchers, in advanced research in following scientific domains: signal processing technology, RFID, security, mobility and medical apparatus (hearing aids, biosensors). As an active member of DSP Valley and ITS Belgium, it cooperates with several universities, research institutes and SMEs in Flanders. NXP is located on the Haas- rode industrial estate and has a division with imec.

Using a longstanding relationship of NXP in Flanders with imec and K.U.Leuven, and through diverse consultations with institutes as ITS-Belgium, IBBT, and the Universities of Ghent and Antwerp, it was decided to start an IBBT research project around innovation in intelligent transport systems (ITS). By means of this project, universities and research institutes have paved the way to a Flemish telematics platform, including for the demonstration of some concrete ITS services, such as traffic information, e-call (emergency call), intelligent velocity modulation (ISA), road charging and services based on vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (so-called cooperative systems). Several applications are based on European standards to ensure interoperability between different market players and over geographic boundaries.

To continue this project and make its results permanent, a public-private cooperation was started with the following partners: Alcatel-Lucent, Mobistar, Proximus, Siemens, Teleatlas en Touring, the Vlaams Verkeerscentrum and the VRT Medialab. The establishment of this consortium initiated the IBBT ITS-Testbed project, financed by the IWT.

The project also collaborates with other regional and national initiatives in the context of a European FP7 project proposal. In addition to being instrumental in the introduction of the next generation of ITS services (for sustainable mobility and ambitious security and environmental goals), this project facilitates the production industry’s access to the newest evolutions on the European and global ITS markets.

This project presented its final report in April 2010, organising a successful workshop demonstrating different intermediate and end results.

29 The next generation road toll charges/road pricing Pilot project in Leuven The required features of future road charges are aimed at the public and will The first pilot practice-based research of the ATOP technology was performed impose requirements to the infrastructure and road pricing for any driven kilome- on 25 June 2009 in Eindhoven, as a cooperation between NXP, IBM and with the tre with parameters including the time of day and exact location, type of vehicle, local public authorities. An ATOP box was installed in 50 cars of employees living emission values and various other parameters. in the region around Eindhoven. The pilot project ran for six months and had It is assumed that each vehicle will ultimately be equipped with GSNS (Global three phases of two months each (baseline or zero measurement, reward-based Satellite Navigation System) and have a mobile telephone network connection on measurement, end metering non-reward based). Results show that road charg- board to pass on information to a central road pricing system. ing techniques can be used to improve local mobility, based on agreed pricing schemes, flexible map updates and tariff information in the car. In total, more than Therefore, the key task is the development of an “integrated on-board unit” ena- 200,000 km were registered. Approximately 70% of the drivers improved their bling intelligent road pricing and meeting the safety and drivers’ comfort standards. behaviour under influence of the reward system. These users demonstrated a net improvement of over 16% in the average costing per km. When the reward ATOP, an Automotive Telematics On-Board Unit (OBU) Platform is an “all-in-one” was taken away in the final stage, two out of three of them increased the average chip solution (about the size of a 1-euro coin) developed by NXP, specifically costing per km even further. Feedback from the users has revealed the display to designed for new telematics applications such as “public road pricing” and “e-Call”, be of crucial importance for influencing behavioural change and correlating costing but it also creates new opportunities with other types of services (e. g. park- and behavioural changes. ing monitoring, tracking of stolen vehicles, car-2-car communication). This micro- electronics component contains a number of revolutionary technological solutions A showcase was organised in Belgium in cooperation with, among others, IBM, focused on facilitating the launch of such a product and decreasing risks for large- NXP, Transport & Mobility Leuven (TML), Touring and Mobistar, on 21 April 2010. volume operations. During this event, a number of cars, a bus and a truck drove from Brussels to Leuven via different roads and three new features of the technology were high- The main challenges were: lighted: flexible road tolling, e-call and Car-2-Car communication. This event took place in the presence of representatives from the Flemish, Brussels, Belgian and • creating a profitable “thin client” architecture while simultaneously European authorities. On the basis of this event, it was decided to organise a more avoiding communication overload; extensive test in Flanders. The city of Leuven has put forward its candidacy for this • guaranteeing the principles of privacy within the “thin client” project. architecture; • allowing self-deployment while maintaining system integrity; • handling certified and secure road tolling services with value added services for the end user in the same OBU architecture; NXP: • maintaining system integrity while the GPS system is unable to answer • Market leader position for semiconductors the authentication protocol. • Over 37,500 staff worldwide; holds 25,000 original patents • www.nxp.com

30 Technology providers active in ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems)*

Aviovision GEO ID NXP Paperless cockpit Geographical information - GIS Semiconductors & real-time location www.aviovision.com www.geoid.be www.nxp.com

Barco GIM Phi-Data Visualisation solutions for both transport and traffic Geographical information - GIS RFID, barcode www.barco.com www.gim.be www.phidata.be

Buhlmann LMS International Prodata Systems Full automation of depots (trains, trams, buses) Testing, modelling and predicting tools and so- IT solutions for the public transportation sector www.buhlmann.be lutionsfor the automotive industry (spin-off of www.prodata-systems.com K.U.Leuven) CCS Software Solutions www.lmsintl.com Proton World International Track & Trace/Member of ITS Belgium Design and programming of computer programs www.ccs.be Logdon with applications for hybrid vehicles Vehicle-to-vehicle communication www.st.com eC-ITS www.lodgon.com Consultancy on ITS/Traffic management/Telematics Punch Telematix www.ec-its.com Luciad Fleet management Advanced software solution for dissemination, www.punchtelematix.com Econcore treatment and visualisation of geo-information Lightweight materials and innovative packaging (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) Septentrio (spin-off of K.U.Leuven) www.luciad.com Navigation and positioning (spin-off of imec) www.econcore.com www.septentrio.com/ Nimera Essensium Telematics consultancy Spacechecker Real-time location (spin-off of imec) www.nimera.firstserved.net Track & Trace www.essensium.com www.spacechecker.com

* Non-exhaustive list

31 Organisations actively involved within (innovative) logistics & mobility*

Flanders’ Drive Steunpunt Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken - Flemish initiative for developing competences Stroom Verkeersveiligheid within the automotive sector, with a view to Infrastructure, safety, sustainable mobility, innovative products and processes innovation and ICT www.flandersdrive.be http://www.steunpuntmowverkeersveiligheid.be/

Flanders Logistics Transport & Mobility Leuven Concrete project management on important Modelling, analysis & modal shift strategic themes strengthening the logistics scene www.tmleuven.be www.flanderslogistics.be VIL - Vlaams Instituut voor de Logistiek ITS Belgium Knowledge platform for logistics; competence and Member organisation stimulating ICT-related innovation centre in logistics innovation and cooperation within logistics and www.vil.be mobility www.itsbelgium.be VIM - Vlaams Instituut voor de Mobiliteit Flemish platform for mobility research SIRRIS www.vim.be Sirris helps companies implement technological innovations VITO- Vlaams Instituut voor Technologisch www.sirris.be Onderzoek Technological research institute for ecology and Steunpunt Goederenstromen economics, transport and mobility Infrastructure, freight gates, sustainable logistics, www.vito.be economic importance, optimisation of the supply chain www.steunpuntgoederenstromen.be

For an extensive list, please visit our website: www.flanderssmarthub.be

32 Knowledge institutes with in-depth research on logistics and mobility

Knowledge institute - Active within Active within Active within Department Intermodality Intelligent supply chain Intelligent Transport Systems

K.U.Leuven Transport economics, Faculty of Business and Economics pricing models, effects on the Centre for Economic Studies (CES) environment http://www.econ.kuleuven.be/ces/

K.U.Leuven Product research, stock manage- Faculty of Business and Economics ment, planning and control, reverse Research Centre for Operations Management logistics, warehouse design and www.econ.kuleuven.ac.be/eng/tew/academic/prodbel management, MRP, ERP, JIT, APC, TOC, etc. K.U.Leuven Multimodal transport Route planning Science and Technology Group Centre for Industrial Policy (CIB) http://cib.kuleuven.be/

K.U.Leuven Transport & logistics, production Traffic modelling, travel time Science and Technology Group research, healthcare logistics, forecasting, dynamic traffic Centre for Industrial Policy (CIB) - Transport Studies reverse logistics, logistics execution management, ITS, transport www.kuleuven.be/traffic systems (LES) networks

K.U.Leuven Open, distributed object support Science and Technology Group platforms for advanced applications: Computer sciences - Distrinet internet of things, supply chain http://distrinet.cs.kuleuven.be

K.U.Leuven Modelling, data mining, control Science and Technology Group theory, travel time forecasting Electrical Engineering (ESAT) - SCD www.esat.kuleuven.be/scd

K.U.Leuven Energy, power electronics, smart Science and Technology Group grids Electrical Engineering (ESAT) - ELECTA www.esat.kuleuven.be/electa

K.U.Leuven Sound and vibration analysis & Science and Technology Group engineering Mechanics - PMA www.mech.kuleuven.be/mod/

> > > > 33 Knowledge institutes with in-depth research on logistics and mobility

Knowledge institute - Active within Active within Active within Department Intermodality Intelligent supply chain Intelligent Transport Systems

K.U.Leuven Energy conversion, energy systems Science and Technology Group Mechanics - TME www.mech.kuleuven.be/tme

K.U.Leuven e-security, RFID e-security Science and Technology Group Electrical Engineering (ESAT) - COSIC www.esat.kuleuven.be/SCD

K.U.Leuven Materials research Materials research Science and Technology Group Leuven Materials Research Centre http://sirius.mtm.kuleuven.be/Research/MRC/

K.U.Leuven Sustainable transport Science and Technology Group Leuven Sustainable Earth http://www.kuleuven.be/lsue/

KaHo St. Lieven - Association partner K.U.Leuven Planning algorithms, load se- Planning algorithms curing, packaging optimisation

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Intermodal transport Sustainable logistics Traffic safety, electrical and hybrid MOBI: Mobility and Automotive Technology mobility policy, transport vehicles Research Group infrastructure, MOSI-T Transport and Logistics external costs calculation http://www.vub.ac.be/MOSI-T

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Electrical and hybrid vehicles, MOBI: Mobility and Automotive Technology energy efficient and environmen- Research Group - Electrical Engineering and Energy tally- friendly propulsion fuel cell Technology - ETEC technology, renewable energy, http://etecmc10.vub.ac.be/index.php environmental evaluation of the car manufacturing technology

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Monitoring of supply chain MOBI: Mobility and Automotive Technology management systems, end-to-end Research Group traceability 34 Electronics and Information Processing - ETRO http://www.etro.vub.ac.be Knowledge institute - Active within Active within Active within Department Intermodality Intelligent supply chain Intelligent Transport Systems

Erasmushogeschool Brussel (EhB) Electrical and hybrid vehicles, Dept. IWT - Electrical Engineering and Vehicle electrical propulsion, energy Technology storage, normalisation Cooperation with MOBI-VUB http://iwt.ehb.be/IWT/ELECT

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Materials research Electrochemical and Surface Engineering - SURF www.vub.ac.be/SURF

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Transport industry: vibro- Acoustics and Vibration - AVRG acoustical problems, testing www.avrg.be of aircraft spare parts, flight-flutter analysis

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Business models and value chains Studies on Media, Information & Telecommunication no translation?? - SMIT-IBBT www.vub.ac.be/SCOM/smit

Vrije Universiteit Brussel Impact analysis of transport Human Ecology - MEKO on aspects of health and www.vub.ac.be/MEKO sustainability

HU Brussel Centre for Modelling and Simulation (CMS) http://research.hubrussel.be/eCache/RHU/25/152.html

HU Brussel Business management & logistics Centre for Practice-based Research and Service Provision (PRAGODI) Commercial Sciences & Business Administration http://research.hubrussel.be/eCache/RHU/25/168.html

Vlerick Leuven Ghent Management School Sustainability Logistics management, warehouse Production, supply chain and logistics management management and production http://www.vlerick.be/nl/knowres/domeinen/ control 9-VLK/143-VLK.html

> > > > 35 Knowledge institutes with in-depth research on logistics and mobility

Knowledge institute - Active within Active within Active within Department Intermodality Intelligent supply chain Intelligent Transport Systems

Groep T Hogeschool Spare parts logistics, urban www.groept.be deliveries, environmentally-friendly propulsions

imec Nanotechnology, RFID, telematics, Nanotechnology, RFID, telematics, www.imec.be sensors, etc. sensors, etc.

IBBT Intelligent logistics (including ICT innovations for a more Interdisciplinary Institute for Broadband Technology monitoring of containers) efficient management of traffic www.ibbt.be flows: smart mobility, automatic detection

36 Flemish Brabant, more than just a logistics hotspot!

Lodewijk De Witte, Governor of Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant is rightly referred to as a top region for logistics in the first part economic growth with the highest quality of life. Fundamental to this is the knowl- of this brochure. Location, accessibility and the airport are its most important edge of each other’s singularities and strengths to make optimal and timely use of assets. Big players in logistics such as Toyota, 3M, Colruyt, Tyco, NYK and DHL have these. Providing what consumers need or wish will remain necessary in any case. chosen our province as a logistics starting point. Logistics brings employment and The challenge remains to be as smart an organisation as possible. If authorities economic prosperity to Flemish Brabant, but logistics also puts a heavy burden and innovative industrial actors are meeting those requirements, the logistics sec- on < region’s quality of life. That is why we need to handle logistics in our province tor can remain the development trigger for Flemish Brabant, without affecting the in a smart way, especially because our position at the top is under threat. quality of life.

Globalisation makes the importance of central location fade against the cost Many examples in this brochure have shown that Flemish Brabant has the assets benefits offered in certain countries. Without an appropriate response to ques- needed for this challenge; it is down to the companies, knowledge institutes and tions raised on mobility, quality of life and environmental issues, there is no solid the authorities to utilise these strengths in the best possible way. future for the logistics activity. Nevertheless, even if logistics activities shift to other regions, the pressure on Flemish Brabant remains: we face the threat of becoming a mere import or transit region for logistics with little creation of employment and Lodewijk De Witte, even less added value, but with an ever-growing flow of traffic. Thus, it is of vital Governor importance to be “smart” and constantly in search of the correct balance. of Flemish Brabant

Flemish Brabant relies on its knowledge sector to provide new technologies, techniques and views to achieve this balance. More efficient logistics, with a huge innovation component, are needed. This brochure highlights that Flemish Brabant is equipped to take up this challenge.

With K.U.Leuven, the Vrije Universiteit van Brussel, imec and a vast number of innovative companies, both the drive and knowledge are present to combine

37 38 Flemish Brabant:

think smart | act hub

The challenge for the province of Flemish Brabant is to turn the region into a Within each of these topics, we want to develop clusters, whether it be informal European “hotspot”, where economic creativity and innovation go hand in hand networking activities, communities or genuine partnerships, where industry and with growing prosperity and welfare. Flanders Smart Hub (FSH) was created in knowledge institutes meet. We see it as our mission to reduce the gap between December 2008 to take up this challenge under the auspices of governmental, both and to optimise supply and demand. To make our region grow, we keep an industrial and academic partners from Flemish Brabant. eye on the international context, in order to attract vital new potential and talent.

Flanders Smart Hub emphasises synergy between knowledge, entrepreneurship To succeed in our task, we need active support from all the triple helix par- and supportive authorities. The complexity of innovation implies that the harmo- ties in our province for our project: VOKA - Chamber of Commerce Flemish nisation of market actions, knowledge creation and regulation must constantly be Brabant, K.U.Leuven Research and Development, the provincial authorities of enhanced. Cooperation between these different components is not evident, but Flemish Brabant, the POM (Provincial Development Company) Flemish Brabant, it is indispensable for the development of the province of Flemish Brabant as the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels Airport Company (BAC), Leuven.Inc, leader in innovation. the city of Leuven, imec, ERSV Flemish Brabant, Interleuven and Haviland, and the Flemish Institute for Logistics (VIL). Occasionally, partners are recruited for specific First and foremost, Flanders Smart Hub focuses on three sectors, taking into activities. account the scientific and technological excellence and the economic potential within Flemish Brabant. These sectors are part of the domains pointed out by the The project received a grant for its operation from the European Regional Flemish Council for Scientific Policy (today the Flemish Council for Science and Development Fund, the “Hermes” Fund of the Government of Flanders, and is Innovation) as “strategic spear point sectors” for Flanders: being supported by our province and the POM Flemish Brabant. • Logistech: transport & logistics, services and supply chain management; • Lifetech: food & nutrition, prevention, treatment & ICT and healthcare; • Cleantech: environment and nature.

39 contact

Do you want to innovate, but are unaware of how to start? Do you have an idea, but no clue on its feasibility? Do you want to cooperate with a knowledge institute or knowledge centre? Did you do research, but your company is still searching for a plan to actually produce? Do you want more info on Flanders Smart Hub or one of our partners? Give us a call!

Kantoren:

Voka - Kamer van Koophandel K.U.Leuven Halle-Vilvoorde vzw Research & Development

Medialaan 26 Waaistraat 6 B - 1800 Vilvoorde B - 3000 Leuven

T: +32 2 300 58 02 T: +32 16 32 06 45 F: +32 2 255 20 30 F: +32 16 32 65 15

[email protected] www.flanderssmarthub.be

40 colophon

Flanders Smart Hub Medialaan 26 1800 Vilvoorde T: 02 300 58 02 [email protected] www.flanderssmarthub.be

Text Jacques Devos & Tom Philips - POM Vlaams-Brabant Sara Geris - Flanders Smart Hub

Translation Jacques Devos - POM Vlaams-Brabant Data Translations Int.

Editing Sara Geris - Flanders Smart Hub

Concept & Design www.blau.be

Druk Atlanta (Schaffen)

Photography (voor zover niet vermeld) Provincie Vlaams-Brabant, Pieter-Jan Peeters, Stijn Poldervaart

Sincere acknowledgements to Minister Ingrid Lieten, Gouverneur Lodewijk De Witte, Gedeputeerde Jean-Paul Olbrechts, Easics, GIM, Groep Colruyt, Hessenatie Logistics, IBBT, IBM, IFB, Innovatiecentrum Vlaams-Brabant, Nyo Alatus, NXP, Ortec, Provincie Vlaams- Brabant, PunchTelematix, Steunpunt Goederenstromen, W&Z en aan alle partners van Flanders Smart Hub.

Publisher: P.Hegge, Medialaan 26, 1800 Vilvoorde. Vilvoorde, juni 2010.

41 Europese Unie Europees Fonds voor Regionale Ontwikkeling