Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta

It almost takes me more time to post this than for Syensqo to pull together with partner Orbia a major 1MM$ investment in a greener future here in our beloved South-East... It was a real honor last month to head to Augusta and join CEO Ilham Kadri, Syensqo's top management (including my friend Alain FAESSLER), senior President to the POTUS Tom Perez and many others for the groundbreaking ceremony of a new production facility which will bring essential components for over 5M next gen batteries annually and create 600 jobs! Another component of this projet is being built in Saint-Gabriel, Louisiana, for a perfect spread across our jurisdiction. Excited to see one of our industrial crown jewels and historical investor in the South-East doubling down and reinforcing Belgium's position as a key investor and innovator in the region. 🍾 🍾 Dave Cetola, Ihab Elia, Oscar Petitgenet U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Augusta Technical College #americanbatterybelt, #BelgiumUSA

Flanders - A Hotspot for Hydrogen Innovation The field of #hydrogen is experiencing great momentum and will undergo unprecedented growth in the coming decade. #Flanders has historically played a pioneering role in the development of several breakthrough hydrogen innovations and has the fundamentals in place to play a crucial role in achieving the ambition of net-zero output. During this webinar, we aim to showcase the latest advancements in hydrogen innovation developed in Flanders, while also providing an overview of the challenges hindering the acceleration of industrial decarbonization in the region. Flanders features a multitude of commercially viable hydrogen solutions spanning the transport sector, ports and various industrial applications. Being integral to Europe's leading chemical cluster, Flanders faces the energy-intensive reality of its factories and processes. To realize our aspirations for net-zero emissions, substantial investments are imperative to decarbonize these heavy industries, with hydrogen emerging as a pivotal component in achieving this objective. Want to learn more? https://lnkd.in/eepaWw-k w/ Maarten Lambert, Adwin Martens, Gilles Decan, Laurent Remy, Denis THOMAS, H2 powered®, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT), WaterstofNet , VITO, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, North Sea Port

🌟 Belgian Pioneers at Day 1 of IPF 2024 - Wrapped! 🌟 Exciting first day at IPF 2024! Flanders Investment & Trade is proud to represent Belgium with a strong delegation of 20 dynamic companies specializing in offshore wind energy. Today was filled with insightful discussions, innovative showcases, and numerous opportunities for partnerships that promise to propel the industry forward. 🤝 We connected with global leaders, shared our expertise, and explored the latest trends and technologies driving the offshore wind sector. It's inspiring to see how committed we all are to harnessing wind energy for a sustainable future. 📸 Here are some highlights from the day, capturing our team in action and the engaging conversations at our booth. 🙌 A big thank you to all our participating companies and partners; Smulders, MULTI.engineering, DEME Group, Jan De Nul Group, Citymesh, e-BO Enterprises, Marlinks, GEOxyz, Belgian Offshore Cluster vzw and De Blauwe Cluster vzw, Manora Logistics, Sarens and #WestFlandersGatewaytoEurope. Let’s keep the momentum going! Join us for more updates over the next few days. #IPF2024 #OffshoreWind #SustainableEnergy #Innovation #FlandersInvestmentAndTrade #BelgianLeadership #RenewableEnergy

Thank you, Michel Gerebtzoff and U.S. Embassy Belgium.

Elle est où, la fête? Waar is da feestje? Where’s the party at? We at Belgian American Chamber of the South (BACoS) were humbled by the massive turnout of our members, sponsors and partners last night at our 2024 edition of the New Year’s reception, held at the new Inman Park Headquarters of our valued member Balta Rugs. Almost 80 guests joined us in reflecting on the past year’s work and looking ahead at what 2024 has in store for us. In addition to our signature networking events, we will also bring to you themed events that address key concerns and interests of our members. Last but not least, a gala celebrating the legendary culinary culture of Belgium🇧🇪 is in the works. Michel Gerebtzoff, Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta, updated us on the bilateral visits and the consistent growth of Belgian economic presence in the Southeast. Brigitte Vantieghem, chairwoman of BACoS, celebrated the work of our present and past board leadership and acknowledged the support of our members and partners. A big thank you to Hans Fossez and team at Balta Rugs for making their wonderful space available for us and supported us every step of the way. Special thanks to the young professionals that came to our event, some for the first time. You are a testimony of the dynamic region that the South is. Maxim Beeckman of Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta kindly helped with the organization of this event. Thanks to our members whose support made this event possible! We hope to create a more meaningful and impactful membership program in the coming year!

The State of Georgia delegation met with Minister-President Jan Jambon of Flanders to discuss shared key industries, including electric mobility, automotive, fintech, and cyber security. Located in the northern part of Belgium, it is one of Europe’s most competitive regions. Mr. Jambon visited Georgia in June 2021, when he was part of a mission that was led by HRH Princess Astrid.   Georgia is already home to more Belgian companies than any other state in the U.S., many of which are Flemish. Connectivity between Flanders and the State of Georgia is bolstered by the ports of Savannah and Antwerp.

Dit weekend in de Trends - waarom koos Sensolus voor Atlanta? Ik had het voorrecht om eind vorig jaar op een techtrip te mogen meereizen naar Atlanta en Miami (Agoria). En toen vroeg Benny Debruyne me waarom wij "Atlanta" voor ons eerste Sensolus office in US. We hebben natuurlijk ook veel parameters afgewogen in onze beslissing (ingenieurs doen niet liever), gaande van "cost of living", "taxes" , "talent", "diversity", "time zone", "customer access" etc. Maar dan heb je nog steeds meerdere steden (een handvol voor ons) die perfect passen. Maar dan moet je gewoon de knoop doorhakken en dit was bepalend voor ons: 🏭 - "potential of future customers" - US is big, en een staat is eigenlijk al een land op zich. Dat we binnen Georgia verschillende potentiële klanten hebben maakt het verschil 🤝 - "we feel welcome" - we voelden ons gewoon welkom, zowel door de lokale instanties, lokale bedrijven als de mensen die er rond lopen (John W. Woodward / Ania Lackey / Aly Merritt / Katie Kirkpatrick /...) 💥 - "street vibe" - positieve energie die je voelt als je rond loopt - het leeft, het bruist en het groeit hard in Atlanta 🤜 - "Belgium eco-system" - last but not least, was de gastvrijheid van de vele Belgen in Atlanta - die steeds elkaar helpen om stappen te nemen. Te veel om hier te bedanken: Michel Gerebtzoff / Yves Ghys / Conny Van Wulpen / Thibault Corens / Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) and many more. (we felt the same great eco-system in NY 😉 - John Baekelmans)

🚀 Exploring Web3.0: What I Learned in Atlanta and Miami's Tech Cities Just back from an incredible journey through Atlanta and Miami. It was both exciting and exhausting, but happy to share the most interesting insights from the forefront of web3.0 and the Metaverse, meaning AI, AR, VR, Blockchain, Gaming, IoT and Cybersecurity. 🔸 Atlanta: A Hub of Innovation and Diversity 🔸 - You know Atlanta for its role in "The Hunger Games" and as the home of André 3000 :), but Atlanta is also rapidly emerging as a key player in the US tech scene. Visiting giants like Microsoft , Nike, Meta and Magic Leap, along with inspiring talks at Georgia Institute of Technology (university) was a eye-opener. Key Learnings 💡 : -⚡ Atlanta dedicates an impressive $1.5 billion annually to fuel innovation. Initially a university-led transformation, now a vibrant hub for non-profits and giants like Google and PWC. With over 600 startups, including unicorn Calendly.  - 🔗 Atlanta's role in blockchain and web3 is particularly noteworthy, fostering a fertile ground for pioneers in this field. 🔸 Miami: Capitalizing on Capital and Connectivity🔸 - 🌬Miami's tech scene echoes the importance of capital in building strong businesses. With VCs like Andreessen Horowitz setting up shop, it's clear the ecosystem is thriving . - 🤝 Networking is key in Miami, with numerous opportunities to connect with the right people and programs. - 🔰 Discussions about Meta's AI and VR strategies revealed a future where technology integrates seamlessly into our physical world, rather than isolating us in a digital bubble. A small add-on, but becoming big in your 'text-to' stack: Text to Stickers! 🔸 European Perspective on Blockchain: A Contrast in Trust and Technology🔸 While there's European skepticism around its security and transparency referring to bitcoin, stablecoins and others, the US separates the pure blockchain-technology and the malicious coins. Think of tokenisation of documents, tokenisation to protect your critical digital infrastructure from cyberattacks, token powered financial services, public blockchains... Could this be a potential blind spot for Europe 🤔? 🔸Influencing people & Innovations to Watch🔸 - 🌐 Larry Heck, an AI visionary and ex-CEO of Vivlabs, is leading the way in task-specific AI development at Georgia Tech. His focus? Task-specific AI and the quest for the ideal interface. - 🤖 Chris Ume of Metaphisics.AI, known for his face-swaps with Tom Cruise and America's got Talent, is pushing the boundaries of photorealistic faces and digital humans. 🔸Conclusion: The AI hype is real, but it's not the only story worth telling. AR, VR, blockchain, and quantum computing are opening up a whole new universe of storytelling possibilities! Special thanks to Agoria, Frederik Tibau & Bart Steukers, for organising this enlightening trip! #Web3 #Innovation #AtlantaTech #MiamiTech #Blockchain #VirtualReality #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaTech