Canvas | Community | The Beacon

Headquartered in Leuven (Belgium) and with research sites across Belgium, in the Netherlands, Taiwan and the USA, an rep offices in China and Japan, imec leverages its state-of-the-art R&D infrastructure and its team of about 4,000 expert scientists, to drive open innovation across the globe. They unite world-industry leaders, Flanders-based and international companies, start-ups, and academia and knowledge centers, for R&D in nano-electronics and digital technologies, including advanced semiconductor scaling, silicon photonics, smart health, smart energy, smart mobility and smart cities solutions, artificial intelligence, beyond-5G and sensing technologies and more.

Next to its R&D offering, imec also leverages its expertise and large international industry network to support smaller organizations that have limited in-house R&D resources as well as larger companies with their innovation process from initial idea to fully functioning product, from the design of a product or chip, to prototyping, testing and optimizing, and manufacturing.

Finally, imec supports tech start-ups and scale-ups with a tailored offering. The imec.istart program is a business acceleration program that provides tech entrepreneurs with specialized coaching, facilities and overall support to help them grow their businesses, while the imec.scale-ups program focuses on larger innovative tech scale-ups looking to conquer the European market.

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Commissioned by the Flemish government, Lantis is building connections that make the city and region flourish. Lantis is responsible for the realisation of the Oosterweel connection, which will increase prosperity and improve the quality of life. Lantis is contributing to this by promoting mobility, including the construction of numerous bicycle connections and multimodal junctions on the city outskirts of Antwerp.

Lantis strives for operational excellence in order to carry out projects as efficiently as possible and deliver quality. Thanks to intensive cooperation with the surrounding area, the organisation works transparently and with a focus on results. Innovation and transformation ensure future-oriented projects with a lasting impact on the dynamics of the region. This is the Lantis way of successfully realising large projects in an urban environment.

Lantis stands for Liveable Antwerp through Innovation and Cooperation and is a public limited company. The day-to-day management is in the hands of the management committee led by managing director Luc Hellemans. David Van Herreweghe chairs the board of directors.

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As Europe’s second-largest port and largest integrated chemical cluster, the Port of Antwerp Bruges is a major lifeline for the Belgian economy: annually around 238 million tonnes of international maritime freight are handled. The Port of Antwerp Bruges accounts, directly and indirectly, for a total of around 143.000 jobs and more than €20 billion added value.

Innovation and digitisation enable our mission to be ‘a home port for a sustainable future’ as we aim to flexibly respond to a rapidly evolving maritime market. By supporting The Beacon, we want to ensure that our port platform finds relevant points of contact and vice versa. Furthermore, we want to facilitate the exchange effect created through the ecosystem being built around The Beacon.

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The city of Antwerp welcomes businesses, researchers, citizens and city officials to experiment with smart technologies that aim to make urban life more enjoyable and sustainable. Antwerp is a living lab where solutions are tested and co-created with its inhabitants. The city is home to highly innovative businesses and with 171 nationalities that live in Antwerp, it is above all a very diverse, and international city. The Ecosystem in Antwerp is developing rapidly, over the past years the amount of start-ups and scaleups in Antwerp doubled.

Innovative companies are the driving force behind the Antwerp knowledge economy. Their growth is crucial for our future. The City of Antwerp therefore strongly believes in the power of digital networking and is developing an ecosystem for digital innovation in which large and small businesses, startups, scaleups, researchers and capital providers with an interest in the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence can meet each other. Thanks to the cross-pollination that occurs in The Beacon, innovative products are developed that are relevant to Antwerp’s ‘smart city’ ambitions and to our financial stakeholders: industry and logistics.

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The University of Antwerp is a research university where pioneering, innovative research is conducted at an international level. Research and education are closely linked, with 20,000 students and 6000 staff spread across our nine faculties. As a driving force in the Antwerp innovation ecosystem, innovation is a constant focus.

The Beacon is the university’s pioneering pre-incubation structure for the domain of Metropolitanism, Smart City, Mobility & Logistics. It houses the IDLab research group and the Design Sciences Hub.

The IDLab research group of the University of Antwerp and imec performs fundamental and applied research on Wireless technologies, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things. IDLab, headed by prof. Steven Latré, targets the most daunting challenges industry is facing to deliver digital transformation, connecting everything and extracting high value from data. Bringing researchers and industrial partners together at the same location facilitates knowledge transfer and enables the cross-fertilization and co-creation insights on smart cities, IoT and AI towards the industrial partners in The Beacon.

The Design Sciences Hub of the Faculty of Design Sciences is an interdisciplinary innovation and valorization lab. They offer design solutions for urban challenges and wicked problems in the triangle of urban planning, built environment, and urban health.

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Unikoo launches Marketing AI Studio Markomatic

(DUTCH)
Unikoo lanceert Markomatic, een AI-innovatiestudio die AI-marketingsystemen op maat bouwt en integreert in de bestaande werkwijze van marketingteams. Geen klassiek uitvoerend bureau of consultancy, maar oplossingen die naadloos aansluiten op het dagelijkse werk van marketeers; merkgetrouw in tone of voice, messaging en branding.

“Er zijn zoveel tools, opties en beloftes dat marketeers door de bomen het bos niet meer zien”, aldus Kasper Vancoppenolle, founder van Markomatic. “Veel marketeers gebruiken AI al, maar niet op het volle potentieel. Met Markomatic bouwen we voor elk marketingteam een brigade van AI-assistenten die we trainen met specifieke data, regels en use cases van de klant.”

Wat Markomatic onderscheidt: de oplossingen worden niet gebouwd door AI-consultants, maar door ervaren marketeers die de technologie en haar potentieel door en door begrijpen. Zij slaan de brug tussen marketingnoden en technologie. Binnen zo snel als twee tot vier weken staat er een werkende omgeving klaar, met gedetailleerde documentatie, training en EU-conforme gegevensbescherming.

Markomatic werkt met een helder stappenplan, van analyse en maatwerk tot implementatie en opleiding. Centraal staat het human-in-the-loop-principe: geen volledig autonome AI-agents, maar systemen die repetitieve taken overnemen terwijl marketeers de regie behouden over strategie, creatieve insteek en finale goedkeuring. AI bepaalt het tempo; de mens de richting.

“Markomatic helpt marketingteams de rol van AI in hun organisatie scherp te zetten en marketingmateriaal op hun eigen voorwaarden te ontwikkelen,” aldus Kenn Wouters, founder van Unikoo. “Het is een toegankelijke manier om structureel waarde te creëren met AI.”

Markomatic sluit naadloos aan bij de diensten van Unikoo, full-servicepartner voor start-ups, scale-ups en kmo’s. Unikoo biedt flexibele en schaalbare samenwerkingen in finance, administratie, HR, marketing en technologie, en helpt organisaties AI te omarmen op een manier die efficiëntie verhoogt en de operationele werking versterkt. Markomatic’s oplossingen versterken deze visie met concrete, snel inzetbare AI-systemen voor marketingteams.

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Marple gets 600k funding

Marple will focus more on model-based engineering and correlating measurement data with simulations. In total, they have raised €600k for this research project, with a significant part funded through VLAIO’s innovation grant.

Hyperfox selected for exclusive Google Forum in Silicon Valley

Hyperfox is the only Belgian company selected for the prestigious Google for Startups Gemini Founders Forum in Mountain View, California.
Out of more than 1,000 scale-ups worldwide, only 53 companies were chosen to participate in this exclusive programme, organized by Google for Startups,Google Cloud and Google DeepMind.

The GeminiFounders Forum brings together a select group of the most promising AI scale-ups in the heart of Silicon Valley to share knowledge, gain access to Google's top expertise and collaborate on the future of artificial intelligence.

“This selection is a huge recognition for our team,” says Tom Devos, founder and CEO ofHyperfox. “We use AI to solve a real business problem, enabling us to process orders in seconds instead of minutes, in a specific niche of distribution and transport companies. The fact that Google selected us from more than a thousand candidates shows that our approach resonates internationally.”

Hyperfox is developing an AI platform that automatically processes B2B orders from various channels (such as email, PDF, Excel, WhatsApp, telephone and EDI) and converts them into correct ERP/TMS orders. In this way, the company helps manufacturing and distribution companies save time, reduce errors and speed up their orderflow.

During the Gemini Founders Forum, Hyperfox will work with experts from Google Cloud and DeepMind on AI enhancement, scalability and technological innovation.

“This is a unique opportunity for us as a team,” says Thomas Vangelooven, CTO of Hyperfox. ‘Every day, we apply the latest AI developments to real-world challenges faced by our customers, and it quickly becomes clear that AI is still at the beginning of its maturity curve. The collaboration with Google DeepMind offers us the opportunity to refine our technology at an accelerated pace and apply new generations of AI models to order automation in a concrete way. It is a strong confirmation that we are ont he right track internationally.’

The forum will take place in November 2025 at the Google campus in Mountain View, California.

Mahi Wins Blue Innovation Award

Meet the winners of the Blue Innovation Awards 2025
The Blue Innovation Awards 2025 once again highlighted the creativity and strength of Flanders’ blue economy. This year’s entries reflected a strong drive for innovation and collaboration, with projects that stood out for their quality and impact

On Thursday 9 October, the winners of the Blue Innovation Awards 2025 were announced during StarWatts in Maison De La Poste in Brussels. Blue Cluster proudly presents the winning initiatives:

MAHI Sense by MAHI won the Blue Innovation Wave Award. It is the first autonomous maritime computer system officially approved for installation on internationally certified seagoing vessels. This consitutes a major milestone for the future of autonomous shipping.
GEOxyz’s Geodrone 6800 received the Corporate Blue Innovation Wave Award. This unmanned surface drone performs offshore measurements without crew on board, operated entirely remotely from a control room onshore. The result is safer, more sustainable, and more efficient operations, with significantly reduced CO₂ emissions.

The Data-Driven Whale Routing app, a joint creation by Whale Guardians, Bogerd Martin, Dice Consulting and LuxSpace, won the Blue Innovation Swell Award. The app uses smart data to make shipping routes safer for whales by showing where they are most likely to be at a given time.
Finally, the Inspirational Blue Wave Award, presented by the public, went to Aquaforest by Jan De Nul. This project uses dredged sediment to create a mangrove island in Ecuador. Apart from restoring nature, it provides insights into ecological construction and nature-inclusive design.
The winners will feature prominently at Blue Cluster events in the coming year year and may use the unique Blue Innovation Awards logo.

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Winterfest Start it x The Beacon

The ultimate Christmas get-together before the holidays! Bring your family members along to The Beacon for a cosy evening of yuletide fun. Score unique Christmas gifts made with love by our community members.

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Our Summer Deal is here!

Get a full year access to our inspiring, fully equipped coworking space for €200/month instead of €300 when you sign up in June, July or August 2025.

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Emissions Reporting for Maritime Shipping & Logistics

Emissions Reporting for Maritime Shipping & Logistics

"Please report CSRD / CBAM / ETS / GLEC compliance" - say what?

A sea of regulations—and everyone’s asking the same question: where do we even start?

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The maritime shipping industry is facing an overwhelming wave of sustainability regulations, from the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). Navigating these complex requirements can feel daunting, and many businesses are left wondering what steps to take.
At Dockflow, we’re introducing our CO2-tracking feature for ocean-going containers, a tool designed to help shippers and logistics providers manage carbon reporting. But we know that this is just one part of the bigger challenge. This event aims to provide much-needed clarity by offering an overview of the key reporting frameworks, calculation methods, and compliance requirements that are reshaping maritime logistics. If you're feeling unsure about where to go next, this session will offer practical pointers to help you get on track.

Joining us with expertise:
Quentin Donnadille - Policy Advisor - Maritime Logistics, Sustainable Logistics, Road Freight at CLECAT - European association for forwarding, transport, logistic and Customs services

Wouter Lox and Roel Van Lerberghe - Sustinera - Advising companies on sustainability, CSRD-reporting, auditing and sustainable stakeholder communication

+ TBC

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, October 24th, 2024
Time: 18:00 CEST
Location: The Beacon, Antwerp (with a livestream option available)
Register: https://dockflow.com/emissions-reporting-for-maritime-shipping-and-logistics-event
Attend in person at The Beacon in Antwerp or join us via the livestream. We’ll feature expert external speakers who can shed light on these pressing issues and help you understand what’s really expected.

What You'll Learn:
A clear overview of the CSRD, CBAM, and ETS regulations and what they mean for maritime logistics.
Insights into CO2 tracking calculation methods, including COFRET, GLEC, ISO 14083, and EN 16258.
Guidance on how to start aligning your business with the latest sustainability frameworks and avoid the most common pitfalls.
How Dockflow’s CO2-tracking feature can support your compliance efforts as part of the bigger picture.
Who Should Attend:
Freight forwarders, shippers, and logistics service providers struggling with the complexity of emissions reporting.
Sustainability officers, compliance managers, and those tasked with meeting environmental regulations.
Anyone unsure of how to navigate the ever-expanding list of EU and US climate disclosure rules.
How to Attend:
In Person: Be part of the live discussion at The Beacon, Antwerp.
Livestream: Can’t make it in person? Join us online and stay informed from wherever you are.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of regulations, this event will help you understand where to begin.

Invite link: https://dockflow.com/emissions-reporting-for-maritime-shipping-and-logistics-event

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Interview COO Robin Pauwels

The new Innovantage episode, featuring Robin Pauwels, COO at The Beacon | Innovation Community .Maxim Golikov and Robin Pauwels will discuss AI's impact on personalized education, healthcare modernization, and community engagement.

The expert guest is the Chief Operating Officer at The Beacon | Innovation Community , a community builder, and a former big data developer, Robin Pauwels.

In this episode, Maxim Golikov and Robin Pauwels will cover the following topics:
💭 How AI enhances personalised education experiences
💭 The role of AI in modernising healthcare systems
💭 Innovative ways AI is used in community engagement

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The Captains Table 2024 Challenge

🌟💫 Applications now open for The Captain’s Table 2024 Challenge! 💫🌟

✅ Environment
We are looking for companies that make real money by slashing hashtag#carbon, hashtag#methane, and other hashtag#greenhouse gases, and from fixing our hashtag#oceans and hashtag#waterways. Solutions can range from capture, storage, efficiency enhancing hardware and optimisation. If it helps hashtag#maritime meet our hashtag#emissiontargets, or clean up our environment, we want to hear from you!

✅ Social Impact
No one should get left behind as we transition to a clear and more digitalised way of working. We need solutions that support workers through the transition with consideration to hashtag#education, hashtag#training, hashtag#reskilling, and hashtag#safety.

✅ Governance and Risk Management
Business is risk management. We are seeking smart technologies that hashtag#automate, hashtag#streamline hashtag#riskmanagement to reduce errors, increase efficiency and align with organisational goals.

✅ Digitalised Supply Chains
If you have been following our posts, you know we believe that hashtag#digitalised hashtag#supplychains are essential to creating a more resilient and cleaner supply chain. We seek solutions that digitalise and automate supply chains, enhancing efficiency in hashtag#inventorymanagement, hashtag#portcall hashtag#scheduling, hashtag#etradedocs, hashtag#efinancing, hashtag#dataexchange, hashtag#routeoptimisation and hashtag#procurement.

If you are developing a truly innovative technology that everyone says is awesome, apply now via our new and revamped website:
https://captainstable.hk

Deadline: 31 August 2024

For enquiries, email: [email protected]

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Sigli en Sensotec breiden AI-samenwerking uit

Sigli, een digitale transformatie partner, en het Belgische bedrijf Sensotec verlengen hun samenwerking voor onbepaalde tijd na vijf succesvol jaren. In die tijd heeft Sigli Sensotec ondersteund bij verschillende projecten, waaronder AI-ontwikkeling en het maken van leerhulpmiddelen voor mensen met visuele of cognitieve beperkingen. Deze doorlopende samenwerking is erop gericht om de AI-mogelijkheden van Sensotec verder te verbeteren en de functionaliteiten ervan uit te breiden.

Sensotec werkt dagelijks aan het verbeteren van leerhulpmiddelen voor mensen met visuele of cognitieve beperkingen. Met de steun van Sigli, een Litouws bedrijf dat bekendstaat om zijn expertise in digitale transformaties en AI, heeft Sensotec verschillende innovatieve tools ontwikkeld. Een opmerkelijk project is Web2Speech, een AI-gestuurde browserplug-in die webpagina’s hardop voorleest en samenvattingen markeert. Sigli en Sensotec hebben deze tool ontwikkeld, samen met een spraakserver, woordenboek, spellingcontrole en beeldwoordenboek om de gebruikerservaring te verbeteren.

Hun samenwerking heeft onlangs een intuïtieve interface opgeleverd voor kinderen en studenten met leerproblemen. William De Prêtre, hoofd AI bij Sensotec, schrijft hun snelle en efficiënte ontwikkeling toe aan de professionele expertise en het enthousiasme van het team.

Thomas Simono, Managing Director Benelux bij Sigli, gelooft dat hun gezamenlijke inspanningen met Sensotec een voorbeeld zijn van hoe AI de maatschappij inclusiever kan maken. Door leerprocessen te verbeteren, willen ze de slagingspercentages van studenten met een beperking verhogen. Sigli evalueert of AI een bedrijf ten goede kan komen door de beschikbaarheid van gegevens, procesworkflows en het potentieel voor automatisering te onderzoeken. Ze houden ook rekening met de betrouwbaarheid van gegevens, ethische richtlijnen en aankomende regelgeving, zoals de AI Act, te beginnen met een AI-gereedheidsbeoordeling.

De uitgebreide samenwerking tussen Sensotec en Sigli belooft hun innovatieve vermogen te vergroten, waardoor onderwijs en de maatschappij toegankelijker worden voor een bredere groep studenten.

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Follow Engineers of Tomorrow, an innitative from the University of Antwerp

Engineers of Tomorrow vormt een ecosysteem dat een platform biedt aan studenten, ingenieurs, alumni en bedrijven om elkaar te ontmoeten en van elkaar te leren. Of je nu een student bent, een ingenieur of een vertegenwoordiger van jouw bedrijf, ontdek wat EoT voor jou kan betekenen.

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Nieuw consortium 'Hubs4Growth' geeft boost aan slaagkansen van startups en scaleups in Vlaanderen

Hangar K, The Beacon, Leuven MindGate, WinterCircus Gent en Limburg Startup bundelen de krachten onder de naam Hubs4Growth. Dit nieuwe consortium ambieert om met deze samenwerking op Vlaams niveau een significante impact te creëren op het startup-ecosysteem in Vlaanderen. Naast een uitgebreid netwerk en veel ondernemersexpertise pakt Hubs4grotwh uit met een sterk aanbod van gezamenlijke evenementen, workshops en accelatorprogramma's die worden uitgerold met de steun van VLAIO, met als doel om startups sneller doorheen de typische groeipijnen te helpen en de overgang van lokale speler naar (inter)nationale speler vlotter te laten verlopen.

Hubs4Growth verenigt de belangrijkste startup en innovatie-hubs van Vlaanderen, met de gezamenlijke missie om de concurrentiepositie van Vlaamse startups en scaleups te versterken en toekomstbestendige innovatie te bevorderen. "Naast voordelen als een groter netwerk en meer beschikbare expertise, levert de samenwerking op Vlaams niveau nog andere belangrijke voordelen op voor startups en scale-ups", zegt Jan Paesen, Managing-Director Leuven MindGate.

Marc Beenders, sr. corporate community manager Limburg Startup: "We werkten een mooi aanbod uit voor startups en scaleups. Zo rollen we 'Pitch your seat' nu op Vlaams niveau uit. Dat is een programma van 6 maanden waarbij 30 deelnemers kunnen rekenen op 4 inhoudelijke sessies, met een focus op de product-market fit. Verder krijgen zij gedurende die periode een vaste stek bij één van de 5 incubatoren uit het Hubs4growth-netwerk én individuele begeleiding." Start-ups die willen deelnemen aan Pitch your seat, kunnen zich tot 15 september kandidaat stellen via de website van www.Hubs4growth.eu. Pitch your seat is de eerste concrete samenwerking die vandaag gelanceerd wordt. Er is plaats voor 30 startups die gedurende zes maanden onder de vleugels van Hubs4Growth wordt genomen.

Internationaal incubatorennetwerk
Verder werkt Hubs4growth samen met incubatoren in het buitenland, zoals Brightlands en Brainport in Nederland, Budding Innovation in Singapore, EuraTechnologies in Frankrijk, Digihub in Duitsland, Belcham in de US en Brinc in China. "Via ons programma Take a seat kunnen startups en scaleups 30 dagen lang vanuit een buitenlandse incubator opereren. Ook daar zorgen wij dan vanuit Hubs4growth voor de nodige begeleiding, ondersteuning en contacten", licht Valerie Hellebuck, manager bij Hangar K toe.

Gloednieuw zijn de Spark!-sessies waarbij telkens 10 start-ups mogen pitchen voor een jury van tech-ondernemers. Startups die op zoek zijn naar funding, klanten of talent kunnen de sterren van de hemel pitchen tijdens deze sessies. Tot slot zal Hubs4growth ook jaarlijks 12 inhoudelijke sessies organiseren onder de naam 'Techxperience'.

Ines Sylverans, General-Manager The Beacon: "Je kan dus stellen dat deze samenwerking op Vlaams niveau een belangrijke stap is richting een meer geïntegreerd en krachtig ondersteuningssysteem voor innovatieve startups en scaleups waarbij ook nadrukkelijk ingezet wordt op ervaringsuitwisseling."

"Door onze krachten te bundelen, willen we inderdaad mee de Vlaamse economie versterken. Enerzijds door startups en scale-ups te begeleiden bij het overwinnen van de groeipijnen die met een sterke en snelle expansie gepaard gaan, anderzijds door hen te ondersteunen bij de overgang van de meer lokale markt naar de internationale markt", bevestigt Bruno Vandegehuchte Head of Startup Campus Wintercircus Gent.

VLAIO, trotse partner van Hubs4Growth
Dat Hubs4Growth grote ambities koestert, blijkt ook uit het partnership met VLAIO. Marc Andries, Administrateur- Generaal VLAIO: “VLAIO wil ondernemers helpen groeien. Dankzij het partnership met Hubs4Growth kunnen we nu onze dienstverlening aan start-ups voortaan ook aanbieden via een netwerk van incubatoren.”

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einde persbericht
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Over de vijf Vlaamse startup-hubs die samen Hubs4growth vormen
1. Limburg Startup: De startup community van investeringsmaatschappij LRM is een katalysator voor ondernemerschap in Limburg en biedt een breed scala aan diensten en netwerkmogelijkheden voor startups. Limburg Startup verenigt de 7 Limburgse incubatoren: Corda INC, GreenVille, C-mine Crib, BioVille, Agropolis, DronePort en IncubaThor.
2. The Beacon Antwerpen: Gelegen in het hart van Antwerpen, is The Beacon een broedplaats voor technologiegedreven startups, met een sterke focus op Internet of Things (IoT) en digitale innovatie.
3. Wintercircus Gent: Dit iconische herontwikkelde gebouw in Gent is niet alleen een architecturaal pareltje, maar ook een bruisend centrum voor tech startups en creatieve ondernemers. Het vernieuwde Wintercircus verbindt creatieve en ondernemende geesten om samen na te denken over een betere toekomst voor de planeet en samenleving. Het kloppend hart, de Startup Campus, is er voor de meest innovatieve, door een jury geselecteerde tech startups.
4. Leuven MindGate: Leuven MindGate stimuleert innovatie en samenwerking tussen bedrijven, kennisinstellingen en de overheid in de regio Leuven, met een nadruk op gezondheid, hightech en creativiteit.
5. Hangar K Kortrijk: Als co-creatie hub biedt Hangar K in Kortrijk een unieke omgeving waar startups, scaleups en gevestigde bedrijven kunnen samenwerken en innoveren.
Over Vlaio
"Vlaanderen mag best wat ambitieuzer zijn als het aankomt op ondernemerschap. We hebben nood aan meer starters, meer groeiers en meer innovatie. Daarom wil VLAIO projecten op stapel zetten die ondernemers aanzetten tot, ondersteunen of begeleiden bij het ondernemen. Met onze partners bundelen we onze krachten en middelen. Hubs4Growth maakt deel uit van een netwerk van initiatieven waarvan je gebruik kan maken. Ontdek ze allemaal op www.vlaio.be/expertisedatabank . #SterkOndernemen

Hangar K, The Beacon, Leuven MindGate, WinterCircus Gent en Limburg Startup bundelen de krachten onder de naam Hubs4Growth. Dit nieuwe consortium ambieert om met deze samenwerking op Vlaams niveau een significante impact te creëren op het startup-ecosysteem in Vlaanderen. Naast een uitgebreid netwerk en veel ondernemersexpertise pakt Hubs4grotwh uit met een sterk aanbod van gezamenlijke evenementen, workshops en accelatorprogramma's die worden uitgerold met de steun van VLAIO, met als doel om startups sneller doorheen de typische groeipijnen te helpen en de overgang van lokale speler naar (inter)nationale speler vlotter te laten verlopen.

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Movify Meetup: AI, Design Systems & Human Centricity

For this first Antwerp Edition, we have prepared a panel of outstanding experts to discuss AI, Design Systems and Human Centricity. 🤖

The evening will start with Dirk Bollen (PhD), Senior Digital strategist, with an inspiring presentation on the importance of human centricity in service design. Arguing that we should take focused design approach to create AI-based applications.

Knowledge about user needs, behaviour and interaction between the user and AI system will be even more important to create a great customer experience in the near future. 👀

Stefanos Monastiridis and Arnaud Ostrowski, both senior Design System owners, will follow with their take on relations between AI and Design Systems to come.

They will explore the possible impact of AI on the challenges they met while establishing Design Systems in organisations such as Elia and bpost.

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Secure your Startup Booth at Slush Helsinki!

Startup.Flanders invites Flemish start-ups to participate in Slush, Europe's leading start-up event, which will take place in Helsinki on November 20 and 21, 2024. We are looking for 12 young, technology-driven companies that can deliver fast pursuing growth with a scalable business model.

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Interview COO Robin Pauwels

The new Innovantage episode, featuring Robin Pauwels, COO at The Beacon | Innovation Community .Maxim Golikov and Robin Pauwels will discuss AI's impact on personalized education, healthcare modernization, and community engagement.

The expert guest is the Chief Operating Officer at The Beacon | Innovation Community , a community builder, and a former big data developer, Robin Pauwels.

In this episode, Maxim Golikov and Robin Pauwels will cover the following topics:
💭 How AI enhances personalised education experiences
💭 The role of AI in modernising healthcare systems
💭 Innovative ways AI is used in community engagement

Website

The Beacon gears up for 6 months filled with (networking) events

The Beacon is more than just an environment to work; it's a dynamic community designed to encourage interaction, collaboration and growth. Here are the members-exclusive events we have planned for the second half of the year:

1. Beacon Community Connect - August 1.
Begin the month with our online or in-person Beacon Community Connect event. This event is an excellent opportunity to meet our newest members and catch up with familiar faces. We encourage every business within our community to be represented to ensure a diverse and enriching networking experience. Whether you are looking for new partnerships or just want to expand your professional circle, this event is the perfect starting point.

2. Skybar Invites The Beacon Community - August 1.
Following the Community Connect, we would like to invite you to an exclusive after-work drink at the newly opened Skybar. With its stunning views and relaxed atmosphere, Skybar provides the ideal setting for informal networking. Enjoy a refreshing drink while connecting with other community members in beautiful, relaxed surroundings.

3. Slice & Strategize - August 14.
As a resident of The Beacon, your voice matters. Join us for Slice & Strategize, a unique event where we discuss what matters most in our building. This is your chance to share suggestions for our infrastructure as we unveil the new plans for The Beacon. It's a perfect mix of strategic discussion and community engagement, all while enjoying delicious pizza.

4. Beacon & Eggs | Community Brunch - September 12.
After the summer break, we invite the community to catch up with other members at our Beacon & Eggs community brunch. This event is our way to thank you for making The Beacon such a great hub. Enjoy a delicious brunch while catching up with friends and making new contacts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

5. Halloween Horror Movie Night - October 23.
Celebrate Halloween with us at our horror movie night. Enjoy a series of chilling horror films together with fellow Beaconeers. Whether you bring a +1 or your trusty teddy bear for extra emotional support, this event promises a fun and exciting evening filled with fear and laughter.

6. Potluck Apéro - November 14.
Join us for our exclusive Potluck Apéro for members. Bring your favorite snack and we will provide the drinks and music. This event is a great opportunity to relax after work, share culinary delights and connect with other members in a casual, friendly environment.

7. WinterFest - December 12.
End the year with our annual WinterFest. Join us for an evening of networking activities, festive treats and warm memories. WinterFest is a time to reflect on the past year, celebrate our accomplishments and look ahead to the future together.

At The Beacon , we believe that strong connections are the foundation for success. By offering a variety of unique networking opportunities, we strive to create an environment where our members can thrive both personally and professionally. We look forward to welcoming our community at our upcoming events and continuing to build a supportive, interconnected community together.

You can find an overview of our events here: https://www.thebeacon.eu/innovation/
For access to the exclusive community events, check our internal communication channels or contact your Beacon-contactperson.

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NEW MEMBER: Skyscapers

We would like to welcome Skyscapers, our new member of the community!

Skyscrapers speeds up your digital product dev team with DevOps-as-a Service. It is based on a mature Cloud Platform design, excellent Developer Support and reliable Operations. We are specialist in AWS, Kubernetes and DevOps. Focus your development team, let us take care of the foundation.

Want to get to know them? Visit their company page on our portal or let Robin know if he can connect you!

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NEW MEMBER: Pronect

We would like to welcome our new member of the community Pronect!

Pronect combines digital tools and a comprehensive overview for effective Physical Security Management.

We help companies save money and time through our accessible, end-to-end enterprise security cockpit that provides the necessary transparency, automates key security activities, and prioritises user-friendliness. The scope of capabilities encompass all critical aspects of physical security management.

On top of streamlining existing workflows, we enhance them with smart capabilities to improve decision-making through superior information and smarter access to data, to cater to the dynamic and defensible needs of today's security landscape and business environment.

Want to get to know them? Visit their company page on our portal or let Robin know if he can connect you!

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Blockchain history by mintBlue - 50 million transactions in 24h

Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform mintBlue heeft een nieuw record in de blockchain geschiedenis bereikt door meer dan 50,53 miljoen transacties te verwerken in slechts 24 uur. Dit markeert het hoogste aantal transacties ooit verwerkt op de publieke blockchain. Deze prestatie bewijst de levensvatbaarheid van hun infrastructuur op schaal en staat gelijk aan ongeveer 2,1 miljoen transacties per uur of 35.000 transacties per minuut, wat de mogelijkheid van het platform bewijst om blockchain functies te ondersteunen, inclusief on-chain opslag, met extreme efficiëntie bij enorme volumes.

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Dockflow in Forbs under 30

Michiel Valee and Pauline Van Ostaeyen, united by a shared passion for digitizing the archaic maritime shipping industry, founded Antwerp-based Dockflow in 2019. Its AI-powered platform integrates data sources, enables real-time container traceability, and monitors CO2 emissions and carbon offsetting for the logistics market. In 2023, the startup tracked $16 billion in cargo value, serving over 15,000 companies with 2,000 active users. Valee brings blockchain expertise, while Van Ostaeyen, a Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award winner, leads with growth marketing and sales experience. Dockflow has raised $1.1 million in funding to date.

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