WHERE THE WILD FOOD GROWS - Wallonia.be
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
wab
wallonia and brussels
summer 2019
magazine
Discover a region that combines
technical knowhow with quality of life
WHERE
THE WILD
FOOD GROWS
EXPLORE THE WORLD OF EDIBLE PLANTS
WITH CUISINE SAUVAGE
Wallonia boosts its horse industry thanks
to new EquisFair business cluster
Couture lingerie designer Carine Gilson
shares her passion for lace and silk
.CONTENTS
6
© Alexis Haulot
Editorial Wallonia and Brussels - Contact
AWEX Wallonia Export-Investment Agency
Named Walloon of the Year 2018, Thomas Dermine (above)
www.awex.be
is a champion of his home city, Charleroi. The head of busi-
ness accelerator Catch, he is playing a key role in the reju- WBI Wallonie-Bruxelles International
venation of the former industrial region by creating jobs at www.wbi.be
the former Caterpillar site. The 32-year-old tells us why he Welcome Offices
returned to Charleroi and why the city is such an attractive www.investinwallonia.be
prospect, on both a personal and professional front. Simi-
larly looking to boost business is the new Walloon cluster
EquisFair, the topic of our Focus. Gathering various players
from across the region’s horse industry, its mission is to
shine a light on the flourishing sector around the world.
In our culture and lifestyle section there’s no shortage of
creativity combined with business sense. Prolific animation
studio nWave in Brussels specialises in feature films, while
lingerie designer Carine Gilson transforms the finest lace Editor Sarah Crew
and silk into chic creations. In Namur, Cuisine Sauvage is Deputy editor Sally Tipper
winning over food lovers to the benefits of cooking with Reporters Lisa Bradshaw, Andy Furniere, Betina Kiefer, Clodagh Kinsella,
wild plants. And with plenty of ideas in our cultural agenda Paul McNally, Ian Mundell, Tomáš Miklica, Saffina Rana
for making the most of the season, we wish you an excellent Art director Liesbet Jacobs
summer! Managing director Hans De Loore
Don’t forget to download the WAB AWEX/WBI and Ackroyd Publications
magazine app, available for Android Pascale Delcomminette – AWEX/WBI
and iOS. Go to Google Play or iTunes Marie-Catherine Duchêne
and keep up-to-date with news and AWEX, Place Sainctelette 2, 1080 Brussels, Belgium
events in Wallonia and Brussels Tel: 00.32(0)2.421.85.76, Fax: 00.32(0)2.421.83.93
Email: mc.duchene@awex.be
2 wallonia and brussels magazine
8 4 News and business updates
from around the region
6 Profile: Thomas Dermine on
regenerating his home town of
Charleroi
8 Technochim’s cutting-edge
coating is winning international
attention
10 Orgenesis is blazing a trail in
cell therapy
12 Sustainable medical waste
disposal is the name of the game
for AMB Ecosteryl
16 14 Innovative tech incubator WSL
continues to win accolades
15 Meet the Brussels expat:
Wallonia through the eyes of keen
photographer Sebastian Boatca
16 New business cluster EquisFair
is raising the profile of the horse
industry in the region
20 Virtual Park brings virtual
reality to the mainstream
© FEI/Dirk Caremans
22 Animation studio nWave is
doing things its own way
24 The founder of Cuisine
22 Sauvage is wild about foraging
26 Carine Gilson on her delicate
designer lingerie
28 Panorama: Chevetogne nature
park enjoys a year of celebrations
30 Our pick of cultural events in
Wallonia and Brussels
© Kmeron
Cover: Wild food with Cuisine Sauvage
(c) Maxime H - Photographe Culinaire
SUMMER 2019 3
.NEWS
SLEEP ON THE WILD
SIDE AT PAIRI DAIZA
Pairi Daiza is offering an immersive wildlife
experience with a 50-room resort in its Last
Frontier themed zone. The 26-room Pad-
dling Bear Hotel and 24 Indian-style wood-
en houses, lodges and suites provide guests
with close-up views of the animals. The new
facilities at the zoo and botanical gardens in
Brugelette, Hainaut, opened in the spring.
pairidaiza.eu
© Courtesy Natagora
Sheep to help Gaume’s
restored gardens grow
© CID
SUMMER FUN FOR A crowdfunding campaign to breed sheep that will graze the Gau-
ALL THE FAMILY me’s nature reserves has reached its funding target. The animals
will help maintain the region’s lawns and meadows that have
The Grand-Hornu industrial site in Hainaut
been restored as part of the European grasslands programme, Life
opens to families this season with a packed
programme of activities. In addition to design Herbages. In June, nature protection organisation Natagora inau-
and contemporary art at CID and MAC’s, vis- gurated a sheepfold in Fratin where the sheep will be raised.
itors can explore the former coalmine, play
outdoor games, join in creative workshops
and sit back in a deckchair for an aperitif with
books and magazines. Two-Michelin-star chef
Sang Hoon Degeimbre has taken over the DARDENNE BROTHERS PICK UP
kitchen at the site’s cafe-restaurant and picnic DIRECTOR PRIZE AT CANNES
baskets are supplied to enjoy in the grounds.
Liège filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne – who have
grand-hornu.eu twice won the coveted Palme d’Or – took the Best Director prize
for Young Ahmed at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Set in Wal-
lonia, the film follows the story of a Muslim teenager who tries to
3D-PRINTED AERO kill his teacher after being indoctrinated by a radicalised imam.
PART A WORLD FIRST Jean-Pierre Dardenne: “What interested us was religious fanati-
cism and the possibility of rehabilitation for this boy.”
Liège high-tech aerospace company Safran
Aero Boosters has been awarded certifica-
tion for its lubrication unit equipped with TOP FRENCH HONOUR FOR
a 3D-printed metal casing. Director-general
François Lepot said the certification was a
NAMUR CONDUCTOR
world first and the unit was currently flying The artistic director of the Namur Chamber Choir, Leonardo
© Vincent Arbelet
on Airbus A320s. “This is a major step for- Garcia Alarcon, has been made a Knight of the Order of Arts and
ward from a technical point of view,” he said, Letters by the French state. The Argentinian orchestra leader re-
announcing the news at the Paris Air Show ceived the honour after a performance by the choir at the Palace
in June. of Versailles.
4 wallonia and brussels magazine
SCIENCE BRIEFS
A team from the applied sciences
faculty at Liège University has de-
veloped an ultra-eco-friendly vehicle
that will compete in this summer’s
© Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium/Belga
Shell Eco-Marathon in London. The
international competition sees en-
gineers and scientists try to achieve
the longest distance with the lowest
energy consumption. Liège has par-
ticipated for the past 15 years and
last year narrowly missed out on the
top three.
A pharmacy professor at ULB has
WALLOON COMPANY AIDS NOTRE-DAME
patented a process to manufacture
personalised medicines using a 3D
Gaume company Artbois received an emergency call to supply 10 wooden beams to help printer. Jonathan Goole’s research
shore up the walls of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris in April. When a blaze shows how 3D printing makes it pos-
ravaged the ancient building, destroying its spire and most of its roof, there were fears that sible to produce drugs in small batch-
the walls would collapse. “We were called at 14.00, we received the plans at 15.30 and we cut es with a specific dosage, or with a
to size some beams that we had in stock for another site,” owner Patrick Vanhorenbeeck told specific coating to promote faster or
local media. Artbois, specialists in glue-laminated timber work, delivered the 20m beams slower absorption. This could pave
during the night in a special convoy that arrived early the following morning. “It concerned the way for safe and effective person-
one of the most beautiful timber structures in the world. It was necessary to do the maxi- alised treatment.
mum to preserve what remained,” Vanhorenbeeck said. Based in Etalle, Luxembourg prov-
ince, Artbois has since been called on to further lend its technical expertise to the cathedral, A UCLouvain researcher has won
which is to eventually undergo restoration. the Prix Galien, Belgium’s prize for
the best research in pharmacology,
artbois.be for his work on targeting cancer cell
metabolism. Judges said Cyril Cor-
bet’s research was a welcome boost
in the fight against cancer and cre-
NEW WINE STORE FOR ates new perspectives for the future
ORGANIC PRODUCER of cancer treatment. It is the fourth
time UCLouvain’s pharmacology and
Organic wine domain Château de Bousval has inaugu- therapeutic centre has won the pres-
rated a new building for wine production, from press- tigious prize.
ing to bottling. Set in the rolling hills of Walloon Bra-
bant, the 5.2-hectare vineyard celebrated the opening A ULB engineering student is head-
at the end of May with an exhibition of contemporary ing to New York in July to compete in
art by the Esther Verhaege Gallery. Architect Char- the world cup of Fortnite, a popular
ly Wittock, founder of the firm AWAA, designed the online video game. Howard Castiaux
building to merge into the countryside, which bor- and his Swiss team-mate, Jérémy
ders the Natura 2000 zone. Said Wittock of the sloped, Dang, made the top 100, from almost
green-roofed concrete and wood structure: “We locat- 3,000 players worldwide, to qualify
ed it in such a way that it followed the topography of for the final. Castiaux spends three to
the land and we could work with gravity. This means five hours a day playing and a similar
© Château de Bousval
we don’t use any mechanical motor to displace liq- amount of time working on strategy.
uid.” The winery is open to the public on reservation A $30 million cash prize awaits the
and the first harvest is expected in 2020. winner.
chateaudebousval.be
SUMMER 2019 5
.PROFILE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Thomas Dermine
The 32-year-old Harvard graduate from
Charleroi received the Destrée Institute’s
Bologna-Lemaire Walloon of the Year
2018 award for his role in boosting the
economy of his home town
6 wallonia and brussels magazine
“
Charleroi is my home town,
the city of my heart
What does the award signify? consultancy career in London when
Although it was awarded to me, it’s really an they called. What made you decide to
award for the collective efforts of my team leave it for Charleroi?
and me at Catch to accelerate job creation Where I find meaning in my professional
in Charleroi. The decline of heavy industries life is very important to me. Charleroi is my
across Europe hit Charleroi particularly home town and the city of my heart. I felt
hard, because of their concentration in the there was deep value in stepping up to the
region. The city’s socio-economic condition difficult challenge of working on its socio-
then reached a crisis point in 2016 with the economic development.
thousands of job losses that came with the
closure of the Caterpillar plant. The plan is What’s the best piece of advice you’ve
to generate 6,000-8,000 new jobs by 2025 ever had?
in new industries. In May 2019 we were When I was a teenager, one of my teachers
slightly ahead, having already reached more in Charleroi told me, “If you’re the smartest
than two-thirds of our objective, so we are kid at the table, then you’re not at the right
confident we can do it. table”. It led me in deciding whether to
return to Charleroi. I asked myself where
What are the challenges? I would be most challenged and learn the
The new jobs are completely different from most.
the blue-collar jobs that are disappearing.
All sorts of creative and biotech industries What’s your work-life philosophy?
had started appearing in Charleroi by 2016, Life is too short not to do the things you
but there was a paradox – their growth love. If you love the things you do, you will
was impeded because they couldn’t find naturally be good at them.
people with the right qualifications and
skills locally to fill positions, yet there was What’s next? Will you stay in Charleroi?
huge unemployment in Charleroi among I will stay. I have already moved my whole
young people. The biggest challenge family out here. I’m not too worried about
remains changing curricula, designing finding another interesting challenge
empowerment programmes and training here, in the public or private sector. I left
to make sure we have the right workforce Charleroi when I was 18 for university. I
for these jobs. The challenge at the heart of came back at 31 and I’m very surprised by
all this is to break down the walls between how dynamic the city is. There’s a vibrant
public and private institutions, and between cultural scene, a huge city centre renewal,
people. and a buzz that makes you feel like you’re
© Maxime Asselberghs/Belga
at the centre of something new happening.
The Walloon government asked you to the city And it’s practically an extended
to help create the plan in 2016, after suburb of Brussels: it’s only 40 minutes away,
a paper you wrote at Harvard in 2014 it’s cheaper to live in, with good schools and
exploring multi-stakeholder measures a good quality of life.
to reduce youth unemployment in
Belgium. But you had a high-profile catch-charleroi.be
SUMMER 2019 7
.WORK
Royal treatments
Technochim wins innovation award for its
multi-functional coating
By Andy Furniere
T
echnochim, a specialist in surface of advanced treatments of metals – to in- used to make vaccines risks contaminating
treatments, has won the prestigious crease their resistance to corrosion or for those vaccines and introducing polluted sub-
Innovation Prize at the Contamin decorative purposes. The company first stances into people’s bodies,” says Frédéric
Expo trade show in Paris. The company, made a name for itself with a unique solu- Groulard, CEO of Technochim. “We are the
based in Ghislenghien in Hainaut, was rec- tion against rouging, a complex form of cor- only company in the world with a treatment
ognised for its cutting-edge ceramic coat- rosion found in stainless steel, which poses against all forms of rouging, including the
ing Coatix. particular problems in the pharmaceutical most complicated type to remove, known as
sector. Class III rouging.”
For 11 years, Technochim has been expand-
ing its status as a leader in the development “Rouging of pharmaceutical installations This expertise gained the Walloon enter-
8 wallonia and brussels magazine
prise a firm reputation in the European With the Coatix ceramic coating, Techno- erties can prevent many people from being
pharma sector, with high-level clients chim is further consolidating its position infected by illnesses that are otherwise spread
such as GSK Vaccines and Sanofi Pasteur. on the global market of surface treatments. around more easily in such places.”
Throughout the years, the firm has ac- Coatix is a smart coating, with various func-
quired knowhow in a wide range of treat- tions that can be adjusted according to Technochim is already developing the next
ment techniques, like degreasing, pickling, needs. It can be applied to metal surfaces as generation of Coatix, which staff will be able to
passivation, electropolishing, mechanical well as plastic and glass. apply more easily in situ because no oven will
polishing and shot blasting. It also took be needed to produce it – instead UV lamps
over its supplier of chemical products, “Coatix can for example be water-repellent will suffice to solidify the coating.
Derustinox. or very water-absorbent,” says Groulard.
“We can ensure that it inhibits the growth The company is also launching itself into
Thanks to the expansion of its competences, of bacteria on surfaces and can integrate co- the world of 3D printing, specifically in the
Technochim now offers its services to clients loured zones, for example red and blue areas aviation industry. Its chemical solutions can
all over Europe, including in France, the UK, to warn technicians about which parts of help to make the printed surfaces of aircraft
Spain, Italy, Germany and Ireland. The compa- the equipment are too hot to handle without parts smoother and more polished, a com-
ny also teams up with the European division hand protection.” mon challenge with current 3D printing
of American multinational Steris. At the time technology. In this domain, Technochim is
of writing, a team from Technochim was also Pharmaceutical companies are again an working with a top aircraft engines enter-
preparing to leave for Russia, where they were important target group, but Coatix is useful prise based in Wallonia.
to carry out maintenance of a particle acceler- in a range of industries. In Dubai, a gold-co-
ator known as a cyclotron. It has carried out loured Coatix coating will give a commer- technochim.eu
similar operations in the US and South Korea cial centre the look of a palace, while also
as well, collaborating with med-tech company making the surfaces easy to clean. Closer
IBA of Louvain-la-Neuve. to home, Belgian airports are interested in
the coating to make stainless steel surfaces
While the pharmaceutical sector remains an easy to clean.
important market, Technochim has drasti-
cally enlarged its scope. Its services are being “Public spaces such as airports and healthcare
used in the construction, chemical, agri-food, organisations like hospitals can benefit from
energy, metallurgy, aviation, space, luxury and Coatix for another important reason,” says
“
design industries. Groulard. “The coating’s antibacterial prop-
We are the only company in the world with
a treatment against all forms of rouging
SUMMER 2019 9
.WORK
Cell culture
Global trailblazer in cell therapy sets
up shop in Liège
By Andy Furniere
O
rgenesis, an international pioneer the US, focuses on finding solutions against fices at Accessia Pharma, which provides in-
in cell therapy, has set up a daugh- insulin-dependent diabetes, known as type frastructure for pharma and biotech compa-
ter company in Liège to support the 1 diabetes. nies, is Orgenesis’s second major initiative in
development of its innovative POCare cell Wallonia. In 2015, it took over MaSTherCell
therapy platform. The Nasdaq-listed com- The foundation of its subsidiary Orgenesis Belgium in Charleroi, a spin-off of the Free
pany, with Israeli roots and headquarters in Belgium, consisting of laboratories and of- University of Brussels (ULB) that specialis-
© Orgenesis
10 wallonia and brussels magazinees in manufacturing cell therapy products “We are excited to further expand in Wal- lighted the advantages provided by BioWin,
on an industrial scale. While MaSTherCell lonia, a leading centre for talent and R&D Wallonia’s health competitiveness cluster.
Belgium functions as a service provider, Or- within Europe,” says Vered Caplan, the CEO
genesis Belgium will focus on research and of Orgenesis (pictured). “The opening of our The increased interest of major players shows
development. The Walloon subsidiary will new offices and laboratories will strengthen how Wallonia is positioning itself as a Euro-
boost the creation of new autologous cell the roll-out of our POCare strategy across pean front-runner in cell therapy. In this re-
therapies, used to treat patients with their Europe.” spect, the region can also benefit greatly from
own cells. Belgium’s recent modification of the law re-
Efrat Assa Kunik, general manager of Orgen- garding access to human cells and tissues to
Orgenesis is a pioneer in the process of esis Belgium, says “the POCare strategy can produce allogenic cell therapies – when donor
transdifferentiation or cell reprogramming, help to significantly reduce development cells are used to treat various patients – for
whereby a cell is converted into another costs through joint ventures with local part- medical applications or scientific research.
type of cell to treat patients. The compa- ners who bring strong regional networks.
ny has the knowhow to transform a type These networks include partnerships with Belgian companies can now obtain or im-
1 diabetes patient’s own liver cells into in- local hospitals, which allow us to engage in port these human materials in a more
sulin-producing cells. People with type 1 continuous in-licensing of autologous thera- transparent way. As a consequence, more
diabetes struggle to produce the hormone pies from academic and research institutes, patients will benefit from the innovations in
insulin and as a result can’t obtain the ener- and to use hospital networks for the clinical cell therapy. “Thanks to this new legislation,
gy they need from glucose. The transdiffer- development of new therapies.” Belgium reinforces its unique eco-system
entiation technique can be used for other involved in the research and development
pathologies as well. At the presentation of its new Walloon of cell therapies,” says Frédéric Druck, secre-
daughter company, the Orgenesis team cit- tary general of biotech sector federation bio.
Specifically, the Walloon team will support ed different reasons for choosing the region be/essenscia. “It makes it even more attrac-
the development of Orgenesis’s Point of Care as a base. Among them were the central tive for local enterprises to develop activities
(POCare) cell therapy platform. The POCare position in Europe, the logistics infrastruc- in this field and for international companies
strategy aims to integrate the process of col- ture, the focus on innovative research, the to start up a European production unit for
lecting, processing and administering cells large pool of life-sciences specialists, the tai- cell therapy here.”
within the patient care setting for therapeu- lor-made facilities and the ability to quickly
“
tic treatment. set up clinical trials. Orgenesis also high- orgenesis.com
We are excited to further expand in
Wallonia, a leading centre for talent and
R&D within Europe
SUMMER 2019 11.WORK
Waste not
A family company in Mons is transforming waste
disposal around the world
By Betina Kiefer
A
MB Ecosteryl is a family company tion to operate,” says Andrew Cantillo E, AMB’s chines operate continuously, with no need to
based in Mons that specialises in sales manager in the Americas, who is based add waste in batches, and can be operational
developing and producing solutions in Brussels. “No water, no gas, no fuel or other 24/7. After shredding, waste is brought into
to sustainably process and recycle medical chemical products are required.” This process a microwave zone then placed in a tempera-
waste. Established in 1947 as a manufacturer also creates no contaminated by-products, ture-controlled hopper for an hour until it is
of machinery for extraction industries, AMB such as wastewater or chemicals. fully decontaminated. It is then added to a
moved into the environmental sector after container. In this process, waste can be re-
the decline of mining companies locally. It The process begins with automated weigh- duced to up to a fifth of its original volume.
has been developing environmentally friendly ing and loading of waste, which then goes
technology to process medical waste over the through a four-shaft shredder system. About 90% of waste processed by Ecosteryl
past 17 years “This shredding feature, combined with equipment is reused, instead of going into
the heating of waste through the action of landfill or being incinerated. Its process is
AMB offers a unique and sustainable process microwaves, gives the opportunity to select suitable for a wide array of regulated medi-
in its field, which has traditionally been reluc- polypropylene and other plastics after de- cal waste, except when it is nuclear or toxic.
tant to innovate. Most medical waste is incin- contamination to recycle it or recover it,” Neo-Ecosteryl, AMB’s latest technology, inte-
erated, a process that is known to be environ- Cantillo says. This is advantageous, as these grates recycling into its process. After decon-
mentally unfriendly. “The first innovation is plastics have a significant resale value. tamination, medical waste is separated by
the reduction achieved in the use of resources, type or colour. This allows waste to be com-
as our units only need a low power consump- The second main innovation is that the ma- mercialised as input for medical packaging,
plastic, energy generation or cement kilns.
AMB also provides services to ensure opti-
mal operations and maintenance. When its
machinery is shipped to clients, AMB sends
engineers to provide local training on opera-
tions and maintenance. The Ecosteryl team
provides maintenance and support remotely,
through integrated internet access installed in
all its machinery and on-site visits for clients
are also possible. The equipment can be in-
stalled in less than two days, and can be easily
disassembled for relocation. Its machinery is
long-lasting, and the first Ecosteryl machine
ever installed in France is still operational.
Despite AMB’s field of expertise, most of
its clients are not healthcare facilities but
usually major environmental companies
specialising in waste management of dan-
gerous materials. A smaller portion include
12 wallonia and brussels magazinehospitals looking for cost-effective solutions
for their waste, as well as the public sector,
such as health and environment ministries.
“Today we have a solid client network from
America to Africa, Asia and Europe,” says Can-
tillo. “We are leaders in France, covering most
of the alternative technologies industry. Our
biggest ambition is to better valorise medical
waste worldwide. This is why we offer the in-
dustry cutting-edge solutions to decontami-
nate medical waste and then to recycle it.”
ecosteryl.com
“
Our biggest ambition is to better valorise
medical waste worldwide
13
SUMMER 2019.WORK
Start me up
Wallonia’s tech incubator is one of the
best- performing in the world
By Sarah Crew
F
ounded in 2000 by the Walloon govern- in Liège Science Park, it is now present in sidering the size of the region. “Over the
ment, tech incubator WSL has been Charleroi, Gembloux, Louvain-la-Neuve, years, we have developed a field laboratory,
ranked among the highest performing Mons and Namur. It provides technical as- built on a network of start-ups that form
incubators in the world. A study carried out sistance to tech companies that want to de- our community. We accompany them n the
in 2017 and 2018 by the international associ- velop both in Wallonia and abroad. long term while maintaining our capacity
ation UBI Global placed it in the top two ac- to innovate,” she says.
cording to criteria such as turnover, retention Collaboration is at the heart of the incuba-
rate in Wallonia, access to investors and the tor. Originally set up to launch university Flémal underlines future challenges for
variety of services offered. spin-offs within the space sector, its mis- WSL in calling for continuing and in-
sion expanded to other partners, including creased support of long-term projects con-
WSL has a total annual turnover of institutions of higher education, the Wal- nected to Deep Technology, in particular
€607 million and supports engineering sci- loon Export and Foreign Investment Agen- from their launch. Deep Technology relates
ence projects across Wallonia. It boasts a cy (Awex) and the region’s various compet- to innovation based on substantial scien-
survival rate for its techno-entrepreneur itive clusters. tific advances directly or indirectly linked
companies of 95%, with an annual job cre- to major planetary and societal issues that
ation rate of 11%. Employing 866 people According to director-general Agnès Flémal require long-term, large investment.
directly and 2,000 indirectly, WSL is spread (pictured), WSL occupies a world-re-
across the region. From its original site nowned position, which is impressive con- wsl.be
14 wallonia and brussels magazineMEET THE BRUSSELS EXPAT
B
efore arriving in Belgium, I studied exhibition and in two group exhibitions
in Romania and Switzerland; I also with colleagues. I’m already thinking about
worked and lived for a short period two future exhibitions on projects I started
in Norway, then moved back to Romania. while visiting Japan. Time is always insuffi-
Brussels has been my city since 2015, when cient, with a full-time job and being a hus-
my wife obtained a work contract. Adapt- band and a father, but if there is a will…
ing to a new country, city and culture can
be demanding, but it is always easier for There are always captivating things to dis-
those who love to travel, those who have al- cover here. Not only from a photographic
ready lived in different cities and countries point of view, but when the weather is fine,
and who embrace the changes for a better, almost every weekend is an opportunity for
more interesting and challenging life. my family to enjoy the recreational activi-
ties. Wallonia is very beautiful and every
I work in the secretariat of a unit of one time we have the opportunity, we leave
of the directorates of the European Com- Brussels to enjoy a nice weekend as a fam-
mission. I especially like working with col- ily, changing from residents into tourists.
Sebastian Boatca leagues of so many nationalities – the mul- Villers Abbey is one of our favourite places
ticultural work environment has always to visit. I have made several series of photo-
from Romania is been captivating to me. And I’m a passion- graphs there and with Viewfinders I visited
ate photographer, continuously looking for a moving photography exhibition, outside
making the most inspiration. I love to travel; travel photog- among the ruins. The High Fens boardwalk
of the latest stop raphy is one of the most solid parts of my is a very quiet, calm place. We sometimes
portfolio. Travelling, apart from enriching stop there while going from Eupen (which
on an international your life, also helps to make the world a bit is a nice city) to Aachen. And Liège has a
smaller, easier to understand. Before mov- certain unique flavour, something we al-
journey ing to Belgium, I contacted Viewfinders ways sense and, I might say, truly specific
photography club in Brussels and joined to this town. I’ve had the best French fries
as soon as I arrived here. My passion and in Liège, and the waffle has another signifi-
involvement in the club saw me become cance when savoured there.
an associate committee member, then
vice-president, with an active role in or- And let’s not forget that by car, in less than
ganising the club’s activities: writing for the two hours, we can visit beautiful places in
monthly newsletter, making public presen- France, Germany, Luxembourg or the Neth-
tations, preparing workshops, exhibitions erlands. Each time such an opportunity
and much more. arises, it means more material in my port-
folio, not to mention more beautiful memo-
Since coming to Belgium, I’m proud to have ries with my family.
had two solo photography exhibitions, to
have participated in a Viewfinders group sebastianboatca.com
“
Travelling helps to make
the world a bit smaller,
easier to understand
SUMMER 2019 15.FOCUS
Free rein
Wallonia boosts its
equine economy with
new EquisFair business
cluster
By Sarah Crew
W
ith the aim of exploit- units with a common goal of partnership, agricultural ministry revealed its enormous
ing the economic po- joint projects and international visibility. potential,” he says. He believes the sector’s
tential of the region’s EquisFair – the seventh business cluster in image needs updating because of its reputa-
horse industry, the the region – benefits from a three-year sub- tion as an elite activity. “Horses are part of
EquisFair business sidy from the Walloon economy ministry. many people’s lives, whether it be for plea-
cluster was launched at Liège Airport in sure or participation in international com-
February this year. While equine activities The region has a long tradition of horse petition. Economic activities around horses
in the region are already renowned for their breeding, and the equine industry generates are very diverse and they merit being show-
quality and quantity, the sector’s objective more than €1 billion a year. But it remains un- cased.”
is to further elevate its image at home and derexploited, according to one of the cluster’s
abroad. founders, Jean-Philippe Lejeune, technical di- Belgium’s speciality is the breeding of
rector of the European Horse Centre at Mont- show-jumping horses, Lejeune says. “The
Wallonia’s business clusters are economic le-Soie in Luxembourg province. country’s three studbooks are regularly fea-
hubs that bring together companies, train- tured in the top ten of world rankings. While
ing centres and public or private research “A recent study by the centre for the Walloon there are a few larger stud farms, the aver-
16 wallonia and brussels magazine© Victor Krijt
• Lara de Liedekerke at the 2018 World Equestrian Games
age breeder in Wallonia owns two or three ing members, the 14 active members reflect between Wallonia and Flanders, France,
breeding mares, which produce the same the depth and diversity of the local equine the Netherlands, Germany and Luxem-
number of foals each year,” he says. The clus- industry (see boxes on following pages). bourg; and promoting the available space
ter is an excellent opportunity to boost the A study by the European Horse Centre re- in Wallonia that could be of interest to for-
sector and all its activities: “I believe it will vealed the region's enormous potential. eign investors.
improve its image, federate its businesses
and facilitate their access to financial aid for The cluster aims to make the sector in Wal- Other strategic priorities have been outlined,
research and export, as well as being a useful lonia more professional, increase market- which include encouraging innovation, re-
development tool at a local and internation- ing and assist research and development in inforcing commercial links and exploring
al level.” new products. For opportunities abroad, it new markets, sharing good practices, devel-
is focusing on three main areas: an export oping partnerships and working groups ac-
Since its launch, EquisFair has attracted strategy for high-value products such as cording to certain topics, and creating syn-
considerable interest, with requests for in- surgical and food supplements; an export ergies with existing clusters and competitive
formation and membership from a variety strategy for standard and high-quality poles in the region. As part of the mission
of organisations. In addition to eight found- products that will increase collaboration to promote the sector at home and abroad,
SUMMER 2019 17.FOCUS
ACTIVE MEMBERS
THE EUROPEAN HORSE CENTRE
Alcyon Belux supplies a complete
The European Horse Centre in Luxembourg province was founded in 2000 to range of products to veterinary cen-
promote horse breeding in Wallonia. A non-profit organisation, it is one of eight tres.
founding companies behind the cluster, and acts as an interface between horse alcyonbelux.be
breeders, equine businesses and various administrative bodies. It works closely
with the province, Liège University – in particular the veterinary medicine depart- BiopTis is active in equine health and
ment – and the Equestrian League Wallonia Brussels. performance, working with two Liège
University research centres.
An important part of its remit is to carry out research and other services for the bioptis.com
agricultural ministry, annually evaluating and responding to problems raised by
breeders in the region. Research includes examining orthopaedic pathologies Cavalo Concept is an outdoor and
linked to growth, which have a significant economic impact for breeders. An addi- sporting goods company that creates
tional branch of the centre’s activities consists of training, participating in equine designs for riders.
promotional events powered by the Walloon region, and providing expertise to cavaloconcept.be
Walloon Ecuries, which supports horse-breeders.
Ekism provides apps for riders with
While the centre receives subsidies for these activities, it also offers private services, identity data storage, an equipment and
such as cross-country facilities for horses and riders and the organisation or partner- feed checklist, a training and care diary
ship of competitions and equestrian events. It is also an EU-certified reproduction and financial project management.
centre, handling the insemination of mares, embryo transfers and the production of ekism.be
frozen sperm from stallions according to strict sanitary and quality standards.
Tagalo is an app that reinforces the
linalux-montlesoie.com safety of outside riders in case of
accidents and falls.
tagalo.com
Equideo provides video and live-
an inventory of all actors is to be drawn up, equestrian branch and research laborato- streaming of horses and ponies.
and the cluster will identify the weaknesses ry of the Conférence Liège Créative on 16 equideo.be
and strengths of the sector in Wallonia and October, the technology economic mission
neighbouring regions to help develop the in- to Texas, US from 23 to 25 October, Jump- Kevin Bacon’s is a family business
ternational strategy. ing International de Liège from 29 October making laurel hoof dressing products.
to 4 November, Fieracavalli International kevinbacons.com
The cluster is already publicising its activ- Horse Festival in Verona, Italy from 7 to
ities by taking part in events around the 10 November, and an economic mission to SBS Studbook is a voluntary organi-
world, giving smaller businesses a chance China led by Princess Astrid from 16 to 22 sation that keeps records for Belgian
to showcase themselves. Coming up on November. sporting horses, in particular show-
its agenda are participation at: Libramont jumpers.
Agricultural Fair from 26 to 29 July, the equisfair.be sbsnet.be
18 wallonia and brussels magazineTrenker Labs is a pharmaceutical lab-
oratory that produces and distributes
medication and food supplements.
trenker.be
Roland Quoidbach is a safety coor-
dinator specialised in equestrian pro-
jects.
coordinateursecuritechantier-
quoidbach.be
Compositi makes accessories for
horses and riders.
compositi.be
Liège Airport’s purpose-built Horse
© FEI/Dirk Caremans
Inn provides overnight accommo-
dation for the more than 3,000 hors-
es that transit the freight hub each
year.
horse-inn-liege.com
EEM World organises equestrian
events and is the creator of the Masters THE FOUNDERS
Grand Slam brand and the Longines
Masters. The European Horse Centre is a publicly and privately funded facility that rep-
eemworld.com resents and promotes the equine industry in Wallonia. linalux-montlesoie.com
SA Clarenne Travaux specialises in Delhez Bois/Cleanbox is the leading manufacturer of 100% natural, dust-free
developing equestrian grounds. and biodegradable wood shavings for stable boxes. delhezbois.be
clarennetravaux.be
EQScience offers a range of services for equine industry companies, ranging from
science and healthcare to consulting, coaching, marketing and management sup-
port. eqscience.com
Moulin Georges sprl has been providing quality horse feed for 50 years and has
recently developed complementary food. Its brands include Hippoforme and
Kara. hippoforme.be
Peter Müller DURAfence is a specialist supplier of custom-made wooden enclo-
IN FIGURES sures, sturdy fences and gates. petermuller.be
€1.1m turnover of the equine Progenus offers a full range of services to its partners for DNA research, from the
sector in Wallonia development of a test to a complete research project. progenus.be
6,600 direct and indirect jobs
2,200 businesses Revatis is a Liège University spin-off developing a system of regenerative veteri-
77,233 hectares of agricultural land nary medicine. revatis.be
(11% of total agricultural
surface) Haras Sonnenhof is a stud farm that breeds, raises and trains horses. The family
131,000 horses in Wallonia business is based in Saint Vith. sonnenhof.be
SUMMER 2019 19.TOURISM
Virtually real
Europe’s biggest virtual reality park has opened
in Mouscron
By Tomáš Miklica
V
irtual reality (or VR) needs space. scron, a city in Hainaut between the Bel- huge difference compared to a home VR
To set up a room-scale virtual re- gian-French border and the Wallonia-Flan- experience.”
ality at home, you ideally need at ders border, has thus become home to
least 3 square metres – so that you can Europe’s largest virtual reality site. The Virtual Park project was supported by
move or even walk during the experience the intercommunal association IEG and
without walking out on the immersion. For the Verbaert brothers, this is a contin- by Wapinvest. In total it hosts seven activ-
The more space you have, the better the uation of their previous business venture ities. Most of them are suitable for visitors
immersion, the stronger the experience, in Tournai, Virtual Cabs. Except now, in- over seven years old and built for a mul-
the greater the fun. But would hundreds stead of four cabins with 15 square metres tiplayer experience. Sensors ensure that
of square metres really mean hundreds of of virtual reality, the two entrepreneurs you know exactly where the barriers are
times the fun? invite you to experience something that and that you ‘see’ all the other players even
would be absolutely impossible to rec- though you are cut off from the real world
Jean-Louis and Frédéric Verbaert decided reate at home. “It’s a real 2.0 VR wireless by the characteristic headset.
to find the answer, and built a virtual reality immersion,” says Frédéric. “You can move,
park taking up 4,000 square metres. Mou- feel and touch everything on your own. A The games let you cooperate and compete.
20 wallonia and brussels magazinewallonia and brussels magazine
Up to 40 players can fit into The Play- technology that has yet to become main- a new virtual world they enhance the re-
ground, a smart space of synchronised stream, without the usual space limita- al-word environment.
lighting and sound systems combining in- tions and without the motion sickness
teractive games and exercise. Elsewhere, linked to seated virtual reality games. Virtual Park is open six days a week and
two players can race each other on Tron- “Motion sickness can’t happen at Virtual can host up to 300 people a day. As the
like bikes while 14 others can fight in a Park because, in fact, you are moving for virtual reality technology is developing
combat robots arena. And the co-found- real in the space,” explains Frédéric. constantly, the Verbaert brothers need to
er’s favourite? “At the moment, our best keep up with it. “We are always aware of
activity is Arena 42,” says Frédéric. In this Additionally, the park prevents long ex- the news around VR,” Frédéric says. “Fur-
full-body tracking experience, two teams posure to virtual reality. “To avoid fa- thermore, the structure of our park is not
of four players compete to conquer Mars. tigue, our experiences are timed between fixed. We have the possibility to progress
Its 400 square metres definitely give a new five and twenty minutes and people have the same way the VR technology will. Why
meaning to what a room-scale virtual re- around fifteen minutes of break between not dream about a fully immersive experi-
ality game is. the activities.” Visitors can take a pause ence spanning across all the 4,000 square
from virtual reality during augmented re- metres?”
All the activities encourage visitors to ality (AR) experiences, too. These do not
stay for the day and enjoy to the fullest a require a headset and rather than creating virtualpark.eu
“
We have the possibility to progress the
same way the VR technology will
SUMMER 2019 21.CULTURE
Dream factory
A small independent animation
studio in Brussels is doing
things differently
By Ian Mundell
I
n an unassuming Brussels street, not big-screen animation, but Stassen thinks as character modelling, movement, shading
far from Midi station, you’ll find Eu- both are a distraction. TV animation has to and texturing, or building ‘special effects’
rope’s most productive independent be cheaper, with necessary concessions to such as the movement of clothes or hair.
animation studio: nWave. Its latest feature quality, while working for others means a loss
film, The Queen’s Corgi, is still in cinemas of control. “When we began in 1994, one animator would
around the world, and the next – a sequel work on all the different stages of a film, but
to 2017’s Son of Bigfoot – is well under way. More importantly, making a steady stream now it is more specialised and sophisticated,”
of features helps sustain nWave’s creative Stassen explains.
“We always have two projects running, and community. “Top animators want to keep
when we’re halfway through one feature film working on feature films that are great qual- nWave started out making computer-gen-
we have to start the next,” says Ben Stassen, ity and shown all around the world,” he says. erated attractions for places such as theme
co-founder of the studio and co-director of “At nWave they can go from one feature to the parks, and was an early specialist in stereo-
most of its movies. next. That has attracted some talented peo- scopic 3D. Its first animated feature was Fly
ple, and created a sense of loyalty.” Me to the Moon in 2008, about three young
nWave’s focus on feature films, all developed houseflies who hitch a ride on Apollo 11. This
in-house, sets it apart from most European Roughly a third of nWave’s 120 digital anima- was followed by two films about the undersea
animation studios. These tend to work for tors are Belgian, a third French, and the rest adventures of Sammy the Turtle, then House
hire on other people’s projects as well as their drawn to Brussels from around the world. of Magic, Robinson Crusoe and Son of Big-
own, or produce cartoons for TV alongside They work in teams, specialising in tasks such foot.
22 wallonia and brussels magazinewallonia and brussels magazine
SENSE OF SHARING ACCESSIBILITY TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW QUALITY OF LIFE
© Kmeron
by the Tax Shelter incentive for investment in
audiovisual productions.
Yet despite these constraints, nWave’s ani-
mators aspire to achieve Pixar’s quality. Tal-
ent helps, but so does being ruthlessly effi-
cient. Decision-making is streamlined, and
last-minute changes are out of the question.
“When we do something, we do it once, we
don’t do it twice,” Stassen says.
Meanwhile, the money is spent where best
tells the story. For example, crowd scenes
demand a lot of expensive animation, so
when the Queen meets Donald Trump in The
Queen’s Corgi, it is at a private dinner rather
than a state banquet. But when Rex joins a
canine Fight Club, the drama demands a lot
of dogs, and that is where the animators have
gone to town.
Its most recent feature film, The Queen’s Cor- Making animated films for the global mar-
gi, tells the story of Rex, top dog at Bucking- ket means nWave is inevitably compared to “We are not Pixar, but we are really proud of
ham Palace until he disgraces himself during US giants such as Pixar. This can be tough our quality,” Stassen says. “And with our budg-
an official dinner with Donald Trump. Exiled when Pixar has at least €100 million to spend et, Pixar would barely make five minutes of a
to the streets of London, Rex has to find his on each film, while nWave has €20 million film like The Queen’s Corgi.”
way back into the Palace, and the Queen’s at most. This, incidentally, is an enormous
good books. budget by Belgian standards, made possible nwavedigital.com
“
Top animators want to work on feature
films that are great quality and shown all
around the world
SUMMER 2019 23.GASTRONOMY
Growing wild
Cuisine Sauvage promotes edible plants with
foraging walks, cooking classes and gourmet
tours
By Sarah Crew
E
nvironmental consultant turned four to five plants that provides people “Wild plants speak to us all as they touch
wild food campaigner Lionel Raway with some autonomy.” He adopts a prag- on wellness and health, on pleasure, on
believes he has found the perfect matic approach to promoting the benefits our purse, and it’s a multi-sensorial expe-
recipe for his non-profit wild plant asso- of wild food. “Cooking with plants is not rience to pick a plant, touch it, smell it and
ciation, Cuisine Sauvage. “By reconnecting a religion or a dogma – we are not saying eat it, which is the greatest connection to
people with nature, opening their minds that they are better – simply that they also nature.”
to the potential of harvesting plants, there exist.”
is the possibility of some food self-suffi- The association, which was founded in
ciency,” he says. Benefitting from financial support from 2011, encourages the public as well as
the Walloon Region, “which considers it companies, school groups and chefs to in-
From the airy interior of the newly reno- better to prevent than to heal”, Cuisine troduce wild plants into their diet. Nature
vated cookery school in a villa on the out- Sauvage’s underlying educational philoso- walks and cookery classes are organised
skirts of Namur, Raway, a former teacher, phy is presented in the form of a series of in Brussels and Wallonia, available on de-
explains his philosophy: “A two-hour walk leisure activities. “We are in the world of mand in private homes in a programme
in the forest gives sufficient knowledge of play, interactivity and exchange,” he says. that runs from April to October.
24 wallonia and brussels magazinewallonia and brussels magazine
Visible from the school’s windows, the
Mosan Valley is a perfect playground for
foraging and harvesting plants. “We visit
the sites, we pick plants, then we prepare
the various dishes in groups before eating
them together around this large commu-
nal table,” says Raway, indicating the knot-
ted blonde slab of wood that forms a con-
vivial centrepiece.
For discovery tours of gourmet wild plant
cooking, participants hop into go-karts,
© Maxime H - Photographe culinaire
known as cuistax, for a carbon- and waste-
free experience around Namur’s historic
citadel. Catering for between 100 and 400
people, they have enormous potential for
international companies, says Raway:
“There are panoramic views of the valleys,
we explore underground tunnels, descend
the citadel’s streets and of course eat and
drink in some of the best restaurants that
are reserved for us.”
Namur has a gastronomic reputation and around 10% are tasty. He prefers to con- in plastic, delivered to stores, barcoded,
Cuisine Sauvage is popular with local centrate on the last group, a nevertheless transported by you and eventually thrown
chefs. “They want to be in the avant-garde extensive list that includes wild garlic, in the bin,” he says.
and see edible plants as a free and abun- chervil, nettles, dandelions, garlic mus-
dant resource. When they prepare a dish tard, cuckoo flower, chestnuts, poppies, While there’s nothing new in the wild
with wild plants in their restaurants, they pine, wild strawberries, daisies, hops, cob plant movement – “it’s been around for
are serving as ambassadors,” he says. Hav- nuts, wild sorrel, wild blackberries, sage thousands of years” – Raway is convinced
ing also trained a chef and a naturalist, he and elderflower. of its future: “Up to now, I had the feeling
appreciates their enthusiasm. “When we that eating wild plants was a marginal ac-
go into the woods and ask them to smell One of these, nettles, grow abundantly tivity. We know now that the planet is in
something, they immediately start imag- in many a garden. Raway refers to it as difficulty and we don’t know what we will
ining food pairings and that’s really fun; an example of the long-term advantages be eating and how we’re going to feed the
we learn something too.” of eating such produce. “By occasionally world, but it’s clear that among the pan-
eating nettle soup, there are two benefits: oply of options, there are wild plants. It’s
One challenge for the association is help- connecting with nature and reducing your just necessary to give people the desire
ing people overcome their natural fear of carbon footprint. For each kilo of vegeta- to take advantage of the nature around
eating plants. While it’s frequently quoted ble you produce yourself, that’s one kilo them.”
that 96% of all plants are safe to consume, that has not been grown, fertilized, har-
Raway says 80% are good to eat and only vested, stocked, transported, wrapped cuisinesauvage.org
“
By reconnecting people with nature, there is
the possibility of some food self-sufficiency
SUMMER 2019 25.DESIGN
Undress to impress
Carine Gilson’s couture lingerie mixes
old-school craft and contemporary chic
By Clodagh Kinsella
© Maison Carine Gilson
© Fashion & Lace Museum
© Maison Carine Gilson
26 wallonia and brussels magazine© Fashion & Lace Museum
S
ince graduating from the fashion de- Paul Poiret that had this whole orientalist in- Carine Gilson. “Above all it was important to
partment of Antwerp’s Royal Academy fluence. It’s from there that I started working show the style and vision of the label, and this
of Fine Arts in 1988, Brussels-based de- with kimonos – but creating ones with a more dialogue with lace that I’ve had for nearly thir-
signer Carine Gilson has become synonymous Western influence.” ty years,” she says.
with the market of couture lingerie, turning
out one-of-a-kind garments from the finest Other obsessions – Art Deco, the designer Today, Gilson’s team produces 8,000 pieces a
French laces and silks. Madeleine Vionnet – have resurfaced over year, all handmade by artisans in her Brussels
the years, as Gilson’s brand has expanded to atelier with no recourse to outsourcing. “It’s a
“Lace has been a passion of mine ever since I take in beachwear and swimwear lines, as niche market because we work on the lingerie
was thirteen,” says Gilson. “I like its precious well as boutiques in London’s Belgravia and like haute couture,” she says. “There’s a lot of
side and the fact it’s made by hand.” A turning Saint-Germain, Paris. Her garments are also work that goes into it and each piece is unique,
point came soon after her graduation when stocked in high-end multi-brand shops in which is what makes it true Belgian luxury.”
she came across a small vintage lingerie man- more than a dozen countries and regularly
ufacturer, Maille France, near Gare du Nord in worn by celebrities including Nicole Kidman. Starting in the early Renaissance, when Em-
Brussels. “At the atelier I had this real coup de peror Charles V decreed that lacemaking was
foudre for the artisanal nature of lace, this in- Gilson has recently opened an office in the compulsory for girls in convents and bégui-
credible savoir-faire,” she says. She bought the Middle East, where she sometimes creates nages, Belgium developed a thriving lace trade.
atelier and launched her own brand in 1990. entire trousseaux for brides. “It’s a market I’ve Even in the early 20th century the country had,
been familiar with for a decade and we have by some estimates, 47,000 lacemakers but the
Gilson’s day- and nightwear draws on top-qual- a very loyal customer base there,” she says. craft has now dwindled despite the efforts of
ity Lyon silk and Caudry lace from the Calais “They’re collectors, working women, above all hobby clubs.
region. She’s particularly known for her pains- people attracted to exclusive things.”
taking work with lace inlays, which run over “There aren’t many artisans working with lace
kimonos, lingerie, gowns, jackets and cam- Last year saw the launch of an intimate, bou- today,” says Gilson. “It’s this craftsmanship
isoles, combining with shimmering silks to doir-style flagship on Boulevard de Waterloo that I want to protect. Not by actually making
create an ethereal, decadently feminine mood. in Brussels, masterminded by crafts-oriented the lace, but by the way we work with it and
“My inspirations at the start were all the rit- architectural duo David Raffoul and Nicolas give it a contemporary signature. I’m proud to
uals of déshabillé: for me that was about silk Moussallem. Meanwhile, until next April, the say that, in Belgium today, I’m the guardian of
garments, and I’ve always loved the sensual capital’s Fashion and Lace Museum is paying the temple of this kind of savoir-faire.”
side of the 1930s and the 50s. I did a collec- tribute to the designer and charting her label’s
tion about the early 20th-century couturier evolution in its exhibition Beautiful Lace & carinegilson.com
“
Lace has been a passion of mine
ever since I was 13
SUMMER 2019 27You can also read
