On this page you will find more information on the activities of the mission and for some activities you will find the PowerPoint presentations after the event has taken place. The activities are organized per day in chronological order.
Activities
Activities of Sunday June 05, 2022
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Visit to the Manus Bio scale-up and production facility
- 10:00 Welcome and introductions
- 10:30 Facility tour
- 12:00 Product demonstration
- 12:30 Lunch
Organisation Ugent and FIT Venue Manus Bio scale, 1762 Lovers Ln, Augusta, GA 30901
Date Participants (max 40 BE) Companies and academics: biotech, biobased industries, chemical industry and life sciences, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Manus Bio is a spin-out of MIT that uses industrial biotech to engineer microorganisms with complex metabolic pathways from plants to produce rare biomolecules. They commercialize stevia, fragrances, food ingredients, etc. Recently they have started exploiting a large scale-up and manufacturing facility in Augusta. Manus Bio is an inspiring example of how industrial biotech can transform the chemical industry towards a more sustainable and non-fossil pathway.
Link with Belgium:
UGent prof. Marjan De Mey has contribution to the foundation of the spin-out and is member of the scientific advisory board of the company.
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Inauguration by HRH Princess Astrid of the new applications development laboratory of Solvay and presentation of the 3D printing technology for specialty materials application
- 14:40 Arrival and welcome by Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay, Michael Finelli, President of Solvay Growth Initiatives and Chief North America Officer, Carmelo Lo Faro, President Materials GBU, Solvay
- 14:45 Introduction by Carmelo Lo Faro, President Materials GBU, Solvay
- 14:51 Welcome Speech by Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay
- 14:57 Speech by HE David Clarinval
- 15:03 Address by Abby Turano, Deputy Commissioner for Marketing, Communications and International Engagement of the State of Georgia
- 15:09 Speech by HE Pascal Smet
- 15:15 Visit of Solvay Labs: new investments (3 stops)
- 15:45 Inauguration of the New Applications Development Lab and ribbon cutting for HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers
- 15:55 Decoration of Michael Finelli, President of Solvay Growth Initiatives and Chief North America OfficerPresident by HE David Clarinval
- 16:00 Drinks
- 16:10 Departure of the motorcade
Organisation hub.brussels in collaboration with Solvay Venue Solvay Alpharetta; 4500 Mcginnis Ferry Road, Alpharetta GA 30005-3914
Date Participants (BE 30-40) Official delegation and delegation members – 3 groups of 15 pax for the visit of the labs (upon invitation).
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
This event is important to mark Solvay's presence in US and to emphasize the Group's new investment in innovation through the construction of a New Applications Development Lab.
Solvay invested more than $22 million of capital in the building to increase our innovative capabilities.
H.E Princess Astrid will be invited to cut the ribbon of the new lab (+ visit) and inaugurate a commemorative plaque with her name and test the 3D printing.
A way of celebrating the Innovative & Technological know-how of Belgium which works for the high technology of new materials development in US.
At the heart of its American headquarter, Solvay has a Global Research Center in Alpharetta that offers great opportunities for collaboration with US and European universities. It aims at becoming a hub for Solvay innovation focusing on new materials, products, processes, formulations, and applications development to support sustainable business growth.
The mission of the Global Application Development teams is to provide our businesses with top-notch Application Labs where we develop our competences and capabilities close to the Customers and efficiently leverage them in service of all our Markets.
The AD Solutions Lab, based in Alpharetta, Georgia offers capabilities such as application specific-testing, prototyping and teardowns, as well as Virtual Engineering, in support of our customers in the Americas. This lab will be like a surrogate customer within Solvay, with competences ranging from the design of new solutions with our materials, to the demonstration of their performance through virtual and physical prototyping and testing.
This lab focuses particularly on the demonstration of Solvay Materials solutions for e-Mobility, Smart Devices and Consumer Appliances.
Link with Belgium:
Very strong link with the Solvay’s MSAC - Material Science Application Center in Brussels focused on the advanced materials innovation
Direct Belgian investment in US
Innovative & Technological know-how of Belgium which works for a more sustainable development in US
The world headquarters of the first growth business of the future of the Solvay Group
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Distribution of the individual programs and participants badges
Venue Ballroom Foyer, 4th floor, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Date -
Information session for the Belgian delegation followed by a welcome networking drink
- 18:00 Introduction by Michel Gerebtzoff, Consul General in Atlanta
- 18:02 Words of welcome by HE Jean-Arthur Régibeau, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America
- 18:10 Program of the mission in Atlanta presented by Conny Van Wulpen, Economic & Commercial Adviser for Flanders Investment & Trade
- 18:20 Program of the mission in New York presented by Kathlijn Fruithof, Trade & Investment Commissionner for hub.brussels
- 18:30 Program of the mission in Boston presented by Yves Dubus, Economic Counselor for AWEX
- 18:40 Closing speech by Jay Bailey, President and CEO at H.J. Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs
- 19:00 Networking Cocktail on theTerrace (5th floor) if weather permits or in the Ballroom Foyer
Organisation Consulate General Atlanta Venue Ballroom, 4th floor and Terrace, 5th floor, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Date Participants All delegation members.
Activities of Monday June 06, 2022
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Breakfast debate: Belgium and the US, a sustainable partnership: Business environment outlook, challenges and opportunities
- 7:00 Registration & Breakfast buffet
- 7:25 Welcome by Didier Beauvois, Head of Corporate Banking and Member of the Executive Board of BNP Paribas Fortis
- 7.30 Opening words by Jeroen Cooreman, Director-General for Bilateral Affairs, FPS Foreign Affairs
- 7.40 Keynote on the outlook for the US economy by Scott Anderson, Chief Economist Bank of the West
- 8.00 Panel discussion on opportunities and challenges of doing business in the US
Paul De Cock, President Flooring North America Mohawk Industries
Xavier Vanneste, Managing Director Brouwerij De Halve Maan
Philip Vervloesem, Senior Vice President OMP
Stéphanie Rutten, CEO AmCham Belgium
moderated by Vikas Khandelwal, Head of Multinational Clients Group North America BNP Paribas
- 8:40 Q&A and concluding remarks by Vikas Khandelwal, Head of Multinational Clients Group North America BNP Paribas
- 8.55 Short break
- 9:00 Introduction to the break-out sessions by Bram Vandenbroucke, Executive Director BACOS
- 9.05 Break-out sessions on immigration, logistics, tax incentives…
- 9:30 End
Organisation BNP Paribas Fortis with AMCHAM and BACoS Venue King & Spalding, 1180 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Date Participants Belgian Business delegation, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Breakfast event on the subject of the US economy (forecasts, sectors to invest, business and investment opportunities, etc.). Local clients of BNPPF and contacts of AmCham and BACoS might be invited to enhance the networking opportunities for the business delegation.
Link with Belgium:
The seminar will focus on Belgian trade with and investments in the US.
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B2B meetings
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue Ballroom I and II, 4th floor, Savannah hall, 3rd floor, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Date -
Breakfast Panel on Cybersecurity and Privacy
- 8:05 Arrival on foot from the hotel (across the street), take elevator to 26st floor and registration
- 8:15 Intro of program item and Host by Flanders Investment & Trade
- 8:20 Welcome word by Dr. Todd McLelland, Esq.
- 8:25 Microsoft – Dr. Michael Farrell – Innovation & Strategic Programs – Microsoft
- 8:35 Chief Information Security Officer – CISO Panel
Mr. James Edgar , Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer , Fleetcor
Mr. James Baird , Chief Information Security Officer, Focus Brands LLC
Mr. Kurt Callewaert – Belgian Cybersecurity Coalition, Head of Research - Computer Science
Dr. Lieven Desmet – University Leuven – Sr Research Mgr Secure Software
- 9:20 Q&A
- 9:30 Georgia Tech – Mrs. Gloria Griessman – Sr Director – Institute Info Security & Privacy
- 9:40 Intro of Belgian Cybersecurity Companies present
9:40 Secutec – Mr. Geert Baudewijns - SECUTEC
9:45 Toreon – Mr. Alex Driesen - Toreon
- 9:50 Q&A
- 9:55 Closing Remarks by Dr. Todd McLelland, Esq
- 10:00 End
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade Venue McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Suite 3350, 26th floor, 1180 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (Symphony Tower)
Date Participants Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Atlanta is a recognized knowledge center for cybersecurity both for industry as federal security agencies and defense. A high presence of headquarters of cybersecurity companies and “2nd”corporate campuses
This activity caters towards the cybersecurity companies and academics present in the delegation, and interfaces them in group to a selected limited number of local cybersecurity experts/executives.
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UCB Facility (Smyrna, GA)
Part 1(9:30-10:15) Inauguration of the new inSpace building
- 8:55 Registration and video presentation (in the townhall)
- 9:40 Welcome words and overview by Jean Christophe Tellier, CEO of UCB
- 9:45 Opening comments by HE Willy Borsus
- 9:50 UCB’s Partnership with Patients by UCB Leader by Emmanuel Caeymaex, Executive Vice President Immunology Solutions & Head of US of UCB
- 9:55 HRH Princess Astrid gives flowers to LaKeisha a patient who has been a UCB patient advocate
- 10:05 UCB’s commitment to sustainability by Patty Fritz, Head of US Corporate Affairs, UCB USA
- 10:10 Official delegation leaves
Part 2 (10:20 -11:30) A Look Inside UCB - Impact on patients, communities and society
- 10:20 Introduction by Mrs Delcomminette, CEO of AWEX
- 10:25 Delivering Innovation to Patients. An overview of how UCB develops and delivers innovative medicines to patients with unmet needs from early research.
- 10:55 Closing words
- 11:00 Reception
Organisation AWEX in collaboration with UCB Atlanta and hub.brussels Venue 2050 building (The warehouse), UCB, 1950 Lake Park Drive SE, Smyrna, GA 30080
Date Participants (75 BE + 75 US) Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Experience and engage with biopharma leader presence and growth in Georgia and the US market, the impact of UCB’s innovation for patients, commitment to the community, and long-term sustainable growth.
Link with Belgium:
Belgian company.
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Panel discussion on the critical function of Supply Chain Optimization and Innovation in global distribution and manufacturing – – with use cases from relevant industries
- 10:00 Welcome note by delegation lead HE Jan Jambon and OMP leadership
- 10:10 Keynote ‘‘Data as the glue to enable supply chains’’ Stef Vermeiren – Former Senior VP J&J
- 10:20 Panel discussion and open questions from the audience.
Panelists:
Moderator: Philip Vervloesem - Senior Vice President OMP
Pascal Van Hentenryck - A. Russell Chandler III Chair and Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology
Elliott Paige - Airport Director, Air Service Development Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Philippe Beaujean - Shippers & Forwarders Manager at Port of Antwerp
- 10:45 Final questions and good byes
- 11:00 End of the panel workshop
- 11:00 Networking coffee
- 11:30 Departure of the delegation
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade in collaboration with OMP, the Belgian American Chamber of the South and the Port of Antwerp Venue OMP offices, 2727 Paces Ferry Rd, Atlanta, GA 30339
Date Participants (max 80 BE + 30 US) Business delegation, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Description: This workshop and presentation is a platform for networking with leadership at key companies in the Southeast and an opportunity to understand the key position of supply chain at companies in driving their sustainable growth and success and build a resilience against events such as COVID, Tariffs changes, Oil prices and other influence factors.
Objectives: Highlight the importance of innovation in supply chain to run in a more optimized, more sustainable way with higher visibility over global operations, connected through ports, DCs, manufacturing units, sourcing and more. Life Sciences is a key sector where connectivity in global value streams is key and the bridge USA-Belgium is of high importance. The role of digital autonomous supply chains will become clear out of the panelist discussion and will give insights to the participants on how to apply it to their business and industries.Link with Belgium:
POA and OMP have both Belgian and American operations and have innovation as one of their strategic cornerstones. OMP is one of the fastest growing IT consulting companies in Georgia, nominated for Inc.5000 2021, and active in a diversity of industries with customers present in both countries. POA has a key interest in the Southeast region from an expansion and innovation point of view and collaborates with top tech-institutes to drive this.
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Event on Business and Human Rights: The Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- 10:25 Registration
- 10:46 Welcome words by Jill Savitt, CEO of the NCCHR
- 10:50 Speech by TBC HE David Clarinval
- 10:55 Keynote speech by Katie Kirkpatrick, CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
- 11:05 Panel discussion with local and Belgian executives on best practices:
Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay
Geri Thomas, Former Chief Diversity Officer at Bank of America, Founder GPT Consultants
Pieter Timmermans, CEO of the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (VBO-FEB)
Willie Sullivan, Managing Director of John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition, Emory Goizueta Business School / Deloitte
- 11:35 End
Organisation M3 department,FPS Foreign Affairs Venue The Glenn meeting room, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Date Participants (175 (TBC 60 US + 115 BE) Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Atlanta is known as the cradle of the American civil rights movement, since the early 1950s. Since then, it has been a central place for civil and human rights activists, where action against inequality remains high on the agenda. The intense nationwide protests in 2020 following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks, sparked renewed actions against inequality and systemic racism.
The American business community also intensified its mobilization, with a specific focus on the concept of DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In this context, Diversity means the presence of diverse groups, Equity implies not just equal opportunities, but also allocating resources and actively working towards outcomes that are more just, impartial and fair. Finally, Inclusion means that those that are diverse actually feel welcome and are able to participate fully. For businesses, apart from the moral and legal focus, there are also business benefits of equality: promoting equality makes good business sense. It is conducive to attracting and retaining talent, increasing productivity, access to new markets and customers, among other benefits. This is the so-called business case for equality, a concept also promoted by the International Labor Organization. One of the most notable initiatives in the U.S. is the ATL Action for Racial Equity, initiated by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
In Belgium, there has also been increased focus on the concept of DEI in recent years, as it is increasingly clear that Belgium’s strong legal framework against discrimination and racism does not guarantee equity by itself. The national equality body Unia maintains a campaign aimed at helping companies develop DEI actions (www.ediv.be). The National Labor Council issued guidance in 2020 to promote diversity and prevent discriminatory hiring practices. But much work remains to be done, as the level of inequality and discrimination remains high on the Belgian labor market, in particular for people of African descent.
Through this event on the business case for equality, we hope that Belgian and American business leaders and policy makers can inspire each other to further their actions for more DEI, to the benefit of society as a whole and of their own businesses.
Link with Belgium:
After the unanimous adoption of the “UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2011, the Federal government together with the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels Regional governments decided to develop a National Action Plan to implement these standards.
Belgium’s National Action Plan (NAP) ‘Business and Human Rights’ was adopted on in July 2017. The NAP is the fruit of an extensive consultative and negotiation process, led by the so-called Interdepartmental Commission for Sustainable Development (ICDO), one of the
four federal actors to which the law of 5 May 1997 entrusts the task of coordinating the federal sustainable development policy. The ICDO brings together the representatives of federal and regional government departments, who are responsible for the elaboration, implementation, support and evaluation of the federal DO policy.
Action nr. 7 of the NAP stipulates that the Belgian government will raise companies’ awareness on human rights issues in the context of economic missions abroad.
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Global perspectives on women in entrepreneurship: an exchange of best practices and inspiring examples
- 11:45 Registration
- 12:10 Opening words by Melissa Ratliff, Bacos board member and VP of Marketing, Management InSites Inc
- 12:12 Welcome by Vanessa Ibarra, Director, Atlanta Mayors Office of International Affairs
- 12:16 Opening Remarks by Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels: hub.brussels vision for supporting female business leaders internationally and locally
- 12:22 Fire Side Chat: Inspiring female entrepreneurs
Ilham Kadri - CEO Solvay Group
Monica Dolores Hooks, Executive Director for the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative
- 12:47 Lunch buffet
- 13:10 Panel Do women entrepreneurs face specific challenges?
Aline Muylaert, CEO and Founder CitizenLab (moderator)
Michelle Cauchick, CEO and Social Entrepreneur (Amazonia Bio, Authentic Fruits and others)
Rachel Alexandre, CEO at Omina Technologies
Jasmine Crowe, Founder & CEO, Goodr
Doll Avant, CEO & Founder of Aquagenuity
- 13:50 Q&A
- 14:00 Closing Remarks, Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim, Chief Equity Officer & Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, City of Atlanta
- 14:05 Closing remarks by HE Pascal Smet
- 14:10 End
Organisation hub.brussels Venue National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Date Participants (BE + US 100) Focus on women entrepreneurs and CEO’s, upon registration.
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Invest Lunch: Belgium, your access to the EU single market
- 11:30 Arrival of the guests, transfer to the 34th floor, registration and welcome drink
- 11:55 All guests and delegates to be seated
- 12:10 Welcome by Katie Kirkpatrick CEO & President of MACOC
- 12:15 Introduction by the Master of Ceremony, Michel Gerebtzoff, Consul General
- 12:20 Speech by HE David Clarinval
- 12:30 Main course is served
- 12:45 Testimonial by Michael Goltzman, Global Vice President Public Affairs, Sustainability and Social Impact, Coca Cola Company
- 12:55 Testimonial by Michael Dubose, President of Healthcare Market Division, Thermo Fisher Company
- 13:05 Dessert and Coffee are served
- 13:10 Closing remarks by HE Willy Borsus
- 13:20 Group pictures (2) with HRH Princess Astrid, the Ministers and all the guests
Organisation AWEX in collaboration with Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue 34th floor of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, 191 Peachtree Tower, motor court, Peachtree Center Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Date Participants (max 80) Potential investors from the US (30), selected Belgian CEOs, authorities. 1/3 BL, 2/3 US, upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
To promote the assets of Belgium to potential investors from the US: CEOs (or CFOs) of existing or potential investors. Belgium will be presented as an attractive destination for foreign direct investments highlighting the general framework, the assets and the federal incentives for FDI’s in our country. A testimonial by an US investor in Belgium will then be provided to share its concrete experience with the audience.
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Executive Roundtable on AI “The race towards artificial intelligence: the essential roles of open innovation and US-EU partnerships”
- 13:15 Registration and meet & greet of the panelists in the speaker room
- 13:30 Welcome word by Charles Dean Isbell Jr.
- 13:35 Panel moderated by Wim Sohier (Flanders Investment & Trade)
Georgia Tech - Dean Computing & World leading in AI – Dean Charles Isbell Jr.
Google , Georgia Tech – Prof. Frank Dellaert (ATL)
University Ghent – Rector Rik Van de Walle (BE)
Nvidia - sr Director AI & ML – Mr. Han Vanholder (SF)
Microsoft – General Mgr, Global Leader Data & AI - Mr. Nate Harris (ATL)
- 14:20 Q&A with audience starts
- 14:28 End of Q&A and arrival of the official delegation
- 14:30 Dean Isbell introduces President Cabrera
- 14:35 Speech by Prof Angel Cabrera, President Georgia Tech
- 14:45 Speech by HE Jan Jambon
- 14:50 Group photo on stage for HRH and the Ministers
- 14:55 Official delegation leaves
- 15:00 Audience is invited for coffee and refreshments
- 15:30 End
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade (Atlanta and San Francisco) Venue Auditorium, Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center, 250 14th Street, NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318
Date Participants (max 225: 40 US + 185 BE) Official and business delegation, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Profiling Atlanta as both influential in AI with Georgia Tech as in applied AI with Microsoft, which has their second US campus under construction there.
Greater Atlanta is rivalling Greater Boston when it comes down to certain niches in Digital Technology.
Georgia Tech is a leading research university, which is a good basis for comparison for the delegation with MIT later that week
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Fintech event – New trends and innovative solutions in Digital payments and Regtech: Europe and the USA
- 14:30 Registration
- 14:45 Welcome and opening remarks from Managing Partners Alston & Bird
- 14:50 Opening words by Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels
- 14:55 Presentation Fintech landscape by Anthony Balloon, Fintech specialist at Alston & Bird and Chris Baugher, Partner A&B
- 15:05 Fintech Belgium: Belgian Fintech landscape - key sectors by Toon Vanagt, CEO of Data.be
- 15:13 Tax and other incentives for US Fintech companies setting up in Belgium by Michela Ritondo, FPS Finance; How to set up your Fintech company in Belgium by Guillaume Blauwart, Country Executive at Alter Domus
- 15:23 Overview of the Atlanta Fintech Landscape by Mr. Ali Raza, Director Payments, Cards and Fintech at Protivity
- 15:30 Panel 1 New trends and innovative solutions in digital payments
- 15:55 Q&A
- 16:05 Panel 2: Regulations are constantly changing. Regtech can help
- 16:30 Q&A
- 16:40 Closing words by HE Pascal Smet
- 16:45 Networking
Organisation hub.brussels in collaboration with Fintech Belgium, Fintech Atlanta and Alston & Bird Venue Alston & Bird, One Atlantic Center, 1201 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
Date Participants (max 20 BE + 30 US) Upon invitation (fintech companies).
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The idea is an Export/Invest focused Event where the Fintech Eco-system from Belgium is presented as a vibrant and interesting eco-system and where our companies in that sector can present themselves and their product/services. New trends and regulations in Europe are different from those in NA and can create new opportunities.
Changes in customer behavior, new entrants, new technologies, new rules and regulations shape the payment and money transfer landscape for the future and address digital payment risk. The pandemic forces all players to come up with innovative ways and technologies. Non-cash transactions are becoming the rule. The European Payments Initiative is gaining traction and Belgium is on top of the game.
Payment Platforms: Changes in customer behavior, new entrants, new technologies, new rules and regulations shape the payment and money transfer landscape for the future and address digital payment risk. The pandemic forces all players to come up with innovative ways and technologies. Non-cash transactions are becoming the rule. The European Payments Initiative is gaining traction and Belgium is on top of the game.
Regtech: Financial industry has to respect many regulations. Technology can reduce the implied hurdles and increase the user's experience. With Brussels at the source of European regulation, Belgian companies have developed particular skills and technologies in this field.
The goal of this panel is to position Brussels, the European Capital, as the capital of Regtech regulation which promotes the development of technological companies around the Financial Risk approach (anti-money laundering policy - open data - etc.) which is different from that practiced in the USA.
Link with Belgium:
See above – Fintech landscape Belgium and Fintech companies from 3 regions.
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Spotlight on the Belgian media and entertainment sector: video games
- 15:00 Registration (Lobby) and networking coffee
- 15:20 Guided tour of the facilities
- 15:50 Arrival of HRH and the Ministers
- 15:52 Welcoming words by Dr. Brian Blake, President of GSU (lobby)
- 15:56 Opening words by HE Jan Jambon
- 16:00 Transfer to the 2nd floor
- 16:06 Guided tour of the facilities and exposing Belgian companies by David Verbruggen, General Manager of FLEGA, and Brennen Dicker, Executive Director CMII. Focus on Jill Vanparys and Inge Defour representing female game developers ‘Princesses don’t need saving’
- 16:20 Transfer to the 3rd floor for the Esports tounement
- 16:35 Signing ceremony: Howest and CMII (room 306)
- 16:40 Departure of the official delegation and networking cocktail
- 17:10 End
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade in collaboration with Flega, VAF, Howest Venue Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII), 25 Park Pl NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
Date Participants (130 BE+ 40 US) Belgian official and business delegation, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The objective of the video game event is to highlight aspects of the Belgian video game culture and industry. This will be achieved through an esports tournament where American students (from Georgia Tech, and Georgia State) will be competing against each other in a Belgian VR game. Furthermore, a B2B pitching opportunity for Flemish studios will be granted to present their projects to American companies and video game studios. The last goal of the gaming event is to put female game developers in the spotlight by letting them talk about their current projects (content TBC).Link with Belgium:
Highlighting the Belgian video game industry, together with the world class education that Belgium has to offer in this sector.
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Official meeting with Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia
- 15:10 Welcome by Nico Wijnberg, Chief of Protocol & Coryn Marsik, International Relations Manager
- 15:12 VIP delegation proceeds to room 107
- 15:15 Official meeting
- 15:35 VIP delegation proceeds upstairs. Photo opportunities on the stairs.
- 15:40 Gift exchange and photo opportunity
- 15:45 Motorcade leaves
Organisation Consulate General Venue Room 107, Georgia State Capitol (Entrance on Martin Luther King Jr street)
Date Participants Very restricted official delegation.
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Signing ceremony followed by a networking cocktail
- 16:15 Registration and seating
- 17:15 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers
- 17:30 Photo opportunity
- 17:35 Networking drink
Organisation Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Venue Ballroom III, 4th floor, Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
Date Participants (max 100) Official delegation, signees and their guests.
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Walking dinner reception
- 18:00 Arrival of the guests and transfer to the 16th floor, registration and welcome drink
- 18:55 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Belgian Ministers, welcome by Governor Kemp, Brigitte Vantieghem President of BACoS, Raphael Bostic Chairman of MACOC and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Robert Hays, Chairman of King & Spalding. Transfer to the 16th floor
- 19:00 Welcome speech by Brigitte Vantieghem, President of BACoS
- 19:03 Speech by Raphael Bostic, Chairman of MACOC and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
- 19:06 Speech by Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia
- 19:09 Speech by HRH Princess Astrid
- 19:12 Decoration ceremony a distinction is bestowed upon Jeffrey Lorberbaum CEO of Mohawk Industries by HRH Princess Astrid. Short address by Mr. Lorberbaum
- 19:17 HE David Clarinval hands over a charity donation cheque to Habitat for Humanity
- 19:20 Speech from South Carolina
- 19:25 Walking dinner starts
- 21:00 Departure of the delegation
Organisation BACoS in collaboration with AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade, hub.brussels and FPS Foreign Venue 16th and 17th floors,King & Spalding, 1180 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Date Participants 500 guests, open to the entire delegation. Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Networking with business people of the South. All participants are invited to a reception with hors d’oeuvres offering Southern cuisine with a Belgian twist. They will be welcomed by the Governor of Georgia and have the opportunity to meet with local business leaders and politicians.
Link with Belgium:organized by the Belgian American Chamber of the South and Metro Atlanta Chamber showcasing Belgian food and drinks.
Activities of Tuesday June 07, 2022
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Executive Roundtable on the Future of Communications “Connecting human and digital worlds: US leadership in the path to 6G” (NOKIA BELL LABS TRACK)
- 12.15 Arrival of the guests (sandwich lunch)
- 12.30 Intro by Mr. Doug Moore, VP Operations
- 12:35 Welcome by President(s) Nokia Bell labs Dr. Peter Vetter and Dr. Thierry Klein
- 12:40 Speech by HE Jan Jambon – Expression of gratitude for the Antwerp site
- 12:50 Photo opportunity on stage
- 13:00 Start of interactive discussion and dedicated Lab tour
- 15:00 End
Organisation FIT Venue Nokia Bell Labs, 600 Mountain Avenue, Murray Hill, NJ 07974-0636
Date Participants Academic delegation only, upon selection.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Profiling Nokia Bell Labs as both influential in groundbreaking inventions ( telephone, transistors, cellular network, .. )
Receiving a behind-the-scene technology roadmap update on 5G / 6G/ Artificial Intelligence from top corporate researchers
Nokia Bell Labs as a prime example of global US-EU technology collaboration, emphasizing the importance of corporate R&D labs to the innovation ecosystem
Reflection moment for the delegation on the strategic importance of cellular infrastructure in fueling innovation
Link with Belgium:
Nokia Bell Labs has a key corporate R&D site in Antwerp. This employs >1000 white collars, mainly active in research and developments. The Antwerp site is where broadband was developed and where many Belgian executives ( later true captains of industry, CEO’s of FEB/VBO, Bekaert, … ) gained valuable experience.
Nokia Bell Labs New Jersey is the global HQ. Rudi Broos, Head of Technology Marketing will be invited to join.
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B2B Meetings
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue New York Ballroom West and New York Ballroom East, 3rd floor, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
Date -
Executive Roundtable on the Future of Communications (GOOGLE TRACK)
- 13:00 Arrival of Guests
- 13:30 Welcome and introduction of keynote speaker
- 13:35 Keynote by Dr. Vint Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
- 14:05 Interactive Panel discussion on the future on communication:
Dr. Vint Cerf , Chief Internet Evangelist, Google
Ir. Lieven Danneels, IMEC, Chair VARIO Innovation advisory council to the Government of Flanders, co-founder Televic
Dr. Wim Sweldens, fmr President Nokia Wireless Division, co-founder KISWE Mobile
Dr. Yves Baeyens, Senior Fellow, Nokia Bell Labs, New Jersey
- 14:50 Q&A audience
- 15:15 End
Organisation FIT Venue The New York Times Building, 620 Eighth Avenue, 38th floor New York, NY 10018
Date Participants (max 60) Selected businessmen, upon selection.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Keynote by a WWW pioneer Dr. Vint Cert on how he sees the future of communication and the internet. Currently Dr. Cert is Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist and Vice President.
The keynote presentation will be followed by a panel discussion in which Nokia Bell labs senior Research Fellow and Prof . Dr. Yves Bayens will give a behind-the-scene technology roadmap update on 5G / 6G/ Artificial Intelligence.
Ir. Lieven Danneels will share his point of view in terms of the innovation advise given and to be given to the Government of Flanders and Belgium to make sure Belgium maintains a leadership position in telecom.
Dr. Wim Sweldens, former Nokia Bell labs President of Wireless Division and Co-Founder of KISWE Inc based in New Jersey, complements the panel.
Profiling Nokia Bell Labs as both influential in groundbreaking inventions ( telephone, transistors, cellular network, .. )
Google & Nokia Bell Labs are a prime examples of global US-EU technology collaboration, emphasizing the importance of corporate R&D labs to the innovation ecosystem
Link with Belgium:
Google has a key datacenter in Belgium. It was the first datacenter that Google constructed in Europe, was ahead of its time. To date 1.6 B USD has been invested by Google in Belgium. Google host >120 policy and cloud experts in Belgium.
Nokia Bell Labs has a key corporate R&D site in Antwerp. This employs >1000 white collars, mainly active in research and developments. The Antwerp site is where broadband was developed and where many Belgian executives ( later true captains of industry, CEO’s of FEB/VBO, Bekaert, … ) gained valuable experience.
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Learn, network and pitch for Venture Capital investment in the USA - Focus on Tech
- 14:30 Arrival of the delegation
- 14:45 Welcome by Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels
- 14:53 Round of presentation of the Belgian VC’s
- 15:03 Local expert speaker about Venture Capital Scene trends, New York (tbc)
- 15:15 Witness account from Mr. Youri Dauber, CEO and Co-founder of Cohabs - coliving How to negotiate with US funds. Do's and Don’ts.
- 15:20 8 pitches (5 min each and 3 min Q&A)
- 16:40 Word of thanks by HE Pascal Smet
- 16:45 Networking drinks
- 17:00 End
Organisation hub.brussels New York and Weve accelaration Venue The Library of the Bohemian National Hall, 321 E 73rd Street - New York, NY 10021
Date Participants (45 US + 35 BE) Upon invitation (selection).
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Description and objective of the activity: We hope that VC`s from Belgium will participate and bring start/scale-ups from their portfolio ready to internationalize. The Belgian start/scale-ups can pitch. We will invite local VC`s interested in investing in Belgian start-scale-ups in Fintech Sector. There will also be possibility to network between VC`s from both sides of the Atlantic in order to see if partnerships and co-investing opportunities can be fostered. The exact program will be build depending on the profiles of the Belgian participants.
Link with Belgium:
Participation Belgian VC firms and Belgian scale-ups – 3 Regions.
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Fintech event: New trends and innovative solutions in Digital payments and Regtech - Differences between Europe and the USA
- 14:30 Registration
- 14:50 Welcome by Isabelle Laverge, hub.brussels (tbc)
- 14:55 Belgian Fintech Landscape - Key sectors by Toon Vanagt, CEO of Data.be
- 15:03 Tax and other incentives for US Fintech companies setting up in Belgium by Michela Ritondo, International Tax Expert, FPS Finance; How to set up your Fintech company in Belgium by Guillaume Blauwart, Country Executive, Alter Domus
- 15:05 Presentation Belgian Fintech landscape by Toon Vanagt of Data.be
- 15:13 New York Fintech landscape - key sectors by Steve Gold, President for Industry Development, Empire State Development
- 15:20 Panel 1: New trends and innovative solutions in digital payments
- 15:40 Q&A
- 15:50 Panel 2: Regulations are constantly changing. Regtech can help.
- 16:10 Q&A
- 16:20 Closing Words Isabelle Grippa, CEO hub.brussels
- 16:25 Networking
Organisation hub.brussels and Fintech Belgium Venue The Library of the Bohemian National Hall - 321 E 73rd Street - New York, NY 10021
Date Participants Upon invitation (fintech companies).
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The idea is an Export/Invest focused Event where the Fintech Eco-system from Belgium is presented as a vibrant and interesting eco-system and where our companies in that sector can present themselves and their product/services. New trends and regulations in Europe are different from those in NA and can create new opportunities.
Changes in customer behavior, new entrants, new technologies, new rules and regulations shape the payment and money transfer landscape for the future and address digital payment risk. The pandemic forces all players to come up with innovative ways and technologies. Non-cash transactions are becoming the rule. The European Payments Initiative is gaining traction and Belgium is on top of the game.
Focus on:
Payment Platforms: Changes in customer behavior, new entrants, new technologies, new rules and regulations shape the payment and money transfer landscape for the future and address digital payment risk. The pandemic forces all players to come up with innovative ways and technologies. Non-cash transactions are becoming the rule. The European Payments Initiative is gaining traction and Belgium is on top of the game.
Regtech: Financial industry has to respect many regulations. Technology can reduce the implied hurdles and increase the user's experience. With Brussels at the source of European regulation, Belgian companies have developed particular skills and technologies in this field.
The goal of this panel is to position Brussels, the European Capital, as the capital of Regtech regulation which promotes the development of technological companies around the Financial Risk approach (anti-money laundering policy - open data - etc.) which is different from that practiced in the USA.
Link with Belgium:
See above – Fintech landscape Belgium and Fintech companies from 3 regions.
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Creative Ecosystems - From inception to impact
- 14:30: Arrival of the audience - meeting room in building 92, 4th floor
- 14:50 Introduction by Pascale Delcomminette, CEO of AWEX and WBI
- 15:00 Panel debate
- 15:20 Questions to the speakers + Q&A
- 15:40 Conclusion by Prof. Annick Castiaux (University of Namur)
- 16:00 Tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard
- 16:30 End
Organisation WBI in collaboration with AWEX Venue 4th floor, Building 92, 63 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn 11205
Date Participants (20 BE- 10 US) Upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The Brooklyn Navy Yard is a mission-driven industrial park that is a nationally acclaimed model of the viability and positive impact of modern, urban industrial development. The Yard is home to 450+ businesses employing more than 11,000 people and generating over $2.5 billion per year in economic impact for the city. The Yard was once the nation's most storied naval shipbuilding facility, which for over 150 years built and launched America's most famous fighting ships, including the USS Maine, USS Arizona, and USS Missouri.
This seminar will give the floor to various speakers who will decipher the roles of the different stakeholders (government, sponsors, companies, entrepreneurs, artists, manufacturers, academia) in the success of an innovation/creative ecosystem. They will exchange views and best practices with Belgian counterparts and by doing so it will allow the showcasing of latest developments in the Belgian landscape and opportunities for collaboration.
Link with Belgium:
The Brooklyn Navy Yard sits on a piece of land called Wallabout Bay (The Wallonian Bay), so called 400 years ago. We want to celebrate this heritage by highlighting successes of Creative Ecosystems in Brooklyn and in Belgium.
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Meeting with AB InBev
- 14:45 Arrival and welcome by Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch
- 14:47 Courtesy call for HRH Princess Astrid, the Ministers with Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Sustainability, John Blood, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer and Andres Penate, Global Vice President Regulatory & Public Affairs (Board room ground floor)
- 15:00 Transfer of the VIPs to the 12th floor
- 15:02 Introductory remarks by Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch
- 15:07 Presentation on the beer category and Belgian beer in the US by Isabelle Seunier, Director Innovation & Supply
- 15:12 Presentation on AB InBev Global Sustainability Goals by Ezgi Barcenas, Chief Sustainability Officer AB InBev
- 15:17 Presentation on AB InBev Community strategy by John Blood, Chief Legal & Corporate Affairs Officer
- 15:22 Transfer of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers to the rooftop. Meet & greet with the Belgians working at AB InBev & AB InBev Managment
- 15:35 Photo opportunity for HRH Princess Astrid, the Ministers and AB InBev Management on the rooftop
- 15:40 Transfer of the VIPs to the ground floor
- 15:45 Departure of the motorcade
Organisation AB InBev in collaboration with FEVIA Venue 12th floor, Commercial Strategy Offices Anheuser-Busch InBev, 125 W 24th St #7, New York, NY 10011
Date Participants (38 BE + 12 US) Official delegation upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
High level meeting between HRH Princess Astrid and the official delegation of the mission with Michel Doukeris (CEO of AB InBev) to discuss strategy for the beer category, exports/presence of Belgian beer in the US and AB InBev’s sustainability strategy
- AB InBev is the world’s biggest brewer with a brewing heritage that started more than 600 years ago in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev is still headquartered in Belgium. The brewer has a portfolio of more than 500 beer brands, including many Belgian beers. Stella Artois is one of the three global beer brands of AB InBev (next to Budweiser and Corona) and Leffe and Hoegaarden are two of the company’s international brands. Other than that, AB InBev brews many other Belgian beers such as Jupiler, Tripel Karmeliet and Victoria.
- Sustainability is not just part of AB InBev’s business, it ìs AB InBev’s business. In 2017, the company launched 4 ambitious global sustainability goals:
- Smart agriculture: By 2025, 100% of our direct farmers will be skilled, connected, and financially empowered
- Water Stewardship: By 2025, 100% of our communities in high-stress areas will have measurably improved water availability and quality.
- Circular packaging: By 2025, 100% of our product will be in packaging that is returnable or made from majority recycled content.
- Climate Action: By 2025, 100% of our purchased electricity will be from renewable sources and we will have a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions across our value chain.
- We’re always looking for partners to tackle sustainability challenges. In 2018, we launched the 100+ Accelerator, a global incubator program that works to solve supply chain challenges across water stewardship, circular economy, sustainable agriculture and climate action. Over the last two years, the program has accelerated 36 companies in 16 countries. These startups have raised more than $200 million and are scaling globally. In the spring of 2021, we launched the 3rd 100+ Accelerator. For this 3rd cohort, the Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company and Unilever joined the AB InBev 100+ Accelerator to fund and pilot sustainable innovation in supply chains.
Link with Belgium:
AB InBev is the world’s biggest brewer with a brewing heritage that started more than 600 years ago in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev is to this day headquartered in Belgium, with a second Global Headquarter in New York City.
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Data Driven Healthcare Excellence
- 15:30 Registration
- 16:00 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers
- 16:02 Welcome and kickoff by Minister President of Flanders, Jan Jambon
- 16:07 Introduction into the topic and speakers by John Baekelmans, FIT
- 16:12 Ryan Steinberger - 20 min presentation on Data Driven Healthcare Excellence @ Pfizer
- 16:32 Varun Ramdevan - 20 min presentation on Data Driven Healthcare Excellence @ J&J
- 16:52 Official delegation leaves
- 16:55 Liesbeth Ceelen - 15 min presentation on Data Driven Healthcare Excellence @ BioLizard
- 17:10 Hans Constandt - 15 min presentation on Data Driven Healthcare Excellence @ Belgian Health Data Authority
- 17:25 Finishing comments – John Baekelmans
- 17:30 End
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade New York Venue Biddle room, 3rd floor, Harvard Club, 35 W 44th St, New York, NY 10036
Date Participants (50 BE – 50 US) Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Part 1: Data and Data Science are becoming more important in the world of Healthcare and Life Science innovation. A number of companies will share their best practices how to use data science to gain a competitive and speed advantage.
Part 2: Then we will assemble all speakers for a moderated Q&A between the audience and the remote audience.
Link with Belgium:
The companies in part 1 of the session all have an important base in Belgium. Healthcare and ICT are two key marker sectors in which Belgium excels.
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Belgian Official Reception
- 19:00 Arrival of the guests
- 19:30 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and Ministers
- 19:40 Welcome words by HE Jean-Arthur Régibeau, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America
- 19:45 Speech by HRH Princess Astrid, Representative of His Majesty the King
Organisation Consulate General Venue The Loeb Boathouse Central Park, Park Drive North, E 72nd St, New York, NY 10021 Date Participants (900) The entire delegation and the local guests upon registration.
Activities of Wednesday June 08, 2022
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B2B meetings
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue New York Ballroom West and New York Ballroom East, 3rd floor, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
Date -
The Case of Two Inspiring Cities New York and Brussels: Exchange of Best Practices on the Economic Transition towards ‘Cities for the People’
- 7:30 Security check and registration (lobby), coffee and breakfast (6th floor)
- 8:30 Opening in presence of HRH Princess Astrid
- 8:30 Welcome by Richard Yancey, Executive Director, BEEX
- 8:31 Economic Transition - Brussels for the people by HE Pascal Smet
- 8:34 The building Challenge, priorities for New York State by Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO of NYSERDA
- 8:38 Next steps for NYC by Kizzy Charles-Guzman, Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental climate sustainability, environmental justice, and resiliency
- 8:42 Closing remarks and intro to photo opportunity by Richard Yancey
- 8:44 Photo opportunity of HRH Princess Astrid, the Ministers and the speakers
- 8:50 Introduction to the panels
- 9:30 Panel 1: inclusivity in the economic transition / strategies for urban green mobility / agriculture in the built environment / sustainable low carbon retrofitting
- 11:00 Coffee break
- 11:20 Panel 2: innovative business approaches for community engagement / intelligent transportation systems / food waste reduction / shifting from sustainability to regeneration
- 12:30 Conclusions of the panels
- 12:30 Lunch and roundtables with experts
Organisation hub.brussels in collaboration with BEEX, New York City Mayor’s Office of Sustainability & NYSERDA Venue Classroom, 6th floor, Building Energy Exchange office (inside the Surrogate’s Courthouse), 31 Chambers St Ste 608, New York, NY 10007
Date Participants (150) Belgian and American companies and start-ups involved in sustainable solutions. Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of our event:
We have witnessed ambitious sustainability targets set in Europe and around the world. These objectives focus on tackling the most pressing global challenges. Inspired by these goals, some cities want to take the climate challenge even further by tailoring ambitious strategies for their respective homes. Two of these cities, Brussels, and New York, seek to lead and integrate sustainability into every part of their policy making processes.
This reorientation towards a resident-specific sustainability, wants to improve the well-being of the people but also to attract high-skilled labor, international business, and foreign investors eager to partake in the new global hubs of a sustainable economic transition.
The new sustainability models will meet people’s expectations of personalization, relevance, inclusion, traceability, and transparency in economic governance.
Further still, new hubs will transcend old models’ emphasis on “low impact” practices by turning to the expectation of actual environmental replenishment and renewal.
During this event, we will discuss the best practices and perspectives of such leading cities. We will share the urban strategies and showcase how Brussels and New York have become drivers of sustainable change.
By exchanging between public and private players, industry leaders, and experts in the field, we aim to provide new opportunities for collaboration to achieve a faster and more equitable transition to sustainable economies.
Main topics of discussion
- Citizen Participation and Inclusion
- Green Mobility in the City
- Food System Optimization
- Green Built Environment
Eight carefully picked expert lead panelists will host interactive sessions resulting into two panel discussions for each topic.
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Nail it before you scale it: Building structures and partnerships to develop a sustainable, international business model and accelerate growth
(8:00 – 11:15) Part 1 at Flanders House
- 8:00 Registration and coffee
- 8:30 Opening words by HE Jan Jambon & Sorana De Roy
- 9:00 Entrepreneur panel “Learn from peers about the most significant obstacles to international growth”
- 10:00 Coffee break
- 10:10 Rob Heyvaert gives powertalk and introduces the next panel
- 10:15 Investor panel “In the mind of the investor”
- 11:15 Transfer on foot to Belcham
(11:30- 13:00) Lunch and networking at Belcham
(13:00-16:00) Part 2 (B2B and company visits)
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade and BELCHAM Venue (Part 1): Flanders House, 620 8th Avenue, 38th Floor, New York, NY 10018, Lunch: Belcham: 530 7th Avenue, Suite 902; (Part 2): on-site
Date Participants (40 BE) Belgian and American start ups, entrepreneurs and investors. Upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
“Nail it before you scale it”
For many Belgian start ups, cracking the U.S. market is an exciting chance for dramatic growth and increased credibility. Is this move right for you? It could be.
We’ll look at how to build structures and partnerships to develop a sustainable, scalable international business.
- Stand on the shoulders of giants who have done this before (peer2peer sharing)
- Get inside the mind of an angel and/or private investor (investor panel)
- Find partners, support and resources to help you make the move and test your product market fit (b2b matchmaking)
Link with Belgium:
Belgian entrepreneur will talk about their experience entering the USA market. One of the investors speaking has a Belgian managing partner (motive partners).
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Workshop – “The ins and outs of the US Food and Drink Market”
- Arrival and welcome with a light breakfast
- Welcome to the members of the official delegation and participants
- The state of the U.S. specialty food and drink market
- Prerequisites and fact checking for Belgian food exporters
- Market and current trends, best performing categories and the USA consumer and landscape challenges by a large food company and a US retailer
- Role, importance of and need for an importer – an agent – a distributor
- Do's and don'ts and testimonies by food and drinks key players on the US market
- Q&A, final remarks and closure
Organisation AWEX in collaboration with FIT, hub.brussels, Fevia and VLAM Venue Room Odets, 4th Floor Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway New York 10036
Date Participants (max 40-50 pax) Belgian F&B companies, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The New York/New Jersey/Connecticut/Pennsylvania area is a hotbed of food importers and distributors for the approximately 45 million consumers. The region has one of the highest population densities in the nation which makes for convenient transportation and delivery at a fairly reasonable cost in cities. The ports of Baltimore and New York are great assets for transatlantic freight. American consumers have somewhat sophisticated tastes for specialty and healthy food and drinks and a solid purchasing power. They are fond of fancy/foreign food and drinks products, and are ready to pay a premium price.
Today’s stronger USD dollar makes European goods more affordable to US consumers. Unfortunately, there are also fluctuating transportation costs to consider which can contribute to their higher prices. In order for Belgian companies to stay competitive in this market, they must produce unique and high-quality specialty food products that will entice American consumers into paying more. For this reason, there is a greater chance that these products will end up in the gourmet food category rather than in mass merchandise stores.
Nevertheless, due to the potential variety of products from participating companies, and to the busy schedule and numerous solicitations of regional importers and distributors, it’s not feasible to gather them in a single location at a specific time. The one-on-one meetings will have to be scheduled separately and most likely at the importer/distributor location and time of choice.
This workshop is directed towards a Belgian audience active in the food and drink sector and interested to penetrate/succeed in the “US Northeast Corridor” market. Local experts and practitioners will deliver “to the point presentation” with practical aspects/examples/case studies.
The added value of the planned workshop and the afternoon session lie in the quality and expertise of the invited speakers. There will be one guest speaker/specialist per specific presentation. We believe that an intensive and thorough information workshop with insights by local practitioners about how the U.S. Food and Drink market works would be most interesting and useful.
Link with Belgium:
The US market is an important market for Belgian food and beverages. Somewhat more stable conditions are favorable for business opportunities from the regulatory and compliance point of view, now that the Food Safety Act is well under way and it seems to be efficient. One can reasonably think that no major changes will occur in the near future.
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United Nations Opportunities in Operational Logistical Support
Part 1: Opening of the Seminar (9:30 – 10:00)
- 8:30 Arrival via the security check at the Visitor center entrance and transfer to the 2727 Room on the 27th Floor
- 9:30 Transfer to the conference room on the 27th floor
- 9:35 Arrival, welcome and opening of the seminar by Atul Khare, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support followed by an introduction of the Department of Operational Support, Christian Saunders, Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management
- 9:41 Kick off of the business seminar by HE Willy Borsus
- 9:46 Introduction of the Belgian Business Delegation and current collaborations with UN/UNICEF by Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp and Laurent Jossart, CEO of Liege Airport
- 10:00 Official delegation leaves
Part 2: Seminar (10:00 – 11:35)
- Presentation of the UN, UNICEF and Belgian participants
- Presentation of UN priorities and procedures in the field of logistics by DOS (Department of Operational Support), EOS (Enabling and Outreach Service) and Procurement Division
- Q&A
- Wrapping up by the Ambassador Philippe Kridelka, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations and the Belgian Trade Commissioner (representing AWEX/FIT/hub.brussels)
- B2B conversations
- 11:35 End
Organisation AWEX in collaboration Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue 2727, 27th floor, United Nations Headquarters, 405 East 42nd Street – New York, NY 10017
Date Participants Restricted official delegation and selected companies.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Presentation by UN experts in the area of logistics and transportation.
To learn about the UN needs and wants pertaining to logistics and transportation
To learn about procurement procedures
Exchange of views and networking opportunities
For existing suppliers of vaccines and medications: courtesy: “maintenance” visit
Link with Belgium:
Direct interest for our companies, ports, airports and suppliers of goods and services.
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Meet & Greet with Belgians of the UN
Organisation AWEX and Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN Venue tbc room, 27th floor, United Nations Headquarters, 405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
Date Participants Very restricted official delegation.
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Tasting Event - A taste of Belgium
Organisation Fevia and VLAM Venue Dear Irving on Hudson, the rooftop lounge of the Aliz Hotel Times Square.
Aliz Hotel Times Square (40th floor), Aliz Hotel, 310 West 40th Street, New York, NY, 10018Date Participants Delegation members active in the agrifood sector and American invitees.
Additional information Program “Belgian American Trade in Food and Drinks”
On Wednesday 8th June, the three regional trade promotion agencies (AWEX, FIT and hub.brussels), Fevia (the Federation of the Belgian Food Industry) and VLAM (Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board) offer a full-day program on “Belgian American Trade in Food and Drinks” for the food & drink companies in the delegation.
The program consists of 3 parts:
- Workshop “The ins and outs of the US Food and Drink Market” (9:00-11:00, New York Marriott Marquis, lead: AWEX)
- “Taste of Belgium” event (12:00-13:30, Aliz Hotel Times Square, lead: Fevia & VLAM)
- B2B program for food & drink companies (13:30-17:00, Aliz Hotel Times Square, lead: AWEX, FIT and hub.brussels)
“Taste of Belgium” network event
The “Taste of Belgium” event is a tasting and networking event, organised by Fevia and VLAM, in collaboration with the three Belgian foreign trade agencies.
It will take place at Dear Irving on Hudson, the rooftop lounge of the Aliz Hotel Times Square. It is Manhattan’s highest open-air hotel bar, with a beautiful view on the New York skyline.
The trade promotion agencies invited the American companies, who will be joining the Belgian food & drink companies for B2B sessions in the afternoon, to attend this tasting & networking event. The food & drink companies can also invite their current clients or own prospects to this event.
The event thus gives the Belgian food & drink companies in the delegation the opportunity to showcase their products to their US clients and prospects. VLAM will offer dishes with Belgian vegetables. Delegation members will offer snacks, desserts and drinks.
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FEB B2G luncheon
- 11:15 Registration of participants and welcome drink is served
- 11:45 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers welcome by Pieter Timmermans and Arun Venkataram, Assistant Secretary of Commerce
- 11:50 Words of welcome by Pieter Timmermans and speech by HE David Clarinval
- 12:00 Starter and main course are served
- 12:35 Key note speech by Mr Arun Venkataram, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets, and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Global Markets
- 13:00 Dessert is served – concluding remarks by HE Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States
- 13:10 Words of appreciation by Pieter Timmermans
Organisation The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) Venue Riverside Ballroom, 3rd floor, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
Date Participants (60) Belgian guests upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) is organising with the support of the Belgian Embassy a B2G luncheon with the participation of TBC Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo (or Deputy Secretary of Commerce) and HE Stavros Lambrinidis, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States.
The Secretary of State is invited to give a keynote speech about the new commerce agenda and priorities of the United States and discuss recent developments, including as regards the EU/US Transatlantic trade relations. The EU ambassador will bring a complementary European perspective.
Link with Belgium:
As the voice of business in Belgium, FEB works towards establishing a framework to support entrepreneurship and defends the interests of over 50,000 small and large companies at federal, European and international level.
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B2B's for Belgian food companies
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue Aliz room, ground floor, Aliz Hotel
Date Participants (50) Belgian F&B companies and US upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The New York/New Jersey/Connecticut/Pennsylvania area is a hotbed of food importers and distributors for the approximately 45 million consumers. The region has one of the highest population densities in the nation which makes for convenient transportation and delivery at a fairly reasonable cost in cities. The ports of Baltimore and New York are great assets for transatlantic freight. American consumers have somewhat sophisticated tastes for specialty and healthy food and drinks and a solid purchasing power. They are fond of fancy/foreign food and drinks products, and are ready to pay a premium price.
Today’s stronger USD dollar makes European goods more affordable to US consumers. Unfortunately, there are also fluctuating transportation costs to consider which can contribute to their higher prices. In order for Belgian companies to stay competitive in this market, they must produce unique and high-quality specialty food products that will entice American consumers into paying more. For this reason, there is a greater chance that these products will end up in the gourmet food category rather than in mass merchandise stores.
Nevertheless, due to the potential variety of products from participating companies, and to the busy schedule and numerous solicitations of regional importers and distributors, it’s not feasible to gather them in a single location at a specific time. The one-on-one meetings will have to be scheduled separately and most likely at the importer/distributor location and time of choice.
This workshop is directed towards a Belgian audience active in the food and drink sector and interested to penetrate/succeed in the “US Northeast Corridor” market. Local experts and practitioners will deliver “to the point presentation” with practical aspects/examples/case studies.
The added value of the planned workshop and the afternoon session lie in the quality and expertise of the invited speakers. There will be one guest speaker/specialist per specific presentation. We believe that an intensive and thorough information workshop with insights by local practitioners about how the U.S. Food and Drink market works would be most interesting and useful.
Link with Belgium:
The US market is an important market for Belgian food and beverages. Somewhat more stable conditions are favorable for business opportunities from the regulatory and compliance point of view, now that the Food Safety Act is well under way and it seems to be efficient. One can reasonably think that no major changes will occur in the near future.
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Meeting with Eric Adams, Mayor of New York
Venue City Hall, 260 Broadway, Manhattan, New York
Date Participants Very restricted delegation (HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers).
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Sustainable Real Estate - Shaping our future: Expanding knowledge and exchanging best practices
- 14:00 Registration
- 14:30 Welcome by Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels
- 14:35 Welcome by Richard C. Yancey, Executive Director of BEEX
- 14:40 Presentations by SUNSOAK DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE, TRANE, SUREAL AGC, CITIZINLAB, B2AI, ORG PERMANENT MODERNITY, A2M
- 16:00 Closing remarks by Emmanuel Malfeyt, Coordiantor of ecobuild.brussels
- 16:05 Networking
- 16:30 End
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Life Sciences Roundtable: Building Bridges and Crossing Boundaries
- 15:15 Arrival of the delegation and welcome by Essenscia
- 15:30 Welcome and Kick off by Frederic Druck, Managing director of Essenscia
- 15:35 Life Sciences: new trends in the Tri-States CT-NY-NJ and Pennsylvania
- 15:55 Belgian Connection and success stories in Life Sciences: how to increase your network in the US
- 16:35 Wrap up Roundtable: do´s and don’ts for Building Bridges and Crossing Boundaries
- 16:50 Q&A
Organisation AWEX and WBI in collaboration with BioWin, essenscia, FIT and hub.brussels Venue Room Odets, 4th Floor Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway New York 10036
Date Participants (20-30) Belgian entrepreneurs in the Biotech/Medtech/Biopharma sectors, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The Life Sciences Roundtable will present some success stories in the US of people and companies with a Belgian Connection. We will cover practical tips of becoming successful in the US, aimed at researchers, entrepreneurs, small to medium companies from Belgium to grow their business in Life Sciences, particularly the Biotech/Pharma and MedTech sector, in the US. The objective is to encourage the networking and partnering with the Belgian and US executives or entrepreneurs in the sector Life Sciences in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut), plus Pennsylvania.
Link with Belgium:
The roundtable will host some Belgian entrepreneurs and pharma/life sciences executives who are already active in the Tri-State region and Pennsylvania or want to know about the possibilities to benefit from the region around New York.
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Showcase of the Best of Belgian’ Sports Technology Solutions: FIFA United CAN/MEX/US 2026 World Cup organization
- 14:45 Registration
- 15:25 Speeches by
Nicolas Bourdon, President of Agoria S&ETC CMO of EVS
Manu Leroy, CMO of Royal Belgian Football Association
- 15:35 Video message by Roberto Martinez, Coach of Belgium National Team Red Devils
- 15:40 Speech by HE Jan Jambon, Minister-President of Flanders
- 15:45 Showcase of the Best of Belgium Sports Technology (movie)
- 15:50 Interview of Mr Oscar Sanchez, Director, Concacaf by Ken Kershbaumer, Chief Editor, Sport Video Group
- 16:05 Departure of the official delegation
Organisation Agoria Sport & Technology Club and FIT Venue 17th floor, Ernst & Young HQ, One Manhattan West, 401 9th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Date Participants Official delegation and business delegation upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Bringing Belgian Sports Technology top of mind with the FIFA United CAN/MEX/US 2026 World Cup organization
Link with Belgium:Royal Belgian Football Association Red Devils team NR1 FIFA ranking
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Springboard to Global Female Entrepreneurship - Women in Tech
- 17:00 Arrival and registration
- 17:10 Welcome words from Sarah Esmenda, Community Leader at Luminary
- 17:13 Intro Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels
- 17:16 Key note, Charlene Crespel, COO BeCentral on Women in Tech in Brussels and role of BeCentral, digital campus
- 17:22 Key note from Lisa Morales-Hellebo on Female entrepreneurship and the investment gap
- 17:31 Short reaction/witness from some audience members
- 17:40 Panel discussion between Brussels female CEO's and New York female CEO's - challenges and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds in the US and Belgium
- 18:00 Q&A
- 18:10 Closing remarks by HE Pascal Smet
- 18:15 Networking
Organisation hub.brussels Venue Luminary, 1204 Broadway - New York, NY 10001
Date Participants Women entrepreneurs from the delegation, key female stakeholders of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in New York and Belgium. Upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
The proposed activity consists of an opening welcome drink and some welcome pitch, 1 panel discussion of around 30 minutes followed by a networking session of 45 minutes.
The discussion aims to underline the unique challenges and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds in the US and Belgium, and to underscore their role in revitalizing economies generally and during the period of economic recovery from COVID-19. A focus will also be put on sustainability and economic transition. Panelists from Belgium and New York will speak from their own experiences as women founders.
This event will be organized in collaboration with local partners LUMINARY AND WEVE ACCELERATION
Luminary is a membership-based career and personal growth platform and collaboration hub created to address the systemic challenges impacting women across all industries and sectors. Former finance executive Cate Luzio founded and self-funded Luminary in late 2018 with the mission to up-lift, up-skill, and propel women forward through all phases of their professional journeys. The company has grown to more than 3,000 individual members and 60+ corporate partners (representing more than 500,000 employees worldwide) including UBS, WW, JPMorgan Chase, Unilever, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, Indeed, Blackstone, Mastercard, VMLY&R, Bridgewater, and Heidrick & Struggles to name a few. To date, the company has led well over 3,000 in-person and virtual programs, workshops, and events.
WEVE Acceleration is NYC’s premiere acceleration program for international startups expanding to the US. Formerly NUMA New York, WEVE enjoys more than twenty years of experience introducing the world’s most promising startups to the world’s largest market. Since opening our NYC office in 2017, we’ve accelerated over 120 startups from 25 different nationalities, and counting!
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Signing ceremony followed by a networking drink
17:00 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and Ministers
17:25 Photo opportunity
17:30 Networking drink
Organisation Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Venue New York Ballroom East, 3rd floor, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
Date Participants (max 325) Official delegation, signees and their guests.
Activities of Thursday June 09, 2022
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Rhode Island Food and Innovation Tour
6:00 – 10:00 Transfer from the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel (exit 52nd street – LL level) to Rhode Island with the bus FOOD TOUR
10:30-12:30 Round table “Rhode Island as gateway to US F&B market” and Johnson & Wales food innovation programme (8 Abbott Park Pl, Providence, RI 02903)
- Round table “Rhode Island as gateway to US F&B market”
- Introduction of Rhode Island’s unique food ecosystem and business-friendly incentives by Rhode Island Commerce Corporation.
- Meeting Ahold Delhaize and local food entrepreneurs
- Johnson & Wales University food innovation program
- Lunch prepared by Johnson & Wales’s chefs in training.
- Introduction to the university’s academic and research programs with College of Food Innovation and Technology.
- Visit Johnson & Wales’s Food Innovation and Design lab (FIDL) to meet students and faculty doing research in food science and innovation.
12:30-13:00 Transfer
13:00 -14:30 Retail visits
- Dave’s (food group)
- Savory Grape (drinks group)
14:30-15:00 Transfer
15:00-16:00 Hope & Main (691 Main St, Warren, RI 02885)
- Introduction of Hope & Main culinary incubator
- Tour of production facility and meeting with local producers who have scaled their business to regional and national markets.
16:00-18:00 Transfer Rhode Island - Boston
Organisation Fevia, US Embassy in Belgium (Commercial Dpt), State of Rhode Island, and supported by Flanders Investment & trade, AWEX and hub.brussels Date Participants Belgian food and drinks companies, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Rhode Island is strategically located on the American northeastern coast, between Boston and New York. From the cooperation between the local government, knowledge institutions and the business community has grown a unique food ecosystem, which is favorable for foreign food companies. The State of Rhode Island offers strategic support to foreign companies, which want to enter or establish themselves on the American market. The food business incubator Hope & Main offers training and marketing advice, liaises with retail and distribution and mediates with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). The College of Food Innovation and Technology of the Johnson & Wales University has a strong international reputation for food innovation. This makes Rhode Island a unique launching hub for Belgian food companies that want to develop their activities on the American market. Given its size and accessibility, is also the best location to organize a food retail tour during this economic mission. This allows Belgian food companies to discover the retail landscape and research their opportunities on the US market.
- Round table “Rhode Island as gateway to US F&B market”
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Breakfast session: Common pitfalls in retrofitting high rise buildings - Lessons learned from over a decade of energy-efficient building in Brussels
- 08:00 Registration and breakfast
- 08:30 Empire Building Challenge by Michael Reed, Team Lead, Advanced Efficiency Solutions - NYSERDA
- 08:35 Brussels builds greener by Emmanuel Malfeyt - ecobuild.brussels
- 08:40 Round of presentations: Simplify: Less is more
- 09:00 Q&A
- 10:20 Closing remarks by Greg Hale, Senior Advisor, Energy Efficiency Markets & Finance, NYSERDA
- 10:25 End of seminar and networking over coffee
Organisation hub.brussels and eco.build Venue Building Energy Exchange office, 31 Chambers St Ste 608, NY 10007
Date Participants (max 50 : 20 BE + 30 US) Upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Collaboration with NYSERDA - Empire Building Challenge: https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Programs/Empire-Building-Challenge
NYSERDA is creating public-private partnerships with leading commercial and multifamily real estate owners to recruit best-in-class equipment manufacturers, solution providers, and other businesses to invest in low carbon retrofit technology development in New York State. They encourage direct collaboration among the world’s largest real estate companies, cleantech manufacturers, and solution providers worldwide. There is a $10M technology prize available. There are gaps where innovation is needed – and these are areas relevant for ecobuild.brussels and other regional clusters and innovative companies. These are big opportunities to translate what has already worked in Belgium and bring it to the US market. NYSERDA is aware of the know-how, expertise and experience of Brussels in that area and wants to learn. In addition, our companies will be introduced to a group of leading real estate owners.
Link with Belgium:
Brussels is considered a pioneer in passive construction and increasingly also in circular construction thanks to the many regional initiatives in this area.
For more than a decade now, the Brussels construction sector has been able to respond brilliantly to the ambitious standards that were necessary to impose.
In addition to the positive results in terms of CO2 emissions reduction for the region, job creation, gains in terms of quality of life and cost reductions, the entire construction value chain has gained in expertise by taking the risk of sometimes failing spectacularly but ultimately succeeding brilliantly.
It is now time to share these experiences of exemplary buildings with as many people as possible.
The equal ambitious Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires New York to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and no less than 85 percent by 2050 from 1990 levels. It is the perfect opportunity for Brussels based companies to showcase their knowledge and build a better and brighter future for all.
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Visit to Pratt & Whitney headquarters and contract signing for HE David Clarinval and HE Willy Borsus
- 8:30 Arrival of the delegation and welcome by Pratt & Whitney President
- 8:40 Greeting and introduction
- 8:50 Belgian industry overview
- 9:05 RTX/P&W overview
- 9:20 TBC LOI signature + F135 ESI update and discussion on potential opportunities for Belgian Industries
- 9:45 Group picture in front of engine
- 10:00 Departure of HE David Clarinval and HE Willy Borsus
Organisation AWEX Venue Pratt & Whitney HQ, 400 Main street, East Hartford, CT 06118, Connecticut
Date Participants HE David Clarinval and HE Willy Borsus.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Description and objective of the activity:
High level lobbying to boost concretization of the package of offsets for Belgian industry that was considered at the occasion of the in the F35 purchase.
Potential F35 engine parts production LOI signature.
Link with Belgium:
Safran Aero Boosters and Belgian Aero-engine industry will produce parts and modules for F35 aircraft engine including those bought by Belgium.
Safran Aero Boosters and BMTA will produce parts for F35 aircraft engine including those bought by Belgium.
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Meet & greet and walking lunch with the Belgian deeptech scale-up N-SIDE, the clinical supply chain command center for US pharma and biotech companies
- 12:15 Welcome of the business delegation
- 12:35 Arrival of TBC HE David Clarinval and HE Willy Borsus
- 12:40 Welcome by Arnaud Merlet, CEO of N-SIDE
- 12:45 Presentation by Sébastien Coppe, Life Sciences Director, N-SIDE and by C-level executive from a top 10 pharma companies in R&D
- 13:00 Departure of the Ministers and the participants registered to the State of Play with MIT
- 13:05 Meet & greet and with a walking lunch (Venture café and Patio)
- 13:30 Departure of the bus D1 or on foot for the participants attending Takeda
- 14:00 End
Organisation AWEX in collaboration with N-Side Venue Havana room, One Broadway, 5th Floor, Kendall Square , Cambridge, MA 02142
Date Participants (80) Official delegation and selected business and academics (50), upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Deep dive in the core of N-SIDE business: discover how deep business expertise combined with applied mathematics and artificial intelligence can help life sciences organizations to make better decisions and optimize the use of critical resources.
Through a use case co-presented with a top industry leader, find out how N-SIDE streamlines clinical trials by accelerating clinical plans, mitigating risks and curbing drug waste to provide solutions for patients in need more efficiently.
Get the opportunity to meet N-SIDE CEO Arnaud Merlet, Life Sciences Director Sébastien Coppe, N-SIDE US team and our US customers and prospects.
Link with Belgium:
- N-SIDE is a spin-off from UCLouvain and ULiège
- Our headquarters are located in Louvain-la-Neuve
- N-SIDE counts worldwide customers among which several top Belgian pharmaceutical companies
- N-SIDE board members have a strong and recognized academic and business experience
- N-SIDE was the first company certified B Corporation in Wallonia (March 2020)
- N-SIDE is awarded Great Place to Work Belgium (4th time in a row since 2019) and Best Workplaces in Belgium (2nd time in a row since 2020)
- N-SIDE is awarded Trends Gazelles 2022 (Walloon Brabant)
- N-SIDE is awarded Best Managed Company 2022 in Belgium by Deloitte Private
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B2B Meetings
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue Parliament/Adams/Baltic, 7th floor, Westin Copley Place Hotel
Date -
The State of Play with MIT
- 13:30 Welcome by Maxime Van Cauter (Attaché de Liaison Scientifique WBI), Prof. Cathy Culot (MIT), Anne Deconinck (Honorary Consul of Belgium in New England) Welcome – History and Economic Impact of MIT – presentation by MIT staff
- 13:40 Introduction by Pascale Delcomminette
- 13:45 Welcome – History and Economic Impact of MIT – presentation by Assoc. Provost Richard Lester
- 13:55 Presentation + Q&A (15min) – Milena Janjevic (Urban Logistics)
- 14:10 Presentation + Q&A (15min) – Pierre Lermusiaux (Ocean Science)
- 14:25 Presentation + Q&A (15min) – Michel Goemans (Mathematics)
- 14:40 Presentation + Q&A (15 min) – Julien de Wit (Planetary Science)
- 14:55 Conclusion by Julien de Wit (Planetary Science)
- 15:00 End
Organisation AWEX-WBI Venue Pappalardo Room 4-349,Building 4, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139 (Via Vassart street)
Date Participants (tbc 70 ) Restricted official delegation and selected delegation members.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
This activity is meant to highlight:
The presence of Wallonia-Brussels alumni currently working at MIT
The importance and global impact of MIT in US economy and across the world
The collaboration that already exists between Wal-Bru and MIT
Link with Belgium:the excellence of Belgian science has strongholds at MIT, which is considered one of the best university in the world.
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Meeting with Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts
- 13:30 Arrival and welcome by Mark Sullivan, Executive Director of the Massachusetts office
- 13:32 Transfer to governor's ceremonial office
- 13:34 Welcome by Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts and photo opportunities
- 14:02 Gift exchange and photo opportunity
- 14:07 Transfer to ground floor
- 14:10 Departure of the motorcade
Organisation Consulate General Venue Governor's ceremonial office, 3rd floor, Massachusetts State House, (back entrance via Hancock street),Boston, MA 02133
Date Participants Very restricted delegation.
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Executive Roundtable on Data Governance “The battle for tech dominance: can a decentralized web restore the global balance ?”
- 14:30 Registration and snacks
- 15:00 Welcome word by Mr. Horacio Caperan, Executive Director External Affairs, MIT Joint Program on the Science & Policy of Global Change
- 15:05 Welcome speech by HE Jan Jambon
- 15:10 Key note speech
- 15:30 Panel debate moderated FIT Science & Technology Counselor Wim Sohier
John Bruce, CEO of Inrupt Inc
Prof. Ruben Verborgh – IDLab – Ghent University - IMEC
Dr. Bruce Schneier – Harvard Kennedy school of Government – Fellow
Dr. Adam Schlosser – Dep. Director for Research – MIT Joint Program Science & Policy of Global Change
- 16:30 End
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade New York Venue MIT, Chang Building E52, 6th floor, MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142
Date Participants (max 160) Official, business and academic delegations. Upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Profiling MIT as both influential in computer science and in influencing US federal Science & Technology policy.
Coupling the world wide web and its underlying technology to both the positive as the unintended socio-economic consequences 30 year later
Hearing the perspective from large US technology corporations
Reflection moment for the delegation on how empowered individuals, governments, business leaders are in rebalancing the control over data and the web
Link with Belgium:
The Flemish Data Utility Company | Vlaanderen.be
Brainchild of Sir Tim Berners Lee, MIT Professor and co-created the worldwide web with dr. Robert Cailliau, Belgian ( both will not be able to be attend ).
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Takeda R&D visit
- 14:00 Transfer to the meeting room
- 14:30 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers
- 14:36 Giles Platford, President of Europe & Canada Unit for Takeda - The Value of Plasma Derived Therapies
- 14:44 Kristina Allikmets, Senior Vice President, Head of R&D, Plasma-Derived Therapies – Pushing the boundaries of Science to bring transformative, life-changing treatments to patients who need them
- 14:52 Geoffrey Pot, General Manager Operations Takeda Lessines – The future of biomanufacturing excellence. The case of Takeda Lessines
- 15:05 End -Transfer to the ground floor
Organisation Takeda and AWEX Venue Rooms 12.401,12.402, 12.403, 12th floor, Takeda, 500 Kendall street, Cambridge, Boston
Date Participants (70 BE + 20 US) Official, business and academic delegations, upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Highlight the importance of plasma derived therapies
Explain the incredible journey of pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing, from lab to patient
Showcase how Takeda Lessines, as Factory of the Future, prepares for the manufacturing of these complex molecules in a sustainable manner.
Launch a Call to Action, to encourage plasma donation in Belgium.
Link with Belgium:
Takeda hosts one of Belgium’s largest biomanufacturing plants, in the town of Lessines (Hainaut). With over 1,200 employees, it is one of the largest employers in the Walloon region. This Takeda site was created exactly 50 years ago, in 1972. Today, it has over 18,000 m² of building surface and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a flexible plant for purification and a packaging center for immunology and hematology treatments that will be distributed to the 80 countries, in the four corners of the world.
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High level conversation with the MIT “A New Era of EU/US Scientific Collaboration”
- 15:20 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers welcome at the car by Associate Provost for International Activities Richard Lester and Ambassador Leo Peeters, Director for Economic Diplomacy, FPS Foreign Affairs (in front of the building 13)
- 15:21 Transfer to the Pappalardo Room (building 4, 3rd floor)
- 15:25 The meeting starts
- 16:15 The VIP delegation proceeds to the hallway for the tribute to Georges Lemaître
Organisation FPS Foreign Affairs (B3) Venue Pappalardo Room 4-349, Building 4, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), entrance via Vassart Street, building 13, Cambridge, MA 02139
Date Participants (20) Restricted official delegation and selected rectors and vice-rectors upon selection.
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Learn, Network and Pitch for Venture Capital Investment in the USA: Focus On Life Sciences
- 16:10 Arrival and registration
- 16:30 Arrival of local VC's
- 16:40 Welcome words by Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels
- 16:45 Presentation of CIC
- 16:55 Short round of presentation of Belgian VC’s: The Club Deal, Theodorus Investment Funds, 50° NORTH VENTURE, FPOM/SFPI, Investsud - AWEX
- 17:05 Local expert speaker on Venture Capital sciences, trends/Boston, Mr. Karl Hess, Managing Partner Outcome Capital
- 17:10 Witness account from Mr. Michel Detheux, President and CEO, Iteos Therapeutics, Cancer Immunotherapies – Witness on successful funding in the US
- 17:20 10 Pitches (5 min each and 3 min Q&A)
- 18:36 Closing words by HE Pascal Smet
- 18:40 Networking drink and buffet
- 19:00 End
Organisation hub.brussels New York in collaboration with NUMA Venue Room Mosaic, 3rd floor, CIC Cambridge, 245 Main Street, Cambridge MA 02142
Date Participants (25 US + 25 BE) Belgian and American VCs upon invitation (selection).
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Description and objective of the activity: We hope that VC`s from Belgium will participate and bring start/scale-ups from their portfolio ready to internationalize. The Belgian start/scale-ups can pitch. We will invite local VC`s interested in investing in Belgian start-scale-ups in Life Science Sector. There will also be possibility to network between VC`s from both sides of the Atlantic in order to see if partnerships and co-investing opportunities can be fostered. The exact program will be build depending on the profiles of the Belgian participants.
Link with Belgium:
Participation of Belgian VC firms and Belgian scale-ups – 3 Regions.
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Tribute to Prof. Georges Lemaître, formulator of the Big Bang Theory
- 16:15 Introduction by HE Willy Borsus
- 16:23 Unveiling by HRH Princess Astrid of a frame featuring Georges Lemaître and photo opp (hallway)
- 16:25 Departure of the official delegation. The participants proceed to the Pappalardo room
- 16:30 Presentation by Professor Peter Fisher
- 16:40 Presentation by Luc Sels (KU Leuven)
- 16:55 Presentation and conclusions by Jean-Christophe Renauld (UCLouvain)
- 17:10 End
Organisation AWEX-WBI Venue Pappalardo Room 4-349, 3rd floor, Building 4, Department of Physics, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Date Participants (40) Restricted official delegation and selected academics upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
In the wake of the visit with select Belgian MIT scientists/researchers/professors at MIT, there will be a short ceremony honoring Georges Lemaître, a prominent Belgian scientist who is considered one of the fathers of the expanding universe theory.
The ceremony will consist of an introduction by Professor Peter Fisher, Head of the MIT Physics Department, some remarks by UCLouvain and KULeuven representatives. The unveiling, in the open hallway just outside the Papallardo room, by HRH Princess Astrid of a frame featuring Georges Lemaître that will be permanently displayed at MIT.
Georges Lemaître (Charleroi July 17, 1894 – Leuven – June 20, 1966) was a Belgian Catholic priest, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain. He was the first to theorize that the recession of nearby galaxies can be explained by an expanding universe which was observationally confirmed soon afterwards by Edwin Hubble. He first derived "Hubble's law," now called the Hubble–Lemaître law by the IAU, and published the first estimation of the Hubble constant in 1927, two years before Hubble's article. Lemaître also proposed the "Big Bang theory" of the origin of the universe, calling it the "hypothesis of the primeval atom,"[and later calling it "the beginning of the world."
In 1923, he became a research associate in astronomy at Cambridge, UK, spending a year at St Edmund's House (now St Edmund's College, University of Cambridge). He worked with Arthur Eddington, who introduced him to modern cosmology, stellar astronomy, and numerical analysis. He spent the next year at Harvard College Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with Harlow Shapley, who had just gained renown for his work on nebulae, and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he registered for the doctoral program in sciences.
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Massachusetts – Belgium, joining forces in developing offshore wind energy
- 16:15 Registration and welcome drink
- 16:55 Opening of the Plenary Session
Welcome by Ryan Dings, Chief Operating Officer of Greentown Labs and Ralph Moreau, Science & Technology Counselor - Climate Tech of FIT
Speech by Governor Charlie Baker
Speech by HE Jan Jambon
Keynote Speech by Klaus Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind
- 17:20 Witnessing of contract milestone signing(s)
- 17:30 Departure of the VIP delegation and start panel debate
- 18:10 Networking reception
- 18:40 Departure of the participants going to the Evening of the Museum reception
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade New York Venue Towngreen, Greentown Labs , 444 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143
Date Participants Upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity
Belgium has been at the forefront of offshore wind power development, with early deployments of wind parks > 10 years ago. This means we have a clear advantage over the USA, which only recently started developing this industry in recent years. In fact, the US has only a handful of offshore wind turbines in place, as of today.
The Biden administration has unlocked this potential, by supporting new initiatives, not only by favorable and supportive legislation, but also by providing substantial amounts of funding. The Biden administration’s objective is to have 30GW of offshore wind capacity in place by 2030.
In US context, the states have a big say in the actual implementation of offshore wind projects. The majority of activity is happening in the north-east part of the country, and states such as MA, NY, RI, NJ, … will be home to the first big projects.
We are witnessing the first few tenders and concessions, there is a real momentum.
Our Flemish/Belgian companies are very interested in these developments, and we are happy to see successful contracts granted to companies from our North Sea ecosystem. DEME in particular has been granted two major (> 1 billion USD contract value) contracts. In fact, they landed two out of the two first big projects. One of these projects will be for the Vineyard park, off the shores of MA.
The purpose of this event:
- Showcase our expertise in the field of offshore wind. We are not the biggest country in offshore wind, but we were early movers. Our companies have built up a lot of expertise, in planning, installation, but also O&M, monitoring, etc.
- Focus on particular issues the US is dealing with, and how we can help them overcome these
- Announce some of the recent wins
- Build partnership, for even more collaboration and joint developments
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Evening in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- 19:00 Arrival of the guests, welcome drinks are served
- 19:30 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Belgian Ministers. Welcome by HE Jan Jambon and Matthew Teitelbaum, Director of the MFA
- 19:32 VIP delegation proceeds to the New American Café
- 19:35 Welcome speech by Matthew Teitelbaum, Director of the Museum of Fine Arts
- 19.40 Speech by HE Jan Jambon, Minister-president Government of Flanders
- 19:50 Privatized guided tour of the new galleries Dutch and Flemish Art (for selected officials and US VIPs)
- 20:15 End of guided tour, opening of the buffets. Netherlandish art galleries are open to all the guests
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade New York Venue Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Fenway entrance, 160 Fenway road, Boston, MA 02115
Date Participants (700) The entire Belgian delegation upon registration.
Activities of Friday June 10, 2022
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Success Stories Breakfast
- 7:45 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers, welcomed by Pieter Timmermans, CEO of FEB
- 7:52 Words of welcome by Pieter Timmermans
- 7:55 Testimonial by each invited Belgian business leader (8x max. 4 minutes)
- 8:35 Conclusions by Pieter Timmermans
- 8:40 Group picture
Organisation Federation of Enterprises in Belgium Venue Essex North Center and East, 3rd floor, Westin Copley Place Hotel
Date Participants (30) Official delegation and selected SMEs upon invitation.
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B2B Meetings
Organisation AWEX, Flanders Investment & Trade and hub.brussels Venue Parliament/Adams/Baltic, 7th floor, Essex Center, 3rd floor, Westin Copley Place Hotel
Date -
Life Science Day : “Belgium, the Health and Biotech Valley of Tomorrow”
9:10 - 10:05 Opening in presence of HRH Princess Astrid
- 09:20 Welcome words by Mr Joe Boncore, CEO of Mass Bio
- 09:23 Introduction speech by HE Willy Borsus
- 09:28 General presentation of the life sciences, pharma and healthcare sector in Belgium by Frédéric Druck, Managing Director of Essenscia Wallonia & Brussels & Secretary General at bio.be
- 09:40 General presentation of Massbio by Mr Joe Boncore, CEO of Mass Bio
- 09:50 Presentation of SFPIM as sovereign wealth strategic investor in the Belgian biotech/life sciences scene and beyond, by Koen Van Loo, CEO of SFPIM
- 09:55 Presentation of the Life Sciences day program by Tineke Van Holland (bio.be/Essenscia)
- 10:00 Official delegation leaves. – Break
10:15 - 11:35 Session 1: Biomanufacturing in Belgium – an ecosystem that goes beyond the current assets
- 10:15 Biomanufacturing in Belgium - Introduction into session by Frederic Druck (Essenscia): exchange with TBC Pascale Delcomminette (AWEX)
- 10:20 Speech by HE Willy Borsus
- 10:25 Panel 1 – Health challenges of today and tomorrow: the importance of biomanufacturing capabilities - Moderator: Tineke Van Hooland (Essenscia)
Lieven Janssens, Eurogentec
Jean-Manuel Fontaine, Mithra
Legend Biotech
Elisabeth Van Damme, GSK
Cedric Volanti, Thermo Fisher
- 10:50 Panel 2: Innovation in biomanufacturing: the bioproduction factories of the future. Moderator: Tineke Van hooland (Essenscia)
Marc Dechamps, Biowin and TBC
Rheavita
Patel Dhaval, UCB
Kate Antrobus, Univercells
Geoffrey Pot, Takeda
11:45 - 13:00 Session 2: Artificial Intelligence, catalyst in Health and Life-Sciences (Lead: Flanders Investment & Trade)
- 11:45 Welcome and kick-off by John Baekelmans, Technology Attaché – FIT
- 11:50 Speaker 1 – 15 min presentation on AI for Health and Life-Sciences (imec, Mieke De Ketelaere, Director AI & Adj Professor)
- 12:10 Speaker 2 – 15 min presentation on AI for Health and Life-Sciences (MIT, Pattie Maes, Professor)
- 12:25 Speaker 3 – 15 min presentation on AI for Health and Life-Sciences (Radiomics, Wim Vos, CEO)
- 12:40 Speaker 4 – 15 min presentation on AI for Health and Life-Sciences (N-side, Sebastien Cop, Director BD)
- 12:45 Panel discussion and Q&A with audience (moderated by JB from FIT)
13:00 Networking Lunch
14:00 - 16:00 Session 3: Innovation breakthroughs for a fast-growing Life Sciences industry: an overview of Massachusetts and Belgium
- 14:00 Welcoming and overview of the Massachusetts and Belgian ecosystems (MassBIO and Biowin)
- 14:25 Break-out seminars on selected topics:
- Cell and Gene Therapy: Miguel Forte (Bone Therapeutics), Denis Dufrasne (Novadip Biosciences), 2Bridge and 2 US companies
- Immuno-oncology: Michel Deteux (Iteos Therapeutics), Eric Halioua (PDC Line Pharma), ATB Therapeutics (Max Houry), Elmedix and 2 US companies
- Vaccines: Jose Castillo (Quantoom Biosciences), Renaat Baes (Mithra CDMO), Elisabeth Van Damme (GSK), Idevax and 2 US companies
- Medical Technology: Oncomfort, MintT, Spentys, Nextgenics and 2 US companies
- Synthetic Biology: James Collins (MIT), Vitor Pinheiro (KULeuven), Philippe Gabant (Syngulon)
- 15:15 Break-out B2Bs
- 16:00 Break
- 16:10 Special topic Synthetic biology: from academic research to industrial applications: James Collins (MIT), Vitor Pinheiro (KULeuven), Philippe Gabant (Syngulon)
- 17:00 End
16:10 - 17:10 Session 4: How Industry and Academia can unlock beneficial interactions with Harvard and MIT (lead: WBI)
- 16:10 Welcome by Wouter Van De Pontseele (MIT), board member of the HMBS
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16:20 Introduction to the network of Belgian Fellows and their research at major Research Centers/Academic Institutes in Boston
- 16:22 Introduction Dr. Emilie Leroy at HMS/DFCI
- 16:23 Belgian Research Talk by Dr. Emilie Leroy at HMS/DFCI Institute: Harvard Medical School/Dana Farber Cancer Institute Dept. Biological Chemestry and Molecular Pharmacology. Research: Cryo-EM as a powerful tool for cancer drug discovery
- 16:28 Introduction Dr. Koen Breyne at HMS/MGH
- 16:29 Belgian Research talk by Dr. Koen Breyne at HMS/MGH Institute: Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital Dept. Neurology. Research: Vesicles for therapeutic delivery of bioproducts
- 16:34 Introduction Dr. David Bergemann at HMS/MGH
- 16:35 Belgian research tall by Dr. David Bergemann at HMS/MGH Institute: Harvard Medical School/Mass General Hospital Cardiovascular Research: Regeneration at our fingertips
- 16:40 Introduction Dr. Thys Stuyvers at MIT
- 16:41 Belgian research talk by Dr. Thys Stuyvers at MIT Institute: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dept. Chemical Engineering Research: Deep learning for chemical reactivity prediction
- 16:46 Introduction Ms. Adrianna Vandeuren at NorthEastern University
- 16:47 Belgian research talk by Ms. Adrianna Vandeuren at NorthEastern University Institute: NorthEastern University Dept. of Biology Research: G-quadruplexes in human DNA
- 16:52 Thanking of the Belgian speakers/presenters by Korneel Grouwet, President of HMBS
- 16:53 How can Academia and Industry benefit from the HMBS?
- 17:03 Narrated slideshow of HMBS history by Korneel Grouwet, President of HMBS
- 17:06 Recapitulation of the talks and take home message, by Korneel Grauwet, President of HMBS
17:10 - 18:00 Networking drink
Organisation AWEX and WBI together with Essenscia/Bio.be, BioWin, FIT, flanders.bio and hub.brussels Venue Massbio, 700 Technology Square, 5th floor, Cambridge, MA 02139
Date Participants (150) Business delegation upon registration.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
This activity is intended to provide participants with additional knowledge as well as new perspectives for business, funding, research partnership or investments in order to boost our local eco-system beyond the already existing assets. Main objectives are as follow:
To display Belgian know-how to the Massachusetts counterpart (agencies, companies, academics, research centers) and vice versa
To foster BE and US partnerships and cooperation in the sector.
To give SMEs and innovative start ups a chance to have contact with Corporates, VC, R&D or business accelerator programs
To provide a unique opportunity for Belgian players to get a full picture of Massachusetts last development in biotech
Highlight Wallonia’s rise in biotech and medtech innovation, as well as the untapped potential to position the region as the center of excellence in bio manufacturing.
Link with Belgium:
The Belgian life science and bio pharma industry, including R&D, has internationally been known for its know-how for many years. The three Belgian Regions have major players in the sector which represents major trade flows for and between both Belgium and US.
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Meeting with Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston
- 11:00 Arrival and welcome by James Colimon, International Partnerships Manager, Global Affairs & Sergeant Chin
- 11:02 HRH Princess Astrid & the Ministers proceed to the 5th floor
- 11:05 Welcome by Michelle Wu and start of the meeting
- 11:35 Gift exchange
- 11:40 Departure of the delegation
Venue Eagle room, Mayor's office, 5th floor, City Hall of Boston (back entrance in Congress Street)
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Informal press moment
Organisation Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Venue North star, 7th floor, Westin Copley Place Hotel
Date Participants Restricted official delegation and Belgian journalists.
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Presentation of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and recognition ceremony for Prof. Dr. Peter baron Carmeliet
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14:00 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and welcome by Dr. Nancy Andrews, and Prof. Dr. Peter Baron Carmeliet and Filippe De Potter
- 14.05 Welcome by HE Jan Jambon
- 14:10 Speech by Dr. Nancy Andrews, Chair of the Academy’s Board of Director, Presentation of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Honour the recognition of a Belgian scientist by the American Academy
- 14:15 Speech by Michael A. Gimbrone, Jr., M.D. Elsie T. Friedman, Prof. of Pathology Director, Center for Excellence in Vascular Biology Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston
- 14:20 Thank you by Prof. Carmeliet
- 14:25 Signature by Prof. Carmeliet of the book of members of the Academy
- 14:30 Reception and meet & greet
- 14:45 Departure of the motorcade
Organisation Flanders Investment & Trade Venue Aesculapian room, Harvard Club of Boston, 374 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Date Participants (50) Official delegation and selected academics upon invitation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors excellence and convenes leaders from every field of human endeavor to examine new ideas, address issues of importance to the nation and the world, and work together, as expressed in our charter, “to cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.” Their members’ studies have helped set the direction of research and analysis in science and technology policy, global security and international affairs, social policy, education, and the humanities.
The objective of the activity is to showcase the excellence of the Belgian researchers in the field of life sciences and the exceptional recognition of their scientific work.
Link with Belgium:
Prof. Dr. Carmeliet was elected in 2021 as an International Honorary Member. Full list of 2021 elected members: https://www.amacad.org/news/2021-member-announcement.
The last election of a Belgian member was 22 years ago (Walter Fiers).
Prof. Dr. Carmeliet received Postdoctoral training (NATO Research Fellow, D. Collen Research Foundation Fellow) at the Harvard Medical School in Boston. He’s holding also academic appointments in Boston (see CV).
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Visit of the Massachusetts General Hospital Burr Proton Therapy Center
- 15:00 Arrival and welcome by Anthony Zietman, Head of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Pierre Mottet, Chairman of the Board, IBA
- 15:02 Photo opportunity. Delegation proceeds to the Goitein room
- 15:05 Presentation by Anthony Zietman, Head of Radiation Oncology of the Massachusetts General Hospital, on past and future of Proton Therapy
- 15:15 Transfer to the proton therapy center (-1 stairs)
- 15:18 Visit of the premises (treatment room) and explanation P. Mottet (IBA) on the future of Proton Therapy and the role of IBA.
- 15:38 Delegation proceeds to the exit (stairs)
- 15:40 Departure of the motorcade
Organisation AWEX in collaboration with Ion Beam Applications (IBA) Venue Massachusetts General Hospital Burr Proton Therapy Center, 30 Fruit Street Boston, MA 02114
Date Participants Very restricted official delegation.
Additional information Description and objective of the activity:
This activity is intended to celebrate how MGH and IBA pioneered proton therapy 20 years ago when the first patient was treated with a Proton Therapy System installed by IBA at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (now known as the Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center). It was the first time in the world that a proton therapy treatment was delivered in a hospital. Since, the Center has delivered over 10,000 customized proton treatment plans, an unmatched history in treating both benign and malignant tumors with proton therapy, while IBA has become the worldwide leader in proton therapy, with over 50% of proton therapy patients having been treated using IBA technology to date.
Link with Belgium:
IBA, a Belgian company, has been leading proton therapy for the last 30 years and has built the largest user community of proton therapy centers over the world.
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Signing ceremony followed by a networking cocktail
Registration at 16:30
- 17:00 Arrival of HRH Princess Astrid and Ministers
- 17:25 Photo opportunity
- 17:30 Networking drink
Organisation Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Venue Essex South Ballroom, 3rd floor, Westin Copley Place Hotel
Date Participants Official delegation, signees and their guests