AGP Executive Report

Port of Antwerp-Bruges & hydrogen: P2H2 started commercial green hydrogen production at the port’s NextGen District with a 500 kW anion exchange membrane system, targeting up to 70 tons/year for local mobility and industrial offtake. EU energy rules for data centers: The European Commission proposed mandatory labels for data centers above 500 kW, covering energy and water use, waste-heat reuse and grid-flexibility, with first labels due by Aug. 15, 2027. Shipping & logistics: Neoliner Origin made its first call at PSA Zeebrugge, adding Zeebrugge to its regular transatlantic service and supporting lower-carbon transport via wind-powered operations. Renewables finance: RWE urged wider use of indexation in offshore wind Contracts for Difference across Europe to cut costs and improve long-term bankability. EU trade & industry: The EU struck a “substantial agreement” on a free trade deal with the Philippines, aiming to eliminate tariffs on over 94% of tariff lines. Belgium business & tech: Orange Belgium appointed Jeroen Degadt as Chief Enterprise Officer, while deugro expanded its Antwerp wind logistics hub network. Textiles heritage: F. Schumacher & Co. acquired most of the Vanoutryve archive, adding 75,000 historic fabric samples tied to France and Belgium.

EU Sanctions: EU ambassadors in Brussels are still deadlocked on renewing Russia-linked sanctions, with France pushing to delist Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman while Latvia warns against political de-listings. Cybersecurity: A new EU Court of Auditors report flags major gaps in cross-border cyberattack detection and response, blaming weak information sharing and delays in alerts. Energy & Data Centers: The European Commission moves to tighten transparency on data center energy and water use, aiming for a unified EU classification for sites above 500 kW. Industry Investment: BASF is evaluating a potential MDI production complex in Gujarat, with a final decision still pending. Belgium Business & Tech: Orange Belgium appoints Jeroen Degadt as Chief Enterprise Officer from 1 October. Logistics & Ports: Deugro opens an Antwerp hub for wind turbine component handling. Aviation Disruption: Charleroi faces ongoing flight cancellations and rescheduling due to air traffic controller strikes. Space Manufacturing: Belgian satellite maker Aerospacelab reports early 2026 profitability ahead of a €2.4bn IRIS² satellite contract.

Port & Wind Logistics: deugro has commissioned a new Antwerp port setup for wind turbine generator component handling and storage, adding dedicated breakbulk capacity with cranes and pre-assembly areas to serve Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Energy & Mobility Costs: Belgium’s diesel price cap is set to top €2.50 per litre from 22 September, with B7 and B10 increases and knock-on pressure from supply and geopolitics. Nuclear & Industry Funding: The EU approved €678m for Lithuania’s Ignalina reactor core dismantling (2028–2034), underlining long-term industrial decommissioning support. Medical Tech Governance: Nyxoah announced a CFO transition: John Landry steps down on 2 October; Loïc Moreau becomes interim CFO while a permanent successor is searched. Cybersecurity: Kaspersky reports a multi-stage malware campaign spreading via torrent trackers disguised as popular films, with victims including Belgium across sectors from government to agriculture. Aerospace R&D (EU): Clean Aviation’s board backed €290m for 19 projects moving hybrid-electric and hydrogen tech into ground and flight demonstrations. Belgium Business & Media: Brussels format firm Must Sea Media launches to develop unscripted TV formats globally, with Belgian creator Wannes Deleu partnering with BlazHoffski co-founder Dan Blazer.

Port & Automation: Zelostech showed its autonomous RoboVan on the K102 route at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with a RoboVan Experience Center opened for longer real-world logistics testing. Energy Storage: GIGA Storage has started building the 700MW/2,800MWh “Green Turtle” battery project in Dilsen-Stokkem, next to Elia’s 380kV Van Eyck-Gramme line, targeting service in March 2028. Aviation Disruption: Charleroi Airport faces further disruption from Skeyes air-traffic-controller night strikes, with 34 flights cancelled and 21 rescheduled on Monday. Corporate Leadership: Volvo Cars appoints Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer as its next president and CEO, starting no later than 1 Oct 2027, as it tackles tariff pressure and weaker EV demand. Logistics Decarbonisation: Postal operators in the IPC cut combined CO₂ emissions 41% since 2008, driven by electrification and renewable power. Competition & Water Chemicals: Kemira’s planned acquisition of Sidra Wasserchemie was approved by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office after an antitrust review. Tech & Trade: Huawei’s landmark US criminal trial opened in Brooklyn over alleged misconduct spanning 1999-2020, including sanctions and trade-secret theft claims. Food Supply Shock: A new analysis warns drought-hit potato yields could cost Belgium 21% and push processing prices higher across Europe.

Automotive Leadership: Volvo Cars named Klaus Zellmer (ex-Škoda CEO) as its next president and CEO, aiming to revive sales amid tariffs, weaker EV demand and high development costs. Belgium Rail Disruption: Brussels’ Car-Free Sunday is hit by planned rail works, with SNCB/Infrabel upgrades affecting multiple routes and drawing criticism over timing. Belgium Consumer Safety: A Whole Foods cheese recall in seven US states was triggered by an undeclared egg protein, including products labelled “Belgian Cabricharme.” Energy & Water Tech: Belgium’s HydroVolta discussed desalination cooperation with Egypt’s electricity ministry, highlighting its SonixED approach and plans to expand water capacity. LNG Infrastructure: Exmar secured a West Africa FSRU deal for Abidjan, reviving LNG import plans with a 10-year lease and 2027 delivery. Industry Policy & Trade: India and the EU held talks in Brussels on inter-parliamentary cooperation and implementing priorities under their Strategic Partnership. Construction Watch: Eurostat data shows EU construction output down in July, while Belgium recorded a monthly increase. Climate Impact: A report flags €180bn heatwave losses and 35,000 deaths across Europe, stressing pressure on agriculture, energy and transport.

Belgian Consumer Protection: Brussels has tightened rules for paid telephone directory services, requiring providers like 1307/1207 and 1313/1212 to announce the highest possible per-minute price up front and only start charging after an audible signal—aimed at stopping surprise bills. Construction & Industry Pulse: Eurostat data shows EU construction output fell in July (down 0.3% in the EU), while Belgium bucked the trend with the strongest monthly increase (+2.8%), a sign of uneven momentum across the bloc. Heritage & Urban Life: Brussels kicked off Heritage Days with 270+ activities across all 19 municipalities, while a parallel Renature Time programme launched with 100+ free nature and biodiversity events through mid-October. Water & Tech Investment: Belgian firm Hydrovolta discussed a major Egypt desalination plan targeting 10 million m³/day by 2050, using its SonixED electrodialysis-ultrasound approach to cut scaling and energy use. Governance & Accountability: Nigeria’s government appointed an independent panel into 37 deaths of suspected illegal miners in custody, after relatives protested over alleged suffocation and poor ventilation.

Belgian Consumer Protection: Brussels has tightened paid directory call rules, forcing services like 1307/1207 and 1313/1212 to announce the highest possible tariff up front and only start charging after an audible signal—aimed at stopping surprise bills where minutes can cost up to €3. Belgian Industry & Energy: Hydrovolta is in talks with Egypt’s electricity ministry on a proposed 10-million-cubic-metre-a-day desalination project using its SonixED electrodialysis-plus-ultrasound approach, including by-product extraction. EU Transport Disruption: Eurostar cancelled five trains and warned of delays hitting Brussels, Paris and Germany, with Belgium rail congestion cited. Aviation Labour Impact: Charleroi Airport expects 46 flight cancellations as a night air-traffic controller strike continues through October 10. Food Safety: India has taken legal action against Nestlé baby food samples after regulators found them substandard on biotin and alleged misleading marketing claims. Belgium-Linked Defence Industry: Finland’s first F-35A deliveries landed after a transatlantic crossing that also involved Belgium-bound jets.

Belgium Aviation Disruption: Charleroi Airport is bracing for nearly 50 flight cancellations on Saturday as Skeyes air traffic controllers strike nightly through Oct. 10, with knock-on effects for return flights. Industrial AI for Maintenance: Belgian predictive maintenance firm I-care is buying French Amiral Technologies to add DiagFit, an anomaly-detection system that can flag equipment faults without relying on past failure records. Semiconductor Momentum: SEMICON India 2026’s Day 2 delivered 25 announcements across chips, materials, logistics, packaging and skills, with European participation including Belgium. Energy Cost Pressure: Germany agreed fuel-price relief, cutting energy tax to lower pump prices and discussing a Belgium/Luxembourg-style fuel price cap by Jan. 1, 2027. Construction Output Snapshot: Eurostat reports construction production stable in the euro area in July, but down 0.3% across the EU, with Belgium among the few gainers (+2.8%). Tech Infrastructure in Benelux: Switch Datacenters plans a major new data centre in the Netherlands, targeting 150–250 permanent jobs and a multi-year build. Belgian Motorsport Tech: Project Rally One unveiled its WRC 2027 challenger in Huy, aiming for homologation on Nov. 1 and a Monte Carlo debut.

Belgium Aviation Disruption: Charleroi Airport is bracing for nearly 50 flight cancellations as air traffic controllers strike nights and spillover affects other departures/arrivals. Belgian Industry & Jobs: Switch Datacenters plans a major data centre in Belgium, with investment potentially topping €1bn and 150–250 permanent jobs, aiming to reuse existing industrial buildings. Semiconductors & Supply Chains: SEMICON India 2026 (Day 2) logged 25 partnerships across chip manufacturing, materials, logistics, advanced packaging and workforce development, with European firms including Belgium among participants. Food & Agri Impact: Europe’s heatwave-hit potato crop is tightening supply and pushing up fry prices; Belgium is among the main producers facing lower output. Transport & Security: A man in his 40s was arrested after six people were found in a sealed container at Rosslare; the container was sealed in Belgium before sailing. Motorsport Tech: Belgian Project Rally One unveiled its WRC 2027 challenger, targeting a Monte Carlo debut after asphalt testing and planned homologation. Global Risk Watch: Nigeria’s Minna prison-cell deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners sparked protests and curfew, with survivors alleging suffocation from overcrowding and poor ventilation.

Belgium Tech & Industry: Antwerp fabless chipmaker TUSK IC (KU Leuven spin-out) raises €15m Series A to scale Ka-band satellite terminal chips into mass production, aiming to ease a key bottleneck in satellite communications. EU Defence Procurement: The European Commission will disburse another €3.3bn to Ukraine for drones and missiles under the Ukraine Support Loan, with officials stressing faster industrial output and delivery timelines. Energy Markets: European gas prices slide to over a week low after a French energy strike ends, restoring LNG sendout capacity at Dunkirk and easing prompt supply pressure. Cross-border Timber Processing: Cameroon’s Sefeccam partners with Belgium’s LDCwood to install three industrial kilns in Douala to thermally modify fraké locally for export under the SanghaWood brand. Space & Infrastructure: 50Hertz and Neptun Smulders Offshore Renewables sign a contract for an offshore converter station for the LanWin3 North Sea grid connection, supporting large-scale wind integration. Security & Privacy: France probes alleged smart-glasses harassment after complaints of women secretly filmed in public, as regulators assess wearable camera risks. Logistics & Migration: A boy and five men are treated after being found in a shipping container at Rosslare Europort; Gardaí investigate the incident. EU Budget Talks: Long-term EU budget negotiations for 2028-2034 intensify, with sharp divisions over industrial competitiveness, security, defence, and cohesion/agriculture funding.

Belgian Energy & LNG: Exmar signed an agreement to supply a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for an LNG import project in Côte d’Ivoire, as West Africa’s gas and power demand keeps rising. EU Digital Rules: The European Commission unveiled the EU KIDS Act, proposing a ban on social media for under-13s and stricter access for 13–15s, with tougher “safe by design” duties and penalties up to 6% of global turnover. EU Security Overhaul: In her State of the EU speech, Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European Security Council plus an emergency protocol to coordinate rapid responses to hybrid threats, arson and sabotage. Food & Agriculture Shock: Heat waves are set to cut Europe’s potato harvest by about 3.5 million tons, hitting yields in Belgium and pushing up processing and retail prices. Belgium-linked Tech & Space: Simera Sense and IDOM will develop and produce the optical system for Simera Sense’s next-gen MultiScape350 Earth observation imager, strengthening European space hardware capacity. Automotive Strategy: Volvo Cars plans 13 new models by 2030, targeting higher margins via more efficient production and continued hybrid investment.

EU Trade & Sanctions: The UK, France and other partners are moving to ban trade and arms licensing tied to illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, targeting specific companies and services linked to construction, infrastructure, financing and real estate. EV Market Watch: Europe’s battery-electric registrations jumped 54.2% in August, lifting BEVs to a 30.5% share of new cars; Belgium hit 46.2% BEV share. Port & Shipping: OOCL sent its first ultra-large vessel through the Suez Canal since the Red Sea crisis, as container traffic recovery gathers pace. Aviation Disruption: Charleroi Airport faces overnight air traffic control strikes through Oct. 10, with hundreds of flight movements and thousands of passengers affected. Energy & Industry: A study highlights biomethane potential for emerging economies, including Belgium, using agricultural and livestock waste. Belgian Innovation in Space: A Belgian startup, Aerospacelab, is set to build most of the EU’s IRIS2 low-orbit broadband satellites, with the contract valued at €2.4bn.

EU Social Media Rules: The European Commission, via von der Leyen’s State of the Union push, proposes a ban on social media for under-13s and “mini accounts” for 13–14s with limited features and one hour a day, with stricter safer services from 15. AI Industrial Policy: The Commission welcomed 19 Member States’ first AI IPCEI, coordinated by Germany and including Belgium, aiming to build decentralised, commonly accessible AI services across the AI stack. Belgian Competition & Festivals: Belgium’s Competition Authority lets Live Nation keep formal ownership of Pukkelpop but bars it from running the festival for at least 10 years, with independent control shifting to a body linked to founder Chokri Mahassine. Aviation Disruption in Belgium: Charleroi Airport faces a planned air traffic controllers’ night strike from 16 Sept to 10 Oct, targeting 832 flights and up to 300,000 passengers. Belgian Finance Oversight: Belgian and Dutch insurance supervisors warn about private equity and private credit moving into insurance, stressing the need to align long-term insurer business models with owners’ plans. Belgium in Global Tech/Robotics: Interact Analysis says humanoid robot production is set to drive a surge in cobot demand, with shipments expected to jump sharply in 2026.

Belgium Airport Disruption: Charleroi Airport faces a 24-night air traffic controllers’ strike from Sept 16 to Oct 10, with Skeyes expecting 832 flight movements affected and up to 300,000 passengers impacted, warning airlines’ rotation schedules could see knock-on effects. EU Trade & Security: The UK, followed by France and Canada, is moving to ban goods tied to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, targeting companies and individuals involved in construction, infrastructure, financing and real estate, and France says it will end trade with settlements alongside other committed countries. Belgian Consumer Safety: A Reuters review flags more than 20 banned mercury skin-bleaching products still being sold via third-party e-commerce marketplaces, including Amazon, Temu and TikTok Shop, with listings found in Belgium as of Sept 1. Belgian Industry & Jobs: Eurostat reports Belgium’s job vacancy rate at 3.3% in the second term of 2026, among the highest in the EU. Belgian Business Watch: A class action deadline reminder targets Wise Group plc investors, tied to allegations around Belgian money-laundering investigations and regulatory risk disclosures.

Charleroi Airport Disruption: Belgium’s Charleroi Airport faces a 24-night air traffic controllers’ strike from Sept. 16 to Oct. 10, expected to hit 832 flight movements and up to 300,000 passengers, with knock-on effects for airline rotations. Corporate Buybacks: Lakefront Biotherapeutics (Euronext & NASDAQ: LKFT) reports repurchasing 125,517 shares between Sept. 7-11 under its June 9 buyback programme. Energy & Industry: Germany plans measures to curb record fuel prices after ADAC logged petrol at €2.286/l; meanwhile Evonik will close two German plants in 2027 (Bitterfeld chlorosilane and a Hamburg cosmetics/perfume site) due to weak demand. Trade & Policy: Canada’s PM Mark Carney urges Belgium and nine other EU states to complete CETA ratification. EU External Measures: The UK, France and others move to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlement goods, targeting services tied to construction, financing and real estate.

Energy Grid Build-Out: Elia has started physical works on the 82-km Ventilus high-voltage reinforcement in West Flanders, upgrading 380kV lines and adding new overhead and underground sections to boost capacity for North Sea wind. Health Policy: Belgium is moving toward a national cardiovascular prevention plan ahead of the EU’s Safe Hearts checks, but key choices like which risk score to use are still being worked out, with a target running by summer 2027. Online Safety Regulation: The EU Commission is set to unveil an “EU Kids Act” proposal restricting under-15s’ social media access and pushing “safe by design” rules for platforms, video games and AI chatbots—Belgium is among countries considering national bans. Trade & Compliance: The UK, France and Canada are tightening measures against goods from illegal Israeli settlements, with the UK targeting specific companies and services tied to settlement expansion. Food Safety: Whole Foods recalls certain cheeses sold in multiple states due to undeclared egg lysozyme, a risk for egg-allergic consumers. LNG Market Watch: LNG bunker prices rose sharply, with ARA up to $1,607/mt amid supply-risk concerns.