Accelerating the green and digital transformation of industrial processes is one of the objectives of WalHub, the EDIH of the Belgian region of Wallonia, which this week received a visit from a delegation from Asturias Digital Innovation Hub (AsDIH). One of the objectives of the visit, in which representatives of the Asturian Agency for Science, Business Competitiveness and Innovation (Sekuens, coordinator of the AsDIH project) and two of our partners, Cluster TIC Asturias and FEMETALiNDUSTRY, participated, was to explore possible avenues of collaboration between organisations and companies from both territories.
The trip served to discover the working methods of this European digital innovation centre, which is boosting Walloon manufacturing business. It does this by helping companies face the challenges that arise, and which involve accelerating and improving their digital maturity, through experimentation with key technologies (AI, HPC, CS and IoT), training and upskilling of workers to meet market needs. Thanks to these measures, they attract investment, which facilitates the implementation of digital technologies in production processes and in the supply chain.
WalHub will also connect with the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, thus offering its services to SMEs in other regions of Europe. It will also actively engage with other EDIHs to respond quickly to the digital needs of Walloon manufacturing companies.
The visit served to learn about WalHub’s infrastructure and success stories
The visit to Wallonia began with the respective presentations of AsDIH and WalHub, to delve into the strengths and opportunities of each of these two EDIHs. This was followed by a presentation by SIRRIS, the technology centre of the Belgian technology industry. Founded by Agoria, this technology centre helps companies implement new technologies in their products, processes, and businesses.
The day continued with a visit to the Liège Science Park and the Metallurgical Research Centre, a visit that served to learn about WalHub’s operational approach, its key areas of specialisation, the highlights of its infrastructure and the success stories it has accumulated, as well as to explore synergies between the entities present.
Wallonia is a region closely linked to metallurgy
Wallonia is a region located in the heart of Europe whose economic history is closely linked to the role of industry, as it has an important connection with machinery manufacturing and metallurgy. In fact, manufacturing is still the driving force behind exports and the prosperity of the area today.
Despite this strong tradition, the foundations of manufacturing need to be strengthened to increase technological excellence and facilitate the region’s green and digital transition.
