Celebration of 10 Years of the Waterstof Industrie Cluster! What an inspiring and energizing event!
With almost 200 members, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Waterstof Industrie Cluster on June 1st in a Room with a Zoo (Antwerp).
Above all, this evening was about the people and organisations that have helped build the cluster over the past decade. A heartfelt thank you to all our members, partners and supporters. Their commitment, expertise and willingness to collaborate have made WIC what it is today: a strong and growing hydrogen community.
We were inspired by contributions from:
Isabel François, reflecting on the trajectory since 2016, how the WIC has brought the Flemish hydrogen ecosystem together and put it on the (inter)national map.
Bert De Colvenaer, looking back at key milestones, evaluating the hype and post-hype period of the hydrogen economy and sharing his perspective on the opportunities ahead.
Jef Colruyt, describing the vision of Virya/Colruyt Group on the different complementary technologies required to realise the energy transition, stressing the responsibility of the industry, materialised by Colruyt into concrete realisations, even if the context is still unsure.
Ariadne Petridis, highlighting the Benelux as a very important region for the hydrogen economy and calling for accelerated infrastructure development between Benelux and their neighbours, to be a frontrunner in Europe.
Matthias Diependaele, expressing his long-standing interest in the topic, underlining the strategic role of hydrogen for Flanders, with diverse opportunities for the industry and the ports.
The students Hydroteam of the KULeuven were representing the bridge to the future, by showing their hydrogen-powered race car with the ultimate goal to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 2030. They even managed to get MP Diependaele behind the wheel.
The VDL & Colruyt hydrogen truck on display at the event showcased the progress of the past years in hydrogen technology and the future ambitions for heavy duty applications.
The aftermovie and pictures give a glimpse of the atmosphere, the conversations and the people who made this anniversary celebration so special.
We also shared a short video featuring several members explaining why they are part of the cluster and what they value most about being involved. Their stories perfectly capture what WIC is all about: collaboration, knowledge sharing and a shared ambition to move the hydrogen economy forward.
Here's to the next 10 years of collaboration, innovation and hydrogen leadership!
