Nominees 'Foreign Investor of the Year 2023'
On 20 September, Flanders Investment & Trade will award the Foreign Investor of the Year at the Flanders International Business Awards show.
Discover the nominees below.
Aurubis (DE)
German company Aurubis, a world market leader in copper production and recycling, made two recent investments in Flanders.
In Beerse, Aurubis is building a hi-tech facility for processing anode sludge – which is produced during electrolytic copper refining – from its plant in Beerse, among other places. Aurubis’ proprietary technology, called Advance Sludge Processing by Aurubis (ASPA), allows it to extract precious metals, tin and lead from this intermediate product. The Olen site will also have a state-of-the-art and energy-efficient recycling plant. Thanks to investment project BOB (Bleed Olen Beerse), the company will be able to extract copper and nickel from the bleed – formerly a waste product in the extraction of metals – originating from its plants in Olen and Beerse, closing the circular loop in the process.
From these optimally recycled metals, Aurubis aims to create new value, all while using the metals responsibly and contributing to Europe’s circular economy. Given the rapid evolutions in digitization and e-mobility, for which these metals are indispensable, Aurubis’ growth strategy has a major ecological and social impact. It also reinforces Flanders’ role as a “metal valley”.
ID Aurubis
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Type of investment: expansion project
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Investment location: Olen and Beerse
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Investment amount: € 103 million
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Job creation in Flanders: 52 jobs
- https://www.aurubis.com/olen/
On the picture: Managing Director Dirk Vandenberghe, Aurubis
Pfizer (VS)
Based in Flanders, Pfizer Puurs is one of Pfizer’s largest manufacturing and packaging units worldwide and the largest vaccine plant in the world. Annually, they produce 400 million units of sterile injectable medicines and vaccines (excluding COVID-19 vaccines).
In late 2022, Pfizer Puurs announced a new investment project on three fronts: more production capacity, additional cold storage capability and enhanced packaging lines. This investment dedication highlights how the American pharmaceutical giant, which is already deeply embedded in the local ecosystem, wants to anchor itself even more firmly in Flanders.
The medicines and vaccines produced by Pfizer in Puurs are exported from the Flanders-based site to more than 170 countries, boosting Flanders’ export figures in the process. Moreover, 30% of exports from Puurs go to low- and middle-income countries, in cooperation with non-profit organizations.
ID Pfizer
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Type of investment: expansion project
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Investment location: Puurs
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Investment amount: € 1.2 billion (over 3 years)
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Job creation in Flanders: 250 jobs
- https://www.pfizer.be/nl
On the picture: Communication Specialist Wouter Ollevier and Managing Director Luc Van Steenwinkel, Pfizer
Plug Power (VS)
Plug Power is building one of the largest green hydrogen plants in Europe in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Using its PEM electrolyzer, the 100MW plant expects to produce 12,500 tons per year of liquid and gaseous green hydrogen for the European market.
For this American green hydrogen company, it is its first European production plant, located on the port’s NextGen site – a hotspot for the circular economy. Green hydrogen will be transported by tank trucks and trailers, in addition to the hydrogen pipelines expected operational in 2026, developed by Fluxys.
Plug Power its investment project will accelerate the energy transition, help decarbonize the economy, and create meaningful jobs. 60% of Europe’s purchasing power is located within 300 miles of the facility, creating important strategic hydrogen connections in Europe for Flanders.
ID Plug Power
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Type of investment: greenfield project
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Investment location: Antwerp
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Investment amount: € 350 - 400 million
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Job creation in Flanders: 50 jobs
- https://www.plugpower.com
On the picture: Lead Counsel for Europe Emmanuelle Justum and Concept Development Director Suerd Polderdijk, Plug Power
Discover the other nominees
Besides the Exporter of the Year, Flanders Investment & Trade also awards the Exporter of the Year and the Startup of the Year.
Discover the company competing for these prestigious awards.
