Flemish “cleantech” continues to grow

The success story of innovative “cleantech” companies continues, states a report by network organisation Cleantech Flanders. Both the number of employees and investments in “clean technologies” are on the rise.

According to Flemish Minister for Economy and Innovation Hilde Crevits (CD&V, christian democrats), “the growing number of companies and profits, despite the corona crisis, point to tremendous resilience”. Crevits is convinced that all sectors will benefit from the integration of cleantech.

Cleantech Flanders calculated that in 2020 some 2.000 companies were active in the sector, accounting for 29.564 full-time job equivalents. Employment increased by more than 1.500 over the course of one year. Additionally, the sector attracted €1,32 billion in investments.

The number of applications for these clean technologies is growing every day, mainly in the field of energy transition. Along with this comes the evolution in battery technology, the integration of renewable energy and research into energy carriers such as green hydrogen and heat networks.

Flanders’ largest cleantech player remains the Danish company Vestas, a supllier of wind turbines. The company mannaged to secure an investment of 800 million euros. In the construction sector, interest in cleantech, circular economy and recycling is growing fast. Companies in the cleantech sector are also increasingly spread out across Flanders and are no longer present only in the economic hubs.

Cleantech Flanders still sees much room for innovation in the market segment of battery systems with large storage capacity. The electrification of transport and mobility will play a crucial role. According to the report, Flanders is a world-class player in the field of ‘end-of-life batteries’.

In order to meet the great demand for raw materials in batteries, the report cites deep-sea mining of “metal nodules” as a source of great potential.

Finally, Cleantech Flanders emphasises that with the so-called ‘Blue Deal’, Flanders must thoroughly redesign its water systems and transform itself from a water-scarce region into a model region for efficient water use.

Photo © BELGA