News

Many companies think robotics is too expensive and too complex. Bart Van Quickelberghe sees every day why that's not true

Robotics and cobots are increasingly seen as the answer to labour shortages and quality pressure. Ba…

Redactie · 12 min · 29 jun 2026

WAGO: factories often already have IoT data but still make too little use of it

Digitalisation is no longer a mystery in industry, yet many companies stall between interest and act…

Redactie · 9 min · 24 jun 2026

Edwin de Zeeuw warns: without automation, part of the manufacturing industry won't survive

According to Mikrocentrum director Edwin de Zeeuw, automation is no longer a luxury but a necessity …

Redactie · 8 min · 11 jun 2026

Why Doeko views automation not machine by machine, but as one factory system

At Doeko, automation isn't approached machine by machine but as one integrated factory system — a st…

Redactie · 11 min · 2 jun 2026

Why risk management in manufacturing is no longer just about insurance

In manufacturing, real risk management goes far beyond premiums—it's about continuity, cyber threats…

Redactie · 9 min · 2 jun 2026

Round Table: The Future of Manufacturing. Why Automation Only Works When People, Processes and Systems Align

The factory of the future isn't built with technology alone. Five industry experts explain why align…

Redactie · 33 min · 1 jun 2026

Why Injection Point sees sustainability and automation as inseparable

For Injection Point, sustainable plastics production is about far more than material choice — it run…

Redactie · 12 min · 26 mei 2026

Why automation for De Cromvoirtse is not a project, but a way of thinking

According to Janwillem Verschuren, seeing automation in metalworking as a one-off project means you'…

Redactie · 11 min · 20 mei 2026

How VETH Propulsion and Kobout eliminate hidden fastener costs with VMI and smart logistics

A bolt, nut or washer looks like a minor item on paper. In practice, the real cost lies in everythin…

Redactie · 9 min · 18 mei 2026

Top CEOs from Europe's tech and industrial sector make urgent appeal: "Finally act as one Europe"

CEOs of Airbus, ASML, Ericsson, Mistral AI, Nokia, SAP and Siemens call on Europe to act faster and …

Redactie · 8 min · 4 mei 2026

EU braces for new trade shock from the US: higher Trump tariff threatens to hit the automotive industry hardest

Trump threatens to raise US import tariffs on European cars and trucks to 25 percent, putting Europe…

Redactie · 6 min · 4 mei 2026

Dutch industry gets an unexpected growth boost: stockpiling, AI and Europe's new reflex give manufacturing room to breathe

Dutch industry shows clear growth signals again in May 2026, with the Nevi PMI hitting its highest l…

Redactie · 6 min · 4 mei 2026

Digitalization in industry doesn't start with technology, but with a concrete goal

Digitalization in industry: why starting now is essential. WAGO explains that it doesn't have to be …

Redactie · 5 min · 23 apr 2026

TechniShow 2026 reveals: the future of manufacturing is all about collaboration, digitalization and smart production

TechniShow 2026 showed that the future of manufacturing is no longer about standalone innovations, b…

Redactie · 6 min · 20 apr 2026

Why Hellebrekers wants to make the concrete sector smarter, more sustainable and more data-driven

Concrete remains indispensable, but the sector faces pressure. Hellebrekers wants to make production…

Redactie · 9 min · 16 apr 2026

Why Equans is becoming indispensable in industrial cooling, freezing and heating

In industry, cooling, freezing and heating systems are increasingly strategic. Equans links technolo…

Redactie · 8 min · 14 apr 2026

From data to results: why digitalization in manufacturing starts before software

Digitalization in manufacturing isn't about tools, but about structure. According to Enginia, it sta…

Redactie · 5 min · 14 apr 2026

From unpredictable to precise: how can growers still work without technology?

Horticulture is changing fast. Rising labour costs, stricter demands and the need for efficiency mak…

Redactie · 8 min · 26 mrt 2026

Eduard's Trailer Factory from Lommel is officially the European market leader and celebrates 25 years of innovation

Lommel – Eduard's Trailer Factory is Europe's official market leader in braked trailers up to 3,500 …

Redactie · 2 min · 3 mrt 2026

Dutch manufacturing blind to its own brake: 'Not the laser, but the finishing breaks your growth'

Dutch manufacturers invest millions in fast lasers and smart software, but experts say the real bott…

Redactie · 4 min · 19 feb 2026

How automation in Dutch horticulture grew from idea to success

At Anthura in the Westland, automation didn't start as a luxury but as a necessity. A look at how st…

Redactie · 9 min · 19 feb 2026

FROM HIGH-TECH MACHINES TO MANUAL TRANSPORT: HOW IS THAT STILL POSSIBLE?

Manufacturers invest heavily in smart machines and robots, yet internal logistics remains the forgot…

Redactie · 5 min · 5 feb 2026

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN SHEET METAL PROCESSING: HOW MANUFACTURERS PRICE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE MARKET

The sheet metal industry is under pressure. Yet many manufacturers keep making the same strategic mi…

Redactie · 4 min · 5 feb 2026

Dutch greenhouse horticulture on edge: innovation and collaboration are not an option but a necessity

Dutch greenhouse horticulture leads worldwide but faces pressure. Annie van der Riet and Bart Stengs…

Redactie · 2 min · 5 feb 2026

Everyone's talking about AI and automation, but this one problem is holding manufacturing back

At the event 'The Future of Manufacturing,' one truth stood out: technology rarely fails — organizat…

Redactie · 10 min · 23 jan 2026

CTO in manufacturing: why Configure to Order is no longer a choice

Engineering under pressure, margins shrinking, lead times rising. For many manufacturers, Configure …

Redactie · 5 min · 26 dec 2025

How Oppr.ai's Digital Operator System Transforms Manufacturing

In manufacturing, downtime is costly, knowledge loss is dangerous and time for improvement is scarce…

Redactie · 8 min · 24 nov 2025

Chemelot at a crossroads: is the Limburg chemical cluster going green — or facing fragmentation?

Chemelot aims to accelerate its sustainability drive, but with key links falling away and high energ…

Redactie · 4 min · 24 nov 2025

Kobout & fasteners: from price to performance

With 1.5 hectares of warehousing and 35,000 products in stock, Kobout proves that fasteners are abou…

Redactie · 4 min · 13 nov 2025

Hellebrekers & Industrial Automation: How to Future-Proof Your Factory

From "we've always done it this way" to data-driven, smart production. How Hellebrekers helps manufa…

Redactie · 8 min · 11 nov 2025

After a night of clashes and workarounds, EU still drags itself to a deal on landmark 2040 climate target

EU member states agreed on Wednesday morning to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared…

Redactie · 3 min · 5 nov 2025

CHINESE GRIP ON DUTCH CHIP COMPANY SPARKS TENSION IN HAMBURG: "WORKERS ARE WORRIED!"

In Hamburg, Nexperia's largest European chip factory has become the stage for a power struggle betwe…

Redactie · 3 min · 4 nov 2025

Mega-investment in Katwijk: Lilly builds ultramodern €2.6 billion medicine plant

US pharma giant Eli Lilly invests €2.6 billion in a high-tech medicine factory in Katwijk, boosting …

Redactie · 3 min · 4 nov 2025

Belgian SMEs are abandoning classic IT consultants en masse: 'We don't want more PowerPoints, but real change'

Belgian SMEs are shifting away from classic IT consultancy toward Digital Challengers who don't just…

Redactie · 4 min · 21 okt 2025

The Hidden Dust Crisis in Industry: 'Companies Are Losing Millions and Don't Even Know It' – TBK Groep Warns of an Underestimated Danger

According to Stan Egging of TBK Groep, dust is a silent threat causing millions in damage every year…

Redactie · 4 min · 15 okt 2025

Deltavorm digitalizes custom production with Spheeres: “Our customers now know exactly where they stand”

Deltavorm proves digitalization isn't just for the big players. With Spheeres, the Dutch candy-mold …

Redactie · 4 min · 14 okt 2025

Dutch industry risks falling behind on digitalization – ABISS Breda aims to turn the tide

Dutch industry firmly believes in digitalization but lags behind the rest of Europe. ABISS Breda wan…

Redactie · 3 min · 7 okt 2025

Bosch cuts 13,000 jobs: a blow to thousands of families and the European auto industry

Technology group Bosch will cut up to 13,000 jobs by 2030, with its automotive parts division hit ha…

Redactie · 2 min · 30 sep 2025

'Bulk vehicle builder Welgro throws paper out the door! Digitalisation gives it wings'

GROENLO – The days of stacks of paper work orders are over at bodywork builder Welgro. The company i…

Redactie · 2 min · 16 sep 2025

ASML Shakes Up the Tech World: €1.3 Billion in French AI Giant – Europe's Answer to China and the US

ASML surprises with a €1.3 billion investment in French AI startup Mistral AI, instantly becoming it…

Redactie · 3 min · 8 sep 2025

3D Vision conquers the factory: this is how robots will soon see better than humans

What sounds like science fiction to many entrepreneurs is already reality according to EKB: 3D machi…

Redactie · 5 min · 31 aug 2025

Logistics turned upside down: these are the 5 trends that will make or break warehouses

Staff shortages, rising customer expectations and growing complexity are forcing warehouses to chang…

Redactie · 3 min · 24 aug 2025

Is the Trump Administration Succeeding After All? How Machine Orders Rise in the US While Germany Falls Back

US machine tool order values are climbing while Germany's book takes a hit in H1 2025 — is Trump's p…

Redactie · 3 min · 18 aug 2025

FME warns: EU–US trade deal brings calm but misses the mark

The new EU–US trade agreement offers short-term stability, but FME says the price is far too high fo…

Redactie · 2 min · 15 aug 2025

Digitize or Die: Why the ABISS Summit on October 30 in Breda Is the Wake-Up Call for Dutch Manufacturing

On October 30, 2025, Breda hosts the first-ever ABISS Summit — a 10-year Belgian industry institutio…

Redactie · 3 min · 13 aug 2025

Why technicians protest at first… and then never want to work without Kangaroo again

Kangaroo BV sparks a quiet revolution on the shop floor with smart to-bin solutions, RFID and less s…

Redactie · 3 min · 7 aug 2025

"Game changer in metal automation": Q - Fin brings top talent on board for international growth spurt

Bart Van Quickelberghe joins Q - Fin Handling Solutions to accelerate the company's international gr…

Redactie · 2 min · 15 jul 2025

“ERP is not an IT project, but a cultural change” — ECI on digitalization in the manufacturing industry

A conversation with Martijn Lieshout and Lissa Vroog of ECI Software Solutions about ERP and digital…

Redactie · 3 min · 10 jul 2025

After Welldesign, now it's Menaparts' turn: Multifix ramps up its growth strategy

With the acquisition of Menaparts BV, MULTIFIX Group gains capacity, strategic know-how, an internat…

Redactie · 2 min · 7 jul 2025

Why this new multi-million-euro facility in Emmeloord won't be fully operational until 2027

Groothuis Bouwgroep delivers a modern, sustainable 18,500 m² facility for Tolsma-Grisnich – but ther…

Redactie · 3 min · 24 jun 2025

Why so many manufacturers keep struggling with planning (and how Starcode finally solves it)

One customer request, one BOM, one process. But in reality? Manufacturing often runs on five systems…

Redactie · 4 min · 24 jun 2025

MULTIFIX surprises industry with acquisition of iconic design agency: ‘Now we handle the entire process’

With the acquisition of WeLLDesign, MULTIFIX Group now offers a single point of contact for design, …

Redactie · 2 min · 17 jun 2025

Why so many manufacturers think they work efficiently – but don't

Manufacturers invest heavily in ERP and automation, yet Excel and frustration remain the norm. Cor V…

Redactie · 3 min · 2 jun 2025

An IT partner that grows with you: at Burgers Carrosserie, that meant acceleration

At Burgers Carrosserie, market leader in double-deck trailers, a partnership with Solvisoft drove ma…

Redactie · 1 min · 2 jun 2025

From vision to realization: the future of warehouse & logistics

A roundtable on automation, interfaces, real-time data and the balance between people and machines i…

Redactie · 6 min · 30 mei 2025

Connectivity as the nervous system of the factory: ‘Start small, but think big’

Ruben Palsgraaf of Bihl+Wiedemann on making industrial connectivity work in existing systems: start …

Redactie · 3 min · 30 apr 2025

Excel remains indispensable in core business processes

How far along are companies really with digitalization? Asked what percentage still use Excel in the…

Redactie · 1 min · 28 apr 2025

Digitalization at Mifa Aluminium gets a powerful boost with Fellowmind as partner

Mifa, a leader in aluminium extrusion for 50 years, takes a major step into the future with a single…

Redactie · 1 min · 23 apr 2025

US ports are filling up and production lines are grinding to a halt: the auto industry struggles under new import tariffs

The first tangible effects of rising trade tensions between the US and its trading partners are visi…

Redactie · 3 min · 13 apr 2025

DEUTZ strengthens electrification position with acquisition of Dutch UMS

DEUTZ AG has acquired Dutch firm Urban Mobility Systems B.V. (UMS), boosting its position in sustain…

Redactie · 3 min · 7 apr 2025