ProductsInnovation is yours with AGC glassUnlimited possibilitiesWith over 100 glass production units and a worldwide salesnetwork , AGC Flat Glass Europe (formerly Glaverbel) is aleader in glass for faça<strong>des</strong>, interior <strong>des</strong>ign and specialistsectors. Firmly rooted in Europe with headquarters inBrussels and its Research & Development Centre inWallonia (Jumet), AGC confirms its role as the leadinginnovator in the glass industry.AGC FLAT GLASS EUROPE SA• PRESIDENT & CEO: Jean-François HERIS• SECTOR: flat glass• FOUNDED:1961 (Glaverbel, former name)• LOCATION: Europe with HQ in Brussels• NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 10 600• ANNUAL TURNOVER 2007: around 2 billion euros• EXPORTS: more than 90%Recent examples include theAntiBacterial glass (goldmedal for innovation at theBatimat internationalbuilding fair in Paris - 2007) and theenvironment friendly mirror Mirox 3 G,(Belgium Environment Prize - 2007).Most recently, AGC developed Glassiled,a laminated glass including LED (LightEmitting Dio<strong>des</strong>) with no visible wires forboth faça<strong>des</strong> and interior <strong>des</strong>ignapplications. Glassiled capitalises on allthe advantages of LED technology: longlife, intense light and the possibility ofvarying the colours (RGB). The colour andnumber of LEDs as well as the type ofglass used can be varied, allowing theproduct to be customised. “This latestinnovation captures both natural andartificial light in its own magictransparent way. It also immediatelycaptured architects and interior<strong>des</strong>igners’ imagination when it was firstshowed at Batimat last year where itshighly personalised way of using light,during the day and at night won the goldmedal for <strong>des</strong>ign“ says Jean-FrançoisHeris, President & CEO of AGC FlatGlass Europe.When used as a partition, Glassiled cancommunicate specific messages, guidethe public and subtly draw attention tospecific features. In shelves orshowcases it can attractively light theXylowatt: Sustainable EnergyTechnology born from uniAlternative energies like wind turbines and solar panelsare a growth area, but the innovative technology is oftenimported. However, biomass gasification is bucking thetrend: a Walloon technology that is developing on theexport market. Xylowatt is a company based on a boldidea: to produce energy autonomously from wood, a rawmaterial that is plentiful in Wallonia and the neighboringcountries.XYLOWATT SA• FOUNDED: 2001• LOCATION: Charleroi• BUSINESS: production of biomass-fueledcogeneration plants• 2008 TURNOVER (PROVISIONAL):1.8 million EUR• WORKFORCE: 25• MARKETS: Belgium, Germany, India, Italy,Great Britain, France• WEBSITE: www.xylowatt.com26. Dynamisme December 2008Xylowatt is in the fantasticposition of being no less than theEuropean market leader! All thanks to atechnological advance perfected at thebeginning of 2008. The company, whichspecializes in the <strong>des</strong>ign, installment andmaintenance of gas-producinginstallations, has been growing constantlysince it was set up at the beginning ofthe decade.The history of this spin-off from theUniversité Catholique de Louvain is aperfect example of the transformation ofan environmental constraint into abusiness opportunity. By producing heatand electricity from biomass, it is also ableto add value to the waste products ofsawmills, joinery shops and other forestryrelatedbusinesses. "Less than a year ago,the company perfected its Notar reactor,so-called because it produces no tar. Abrilliant sales argument!" says CEO GillesBarchman.Its wood-powered cogeneration plants cansupply energy and heat to meet the needsof a village, a community, or for industrialusage.The guiding principle of the business issustainable development. With its range ofprojects producing between 300 kWe and
offered by glassproducts on display and adds that specialtouch to attract customers' attention to akey product or service. When used in afaçade (houses, industrial sites andoffice/apartment buildings), Glassiled is theperfect way to combine the potential of LEDswith the technical specifications andaesthetics of glass. Glassiled is a dynamiclight source, bathing buildings in light andcolour and creating new landmarks on theurban landscape.And Jean-François Heris to conclude“Glassiled is a wonderful example of theunlimited possibilities offered by glass innever before expected applications. Itinsulates, protects, reflects, adds comfort,is energy efficient, can produce energy, canintegrate light, wellbeing , health and <strong>des</strong>ignaspects … the added value is immense.With our R&D Centre in Jumet, we are todaymore than ever committed to furtherpushing the boundaries of glassapplications, glass functions and glasstechnologies to create the best possibleglass products.” ■versity research10 MWe, Xylowatt is able to replace annual oilconsumption of 55 million liters and cut outaround 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxideemissions per year!After Belgium, the company has its sights onGermany, a country where this advancedtechnology, which outperforms all its rivals interms of electricity yield, appears to have ahuge potential. Xylowatt is in an excellentposition to take advantage of the wave ofgreen energy projects in Europe and themarkets for access to energy, "both in theemerging economies and the developingcountries". Gilles Barchman believes that "thecompany is giving itself the means to do this:the best proof of this is that we have decided,in spite of our small size – 25 people – to sendone of our commercial engineers to spend ayear looking at prospects in India. This shouldallow us to prepare for business in 2010, 2011and beyond."Thanks to its constant investment in researchand development, Xylowatt is now in a positionto effectively process biomass containingpollutants. ■After the lawn mower comes the Ballpicker ®Belrobotics:robots for green spaces!What does theKremlin have incommon withItalian soccer clubs?Or more specifically,what do theKremlin’s lawnshave in commonwith the fields oftop Italian clubs?A piece of Walloontechnology thatgrows morepopular by the day:robot-mowers fromBelrobotics. Now thecompany’s latestproduct, a robot that collectsgolf balls, gives it a niche marketall to itself.Since 2002, Belrobotics has stepped up agear thanks to its export sales. The resultis a jump of over 80% in its sales figuresfor 2008. A third of these derive from theBelgian market, while two-thirds areexported to the four corners of the world.The robot mower is the company’s firstproduct.From industry to golf clubs, sportsgrounds, private properties and soonpublic services (for mowing parks andedges of highways), the robots developedby Belrobotics are aimed at all markets.The beauty is that they work entirelyautomatically, to the extent that theyeven return to recharge when they sense areduction in capacity. The next developmentwill be a solar power supply for therecharging stations. This would save ametric ton of CO 2 per year for each robot!With its sonar system, the robot can avoidany obstacle in its path. Environmentalfriendliness, autonomy, efficiency, silentoperation… this box of technologicaltricks has everything going for it.Depending on the model chosen, themowers can autonomously tend lawnsof up to a hectare in size.If you already have expertise regardingwide-open green spaces, it makes sense toleverage your technology. This was theinspiration behind an even cleverer versionBELROBOTICS SA• FOUNDED: 2002• LOCATION: Wavre• BUSINESS: <strong>des</strong>ign and marketing of robotmowersand “ballpicker” robots• 2008 TURNOVER (PROVISIONAL):1.8 million EUR• WORKFORCE: 20 FTE• MARKETS: international: Belgium, exports insideand outside the EUof these mowers: the Ballpicker ® , amachine that scours driving ranges tocollect the players’ balls. Once it hasfinished its round, it returns to its base todrop off its harvest.With its electric motor, the Ballpicker ® isable to collect balls in perfect silence, andthe light-weight <strong>des</strong>ign stops it frompressing the balls into the ground. Whenyou think that some golf courses lose up to25,000 balls a year…It also saves on staff, as the machinecollects the tens of thousands of balls thatcustomers go through on a good day. Themachine is constantly collecting, meaningthat opening hours can be extended, andallowing for faster ball rotation. The clubtherefore has to buy a lot fewer balls. All inall, these robots can save a lot of money! ■Dynamisme December 2008 .27