{"id":91181149,"date":"2025-10-06T12:48:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T10:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aktantis.com\/2025\/10\/06\/mecatech-moteur-de-linnovation-industrielle-en-wallonie-rejoint-aktantis\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T11:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T09:44:12","slug":"10-years-of-shared-innovation-aktantis-and-mecatech-wallonias-industrial-motor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aktantis.com\/en\/2025\/10\/06\/10-years-of-shared-innovation-aktantis-and-mecatech-wallonias-industrial-motor\/","title":{"rendered":"10 years of shared innovation: AKTANTIS and MecaTech, Wallonia’s industrial motor"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Today we meet Thibaud van Rooden, who joined P\u00f4le Mecatech over ten years ago and now leads the Europe\/International unit. MecaTech is helping to foster a more competitive, sustainable and resilient industry in Wallonia, ready to take on major economic, technological and societal challenges.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1732199762928{margin-bottom: 40px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1759758911873{margin-bottom: 1.875em !important;}”]<\/p>\n

What does your role at MecaTech involve ?<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]I <\/span>am<\/span> currently<\/span> leading<\/span> the Europe\/International unit. This unit comprises a <\/span>small<\/span>, close-<\/span>knit<\/span> team<\/span>, <\/span>supplemented<\/span> by <\/span>sector<\/span> experts. <\/span>Together<\/span>, <\/span>we<\/span> support <\/span>our<\/span> members<\/span> in <\/span>accessing<\/span> European<\/span> funding<\/span> and <\/span>projects<\/span>, <\/span>particularly<\/span> cascade <\/span>funding<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>We actively <\/span>participate<\/span> in European projects, either as coordinators or partners. We also carry out international technological missions, either on an ad hoc basis or in <\/span>synergy<\/span> with European projects, with the aim of building a strong international network that <\/span>benefits<\/span> our members.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1732199762928{margin-bottom: 40px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1759759074856{margin-bottom: 1.875em !important;}”]<\/p>\n

MecaTech is presented as a Walloon competitiveness cluster active in engineering sciences. Can you tell us more about it?<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]MecaTech<\/span> brings together <\/span>near<\/span>ly <\/span><\/span>400<\/span> sta<\/span>keholders<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, including more than <\/span><\/span>260 companies<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, as well as <\/span>nume<\/span>rous<\/span> res<\/span>earch <\/span>cent<\/span>res<\/span>, un<\/span>iversities, etc. Together, they have <\/span>init<\/span>iated<\/span> ove<\/span>r <\/span><\/span>176 projects<\/span><\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>mobi<\/span>lising<\/span> app<\/span>roximately <\/span><\/span>\u20ac528 million in investment<\/span><\/span><\/strong> since 2006. The cluster’s main mission is to support the economic development of Walloon industrial companies through a collaborative ecosystem and innovative projects. <\/span>This mission is based on three pillars:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Promote synergies between members and partners (industry, research, training)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Foster creativity and innovation by helping to <\/span>anticipate<\/span> and integrate advanced <\/span>MecaTech<\/span> technologies<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Improve performance and competitiveness by <\/span>optimising<\/span> processes and skills and encouraging the circular economy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    MecaTech<\/span> is a cluster that focuses on four complementary areas of technology: advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, <\/span>mechatronics<\/span> and data technologies (IoT, AI, etc.). Our ecosystem is <\/span>mainly structured<\/span> around five sectoral ecosystems<\/strong>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n