Belgium

Belgium takes flight into the future!   🚁 On Thursday, a drone with a special mission took off from the roof of Living Tomorrow in Vilvoorde.   🛬 For the first time, a drone navigated restricted airspace near Brussels Airport, and did so fully automated and remotely controlled from SkeyDrone's control room, located 12 km away.   💡This was possible under new so-called U-space regulations, which allow drone traffic beyond the pilot's visual line of sight in designated areas.   ⏱️ The 5.7-km flight saw the drone travel at 100 m altitude and 50 km/h. The pilots briefly took over control to execute inspections of a viaduct.   💪 It's an innovative collaboration between SkeyDrone, air traffic controller skeyes, and DroneLand, demonstrating that Belgium is paving the way for the future of autonomous drone technology!   #Belgium #Innovation #Technology #drones #DroneTech

🇧🇪 🇮🇳 The Belgian Economic Mission lead by H.R.H. Princess Astrid has come to an end. 📝 In total, 39 agreements were signed: 24 New Delhi and 15 in Mumbai! 🗝️ Our two countries' friendship and business ties were further strengthened during this mission, which focused on the following key sectors: ✅ health and life sciences ✅ transport and logistics ✅ aerospace and defence ✅ decarbonisation of the steel industry ✅ climate and renewable energy ✅ building and eco-construction 🤝 Belgium and India are already collaborating in many different fields and the mission made it clear that many more opportunities lie ahead! #BEmissionIND #Belgium #economicmission #openforbusiness #India FOD Buitenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Handel en Ontwikkelingssamenwerking Belgian Foreign Trade Agency (BFTA) Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) hub.brussels Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi

🌎 Today is International Women's Day, an important moment to reflect on women's rights and gear up the demand for gender equality. 💡 Let's use this day to ignite the change we wish to see and ask ourselves how we can accelerate action. 🚧 Accelerate the removal of barriers that continue to impede women, whether these obstacles are tangible or take the form of societal norms. 💪 Accelerate the speed by which the gap is closed. #Belgium #IWD2025 #8march #equalrights #AccelerateAction #internationalwomensday

Saving lives, together. 🤝 The future is looking bright for Belgo-Indian collaboration on life sciences! 🔬

🇧🇪🇮🇳 Belgium and India: strengthening digital and tech collaborations – België en India: versterking van de digitale en technologische samenwerking - La Belgique et L’Inde : enforcement des collaborations dans le domaine du numérique et de la technologie - (EN/NL/FR) 🌏 📡Belgium and India are deepening their ties in the digital sector! The acquisition of Route Mobile Limited by Belgium’s Proximus Group last year marks a major milestone in the company's international expansion. During the Belgian economic mission, the delegation visited Route Mobile in Mumbai, followed by the India-Belgium Tech Forum, highlighting new opportunities for collaboration. 🌐 The visit to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global leader in IT, consulting and business solutions active in Belgium, focused on opportunities for deeper cooperation. The delegation toured the TCS Experience Centre, exchanging insights with industry leaders on digital innovation and business expansion. With growing synergies in digital innovation and technology, the future looks promising! —— 📡 België en India verdiepen hun banden in de digitale sector! De overname van Route Mobile Limited door de Belgische Proximus Group vorig jaar is een belangrijke mijlpaal in de internationale expansie van het bedrijf. In het kader van de Belgische economische missie bracht de delegatie een bezoek aan Route Mobile in Mumbai, gevolgd door het India-Belgium Tech Forum, waar nieuwe samenwerkingsmogelijkheden werden belicht. 🌐 Ook het bezoek aan Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), een wereldleider op het vlak van IT, consulting en bedrijfsoplossingen die actief is in België, belichtte mogelijkheden voor nauwere samenwerking. De delegatie bezocht het TCS Experience Centre en wisselde inzichten uit met industrieleiders over digitale innovatie en bedrijfsuitbreiding. Met groeiende synergiën in digitale innovatie en technologie ziet de toekomst er veelbelovend uit! —— 📡 La Belgique et l'Inde approfondissent leurs liens dans le secteur numérique ! L'acquisition de Route Mobile Limited par le groupe belge Proximus en 2024 marque une étape importante dans l'expansion internationale de l'entreprise. Dans le cadre de la mission économique belge, la délégation a visité Route Mobile à Mumbai, puis le India-Belgium Tech Forum, mettant en lumière de nouvelles opportunités de collaboration. 🌐 La visite de Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), un leader mondial des services informatiques, la consultance et les solutions d'entreprise actif en Belgique, a également mis en évidence des possibilités de coopération plus approfondie. La délégation a visité le TCS Experience Centre et a échangé avec des leaders de l'industrie sur l'innovation numérique et l'expansion des entreprises. Avec des synergies croissantes dans les domaines de l'innovation numérique et de la technologie, l'avenir semble prometteur !

🇧🇪🇮🇳 Beyond the Stars : Celebrating Belgo-Indian Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics – Beyond the Stars: Belgisch-Indische samenwerking in astronomie en astrofysica - Beyond the Stars : Célébration des partenariats belgo-indiens en astronomie et astrophysique (EN/NL/FR) 🌠 During the Belgian Economic Mission to India, a seminar on astronomy and astrophysics highlighted the longstanding collaboration between Belgium and India. For over 10 years, Belgian technology company AMOS has delivered advanced telescopes to various observation sites in India, with the support of the University of Liège and other academic partners, under the framework of the Belgo-Indian Network for Astrophysics and Astronomy (BINA). This collaboration, supported by BELSPO - Belgian Science Policy Office, has led to significant scientific advancements. The seminar celebrated key achievements, such as the Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) and International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT), while also exploring new avenues for future cooperation. 🌠 Tijdens de Belgische Economische Missie naar India werd een seminarie over astronomie en astrofysica georganiseerd, waarin de reeds lang bestaande samenwerking tussen België en India in de schijnwerpers werd gezet. Al meer dan 10 jaar levert het Belgische technologiebedrijf AMOS geavanceerde telescopen aan verschillende observatieposten in India, met de steun van de Universiteit van Luik en andere academische partners, onder het Belgo-Indische Netwerk voor Astrofysica en Astronomie (BINA). Deze samenwerking, ondersteund door BELSPO (het Belgisch Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid), heeft geleid tot belangrijke wetenschappelijke ontwikkelingen. Het seminarie vierde belangrijke verwezenlijkingen, zoals de Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) en de International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT), en exploreerde nieuwe mogelijkheden voor toekomstige samenwerking. 🌠 Lors de la Mission économique belge en Inde, un séminaire sur l’astronomie et l’astrophysique a mis en lumière la collaboration de longue date entre la Belgique et l’Inde. Depuis plus de 10 ans, la société belge de technologie AMOS fournit des télescopes avancés à divers sites d’observation en Inde, avec le soutien de l’Université de Liège et d’autres partenaires académiques, dans le cadre du Réseau Belgo-Indien pour l’Astrophysique et l’Astronomie (BINA). Cette collaboration, soutenue par BELSPO (la politique scientifique fédérale), a permis d’importantes avancées scientifiques. Le séminaire a célébré les réalisations clés, telles que le Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) et le International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT), et a exploré de nouvelles avenues pour une future coopération.

#BEmissionIND 🇧🇪 🇮🇳 - 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟯: 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟰 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 - The third day began at the Travancore Palace with a roundtable on the Defence Sector, attended by several representatives from the Indian Ministry of Defence and where HE Theo Francken, Minister of Defence, addressed the public while Colonel KV Kuber, Director Aerospace and Defence, EY, took the role of Master of Ceremony. Directly after the meeting with the Indian Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, HRH Princess Astrid and the Ministers met with Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. The meeting with HRH Princess Astrid and our Ministers took much longer than expected as Premier Modi listened carefully to explanations on the various sectors our country has to offer. Later, the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) hosted 70 distinguished guests at the Belgian Residence for the traditional Power Lunch. After lunch, the traditional Signing Ceremony took place in the garden. Indeed, the audience witnessed the exchange of 24 signed agreements, the first fruits harvested during this mission. At the end of this ceremony, all the signing parties were invited for a group photo with HRH Princess Astrid and the Belgian ministers. In the afternoon, the delegation went to the Prime Minister’s Museum & Library to celebrate the successful collaboration with India in Astronomy and Astrophysics.  At their arrival, HRH Princess Astrid and HE Maxime Prévot, were traditionally welcomed by the Director and received a silk stole. Renowned Belgian professors in astrophysics and astronomy presented the different Belgian telescopes installed in the Indian mountains and the audience could witness a real-life liquid mirror telescope experiment. In the evening, the delegation took a flight to Mumbai, the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial capital of the country. It is the most populous city of India with an estimated population of 12.5 million. At their arrival at the hotel, participants were welcomed with the traditional tika and garland.   Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium | Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi | Didier Vanderhasselt | Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai | Frank Geerkens | Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) | Flanders Investment & Trade - India | Eva Verstraelen | Babette Desfossez | hub.brussels | hub.brussels | Asia | Bart Vandeputte | Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) | Wallonia Trade and Investment (AWEX) - India | Emmanuelle Timmermans | Guillaume de Bassompierre   📷 © BELGA (Benoit Doppagne)

The Belgian delegation has arrived in New Delhi and is ready to do business in India! 🇧🇪 🇮🇳 #BEmissionIND - 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟭 - After two days of overcast skies, the sun finally made its appearance in New Delhi on the first day of the mission! In the morning, HRH Princess Astrid and the ministers met with HE Hervé Delphin, the Ambassador of the EU to India. Following this insightful meeting, HRH Princess Astrid, the ministers, and part of the delegation travelled to the Uttar Pradesh state to visit the Agristo Masa Production Facility. In the evening, Didier Vanderhasselt, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the Republic of India, warmly welcomed the 326 members of the delegation in the gardens of the iconic Belgian Residence for the traditional information session. The session was led by regional representatives Babette Desfossez, Trade & Investment Commissioner of Flanders Investment & Trade, Emmanuelle Timmermans, Trade & Investment Commissioner of AWEX Mumbai, and Bart Vandeputte, Economic Counselor at hub.brussels. They shared valuable business insights and tips for a successful Belgian mission in India. During the same evening, HRH Princess Astrid and the 3 ministers had the opportunity to meet with Shri Piyush Goyal, the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry.   Ministry of Foreign Affairs Belgium | Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi | Didier Vanderhasselt | Consulate General of Belgium in Mumbai | Frank Geerkens | Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) | Flanders Investment & Trade - India | Eva Verstraelen | Babette Desfossez | hub.brussels | hub.brussels | Asia | Bart Vandeputte | Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) | Wallonia Trade and Investment (AWEX) - India | Emmanuelle Timmermans | Guillaume de Bassompierre   📷 © BELGA (Benoit Doppagne)

#BEmissionIND Belgium and India join forces, also in sustainability. 👇

Off to a great start! 👏 #BEmissionIND