AGP Executive Report

Digital Finance & Security: MeDirect won a European award for its digital savings and investing platform, praising security, governance, and fraud prevention as it grows in Malta and Belgium. EU Trade Policy: The EU plans to strengthen trade defence tools against China, including more import quotas and tariffs for sectors like chemicals, metals and clean technology. Climate Science: A new study with Belgian researchers links slow orbital changes to abrupt climate swings during the dinosaur-age greenhouse period, helping explain rapid past reorganisations. Mobility Tech: Navan added Swedish rail carriers to its AI travel platform via SilverRail integration, expanding domestic and cross-border booking options. Energy Storage: Tesla reportedly broke ground on a 700MWh Megapack battery facility in Belgium, aiming to boost grid stability as renewables scale. Automotive Standards: The MIPI Alliance launched an A-PHY compliance program to speed multi-vendor integration for next-gen automotive SerDes. Circular Packaging: Brussels startup Borro raised €1.3M to expand its digital deposit system for reusable cups across Europe. Neurotech Funding: ReVision Implant secured €4M to prepare a cortical visual prosthesis for human trials. Belgian Tech in the Spotlight: TVH named Giuliano Parodi as its new CEO, effective September 1, bringing long experience in industrial equipment and automotive.

Neurotech Funding: Belgian ReVision Implant raised €4mn to advance a cortical visual prosthesis toward human trials, building cleanroom capacity for clinical scale-up. Public Health Alert: Belgium reissued Ebola emergency guidance after a false alarm in Roeselare, reminding hospitals and GPs to activate isolation protocols for suspected cases. EU Clean Heat: The European Commission selected first industrial heat projects for the Innovation Fund Heat Auction, with €400m backing 65 projects across 10 countries including Belgium to cut gas-based heat. Bio-Based Farming: EU-funded CROPSAFE screened 51 bio-based compounds and picked 24 candidates to replace synthetic pesticides for crops like potatoes, tomatoes and bananas. Corporate Leadership: TVH named Giuliano Parodi as its new CEO from 1 September, bringing long industrial and automotive strategy experience. Tech Market Buzz: Belgian chipmaker X-FAB Silicon Foundries jumped sharply after a viral social media post, highlighting how retail attention can move stocks fast.

Belgium Tech & Business: Belgian deep-tech D-CRBN just raised €17.5M to move CO₂ recycling from pilots to its first commercial sites, aiming to supply heavy industry with lower-fossil carbon inputs. Sovereign Cloud: Cegeka and Ethias’ Keyes are teaming up to launch a Belgian Critical Cloud service, storing data only in local data centres for public authorities and critical infrastructure. Biotech Dealmaking: UCB is in a fast expansion mode, stacking US and China moves to build out its biotech pipeline. Energy Pressure: The UK’s Ofgem lifted the energy price cap by £200+ a year for many households—another reminder that energy costs keep driving tech and policy decisions. Local Industry: APEX named a Portuguese distributor for its CloudPower amplifiers, betting on training and after-sales support. Science & Health: A KU Leuven-linked study suggests physical pressure can slow cancer growth, pointing to new mechanotherapy directions.

Belgium Safety Shock: A school bus crash with a train in Buggenhout killed four people, including two pupils, with five more children seriously injured; police say it’s too early to blame human error and an investigation is underway. Digital Sovereignty: Cegeka and Ethias’ Keyes are teaming up on a Belgian Critical Cloud, aiming to keep data in Belgian data centres for governments and critical infrastructure. DeepTech Funding: Antwerp’s D-CRBN raised €17.5m to scale electrified plasma tech that turns CO₂ into circular carbon molecules. Cyber & AI Arms Race: BNP Paribas is boosting defences ahead of AI models that can rapidly spot software weaknesses, warning European banks may lag US rivals. Research Breakthrough: A Galway–KU Leuven–led study suggests physical pressure can slow cancer growth, pointing to new mechanotherapy approaches. Defense Tech: Belgian Septentrio unveiled a tiny anti-jamming GNSS receiver module for drones and other assets. Markets: US stocks reopened after the Memorial Day weekend with tech leading and the Dow slightly down.

Education & Safety: Belgium woke up to tragedy at a level crossing in Buggenhout, where a train collided with a school bus: four dead and two seriously injured, with the crossing reportedly closed. Creative Tech & Skills: TUMO opened its first creative technologies centre in Liège (Wallonia), set to host 1,000 teenagers weekly to learn generative AI, 3D, animation, game dev, music, programming and robotics. Regulation Watch: Spain temporarily blocked Polymarket and Kalshi over missing gambling licences, joining a growing European crackdown on prediction markets. EU Budget Talks: Brussels is starting the political groundwork for the EU’s 2028–2034 budget, with innovation and simpler funding rules for SMEs in the spotlight. Belgium in the Spotlight: Microsoft and Proximus NXT are expanding their sovereign cloud partnership in Belgium & Luxembourg. Mobility Tech: WeRide and Renault are back at Roland-Garros with an autonomous Robobus shuttle for the third straight year.

Missing Persons in Cyprus: Turkey’s Cypriot CMP says excavations are active at eight sites, with 26 digs since the start of 2026 and two more identifications; five of seven remains found at Tekke garden in occupied Nicosia are now identified, including Hussein Mestan. EFES 2026 Military Tech: Türkiye showcased NATO-relevant attack aviation and amphibious firepower at EFES, including the T-129 ATAK and M60TM tanks landed via indigenous landing craft. Drone Governance Gap: A new briefing warns Europe’s counter-drone response is blocked by unclear legal authority and fragmented jurisdiction—hardware exists, but it can’t be deployed fast enough. AI + Industry in Belgium/Lux: Microsoft and Proximus NXT expand a sovereign cloud partnership, while Expert.ai and Fincons push neuro-symbolic AI into enterprise processes. Agritech Funding: PerPlant raised €1M to add AI “eyes” on tractors, aiming to cut herbicide use by up to 90%. EU Heat Decarbonisation: The Commission awarded €400M to 65 industrial heat projects, including Belgium.

M&A Shock in Tech Services: LTM (Larsen & Toubro) has tabled an offer to buy Randstad’s technology and consulting business across Europe and Australia for about €160m, aiming to boost AI-driven, “sovereign” delivery capabilities in countries including Belgium and Luxembourg. Sovereign Cloud Push: Microsoft and Proximus NXT are expanding their Belgium–Luxembourg sovereign cloud partnership, building on Azure Local disconnected operations for public and private sectors that need tighter data control and continuity. Food Safety Alert: Belgium is dealing with a Salmonella egg outbreak linked to specific Laerco BV egg codes, with 236 reported illnesses so far and distribution also reaching France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. EU Diplomacy: EU ambassadors (including Belgium) are in Nepal for a two-day mission to meet Prime Minister Balendra Shah and discuss cooperation on trade, climate and investment. Health & Society: A new study finds young Europeans are paying into pensions but largely don’t trust the system to deliver.

F1 & Belgium in the spotlight: Gilles Villeneuve’s helmet from his 1982 final race sold for a record $1.25M, a reminder of how big motorsport moments still travel. Belgian sport: Femke Markus soloed to win the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies, with SD Worx-Protime taking a podium sweep. Health innovation: Israel is testing minimally invasive ultrasound surgery for carpal tunnel—aiming for less pain and barely-there scarring. Trade & food security: The Philippines lifted its ban on Belgian poultry products after concluding Belgium has adequate safeguards against avian influenza. Belgium & society: A Belgian survey commissioned by VRT finds 56% of Flemish respondents fear they’re being “slowly replaced” by migrants, alongside concerns about mosques. NATO: Ministers set up the July Ankara Summit around higher spending, more defence industry output, and continued Ukraine support. Tech productivity (Belgian-made): Goblin Tools’ Magic To-Do turns big tasks into small steps, built for people who struggle with executive function.

Europe–Asia Diplomacy: Hong Kong’s finance chief Paul Chan used a France/Belgium/Switzerland trip to push deeper, practical ties with Europe on trade, investment and tech—while warning that European money is still too concentrated in US-dollar assets. Belgium Snapshot: A Belgian public survey for VRT finds 56% of Flemings fear they’re being “slowly replaced” by migrants, and 52% worry about a mosque in their neighbourhood—fueling the wider “Great Replacement” debate. Rail Tech: Stadler is expanding automation in signalling, including Automatic Train Operation work after Switzerland’s Waldenburgerbahn moved to GoA2. Water Science: Belgian researchers at the University of Liège sculpt water surfaces using tiny pillar structures, aiming to guide micro-objects for cleanup and precision industry. Sports Media/Business: IMG’s Premier League Productions ends a 22-year broadcast production run as the league takes more production in-house.

Belgium Poll Shock: VRT’s “Photo of Flanders” survey finds 56% of Flemish respondents fear they’re being “slowly replaced” by migrants, and 52% worry about a mosque in their neighbourhood (only 23% say they’d welcome one). Ebola Fallout in Sports: DR Congo is sticking to its FIFA World Cup 2026 plans despite a US warning to isolate for 21 days, keeping its Belgium training camp and match schedule unchanged. Water Tech Breakthrough: Belgian physicists at the University of Liège sculpt water surfaces using tiny pillar structures that exploit menisci—opening doors to contactless micro-manipulation for industry and pollution cleanup. AI for Daily Life: A Belgian-built “Magic To-Do” tool turns overwhelming tasks into small steps for people who struggle with executive planning. Banking Jobs Tension: Belfius plans to move admin work to Lisbon with Accenture, aiming for 500 staff in Portugal over five years—unions warn about a “Pandora’s box.”

Banking Reshuffle: Belfius is moving major operations to Lisbon via a new facility hub with Accenture, aiming for 218 roles in Portugal by next year and 500 within five years—while unions warn this could open a “Pandora’s box” for Belgian jobs. AI & Cybersecurity: ESET reports GraphWorm, a China-aligned backdoor that hides command traffic through Microsoft OneDrive and Graph APIs, showing how cloud services are becoming the new attack route. Tech Deal Watch: LTM has offered to buy Randstad’s Technology and Consulting Services business across France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Australia for €160m, betting on domain-driven AI and nearshore delivery. Energy Transition: The EU backs 65 heat decarbonisation projects with nearly €400m, targeting cleaner industrial heat and cutting millions of tonnes of CO2 over a decade. Belgium Angle: Belgium’s role shows up in both the Belfius workforce shift and the LTM-Randstad expansion plan.

Cybersecurity: ESET warns that the China-aligned Webworm group is using a new backdoor, GraphWorm, to hide command traffic inside normal Microsoft OneDrive activity—making attacks harder to spot in everyday Microsoft 365 use. Belgium & EU logistics: Port of Antwerp-Bruges is pushing autonomous trucks from ports to logistics corridors, teaming up with Rotterdam and North Sea Port to scale pilots. Energy transition: The EIF backs Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Advanced Bioenergy Fund II with €200m to expand industrial biomethane plants across Europe, including Belgium. Belgian legal spotlight: Belgian prosecutors open an investigation into alleged “sniper safaris” in Bosnia, with claims that participants from multiple countries—including Belgium—paid large sums to shoot civilians. Sports tech & culture: England’s World Cup squad is revealed, while Belgium’s Giro moment comes from Alberto Bettiol’s stage 13 solo win; and poppy sales in the US Legion Auxiliary Unit 483 highlight how Belgium-linked WWI history still shapes today’s remembrance.

Ebola & the World Cup: The DRC Ebola outbreak is already reshaping 2026 World Cup planning, with health experts saying the risk to fans is “very low” but warning that screening and travel restrictions could still complicate logistics. EU Credibility Clash: Kaja Kallas is back in the spotlight after calling China a “cancer,” adding to a run of remarks that critics say are damaging Europe’s diplomatic standing. Belgian Tech Deal: LTIMindtree (LTM) is set to buy Randstad Tech Services’ business across Europe and Australia in a deal up to €160m, aiming to expand AI-led engineering, cybersecurity and IoT delivery. Cybersecurity Watch: Belgian researcher Aikido Security reports Google API keys can keep working for minutes after deletion—an uncomfortable gap attackers could exploit. Mobility & Power: Truecaller launches eSIM services in 29 countries, including Belgium, as it diversifies beyond ads. Aviation Setback: Solar Impulse 2 is destroyed after a power-loss crash in the Gulf of Mexico.

Diplomatic Fallout: A minute-long video of Israel’s Gaza flotilla captives triggered a rare wave of ambassador summons—France, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal—turning a single incident into a wider rupture with Western allies. Public Health Meets Sport: DR Congo’s World Cup preparations are shifting to Belgium after Ebola restrictions, with travel rules now reshaping who can attend and how. Belgium Business: CMB.TECH posted a ninefold jump in quarterly net profit, driven by a hot tanker market and asset sales. AI for Work: ECI Software Solutions launched AI Assist for field technicians inside its GlobalEdge app to speed troubleshooting and cut repeat visits. Food Safety Watch: Nestlé is pushing back on fresh European cereulide claims over its infant formula recall timeline. Cycling Governance: SRAM’s legal win over UCI in Belgium was upheld, with the company arguing the ruling is bigger than a 10-tooth cog. Belgium Tech & Energy: EIF backed Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Advanced Bioenergy Fund II with EUR 200m to scale biomethane, including projects in Belgium.

AI Hardware Breakthrough: Floadia, NEC and Kyushu Tech report high-precision nonvolatile analog computing-in-memory tech that cuts drift and boosts edge-AI accuracy for ultra-low-power devices. Ebola Response: Stellenbosch scientists are joining efforts to contain a deadly Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda, with WHO calling it a global health emergency and warning vaccines may take months. Dark Matter Hunt: MIT and European teams say one gravitational-wave signal could carry a dark-matter imprint—still a screening lead, not a confirmed detection. Real Income Watch: OECD data shows Poland led Europe in real household income per capita growth in 2025 (4.1%), with Belgium also rising (1.4%). Belgium Security: Police say violent ex-soldiers from Iraq/Afghanistan are massing at small-boat launch sites on the Belgian coast, making enforcement “too dangerous.” EU Finance: Euronext Brussels CEO warns biotech scaling is still blocked by Europe’s lack of deep, integrated capital pools.

Industrial X-ray Access: IBA just launched Rhodotron® LITE, a low-power X-ray accelerator aimed at smaller irradiation centres and in-house medical device sterilisation—positioned as a cobalt-60 alternative for about 10,000–20,000 pallets a year. Digital Finance: The euro stablecoin project Qivalis added 25 new bank members, bringing its consortium to 37, with a euro-on-chain launch still targeted for H2 2026. Cyber & Safety: Belgium saw a record jump in child online sexual exploitation cases, with Child Focus blaming the rise of AI-generated “deepnudes.” Maritime Security: Belgium’s navy is deploying a drone from Lombardsijde for North Sea surveillance until mid-July, covering illegal fishing, pollution and migrant movements. Belgium Tech/Industry: Grant Thornton is acquiring MCA Connect to expand Microsoft-led digital transformation for manufacturers and distributors. Chips Watch: ASML’s CEO says AI demand will keep the semiconductor supply chain “tense” for the foreseeable future.