News

Meet Ine Truijen and Corina Van Asten! Both have joined our Brightnewday team as Account Managers. After a deep dive into the Brightnewday vision and current business, they are very eager to start building new and sustainable partnerships for the future.

Stay tuned to get to know them better in the coming weeks!

At a customer in the transport sector, we are helping to accelerate the change in electric mobility. We are increasing the efficiency and production speed by standardizing processes, finding more simple solutions while still maintaining or improving quality. 

This assignment is exactly what we like to do at Brightnewday, contribute to new technologies towards a brighter future.

Energy production is one of the many societal challenges of this time. A lot of development is necessary to make hydrogen a feasible candidate to help tackle this challenge. How to produce Green Hydrogen and Hyrdogen in general? How to make the industry and society ready to use that hydrogen? How to get the hydrogen to the end user? How to store hydrogen? … and many more questions are still in the process of getting answered.

We follow developments, to make sure that we stay up-to-date and can help accelerate the change!

As the sun shines brighter, summer brings a unique opportunity for reflection and growth. It's a good moment to ask yourself where you are in your career and where you want to go next!

• Are you happy in your current role and company?
• Are you being challenged enough?
• Are you still growing as a person and learning new skills?

Do you want a sparring partner to talk this through? We are happy to talk over a coffee! 

Last weekend we came together for the annual Brightnewday Summer Event. This time, together with all Bright Innovators and their partner, we went for an E-bike tour around Stad Lommel.

After biking for about 50 km with ample time to drink, eat and relax in-between, we returned the bikes to their home and enjoyed a nice dinner experience. It was a great day!

We were thrilled to welcome and meet so many of our connections in real life!

Jeroen Baert gave an entertaining keynote speech about AI: how does it work, what great things can it do, what are the limitations of it and with what applications do we need to be careful? Interesting stuff to think about! After that we closed off with something to drink and some networking. Thanks for joining and hope to see you again on a next occasion!

Last Friday we hosted a technology roadmap session for our Bright Innovators.

The technology roadmap contains a number of topics indicated by our Bright Innovators as subjects that they want to learn more about. Only condition is that knowledge must be shared with other colleagues that also want to learn more. 

Goal of this session was to share a status update on the current topics, introduce new topics and share challenges that we come across in day-to-day work. That last part can lead to new areas that we want to gain experience in and grow.

At Brightnewday we cooperate with our clients to make excellent products. One of those clients wanted a simple looking design but with a lot of functionality and hidden complexity. To make those complex designs we like to use simple methods to make the products user friendly and cost efficient.

At Brightnewday we like to keep it simple. You can find our no-nonsense approach as a signature and a guide through all of our business.

One of the topics on our Technology Roadmap is Finite Element Method (FEM). We build our knowlegde through training and certifications. All Bright Innovators that are interested can join and grow their own knowlegde. FEM is a technique that helps us simulate and analyze complex structures and systems with incredible precision and accuracy. It's a powerful tool, with applications from predicting structural integrity to optimizing designs.

What is FEM/FEA?

• Method to perform structural analysis on solid bodies through numerical techniques
• By making the model a discrete model instead of continuous: define points/nodes and elements (both finite instead of infinite)
• Nodes represent degrees of freedom and point of application for forces
• Elements are studied in terms of displacement resulting in stress and strain calculations
• Mathematical analysis leads to conclusions about the solid bodies

FEM procedure

• Pre-processing
  • Set up the model
  • Map the element properties
  • Combine all unknowns in the global stiffness matrix
• Applying boundary conditions and loads
  • Fix some degrees of freedom (constraints)
  • Apply loads at nodes
• Solve the model
  • Only when enough constraints
  • Through software
  • Find the stiffness matrix
• Post-processing
  • Visualize the results in diagrams, plots, deflection, etc.
  • Getting the desired information

Curious to learn about FEM? Reach out and let's explore the possibilities together.

We're thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in Pelt! We celebrated in style last Friday, with a fun New Year's reception and some delicious Bicky's.

The office is located in Pelt (BE), right in the middle of our operating area and will serve as a hub for creativity, collaboration, and cutting-edge technological solutions. This will take the services we provide to our customers to the next level.

Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

We will keep the momentum going and make this new space our own. Exciting times ahead!

As the year winds down, we're reflecting on an incredible journey.

In 2023, we grew our team to 20 Bright Innovators. This growth became possible by working together and providing a stable and reliable home base for our new and existing colleagues.

At the same time we're preparing to move into our new office space. This will function as a hub for our Brightnewday-team and meeting space for our customers and new team members. We can continue to grow by expanding our business with turnkey projects from our new home. 

2024 holds the promise of continued growth, fresh opportunities, and greater impact. We're grateful for your support and collaboration throughout this journey.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and looking forward to shining even brighter together in 2024!

Over the weekend, our team had the incredible pleasure of meeting a very special guest: none other than Sinterklaas himself! The festive spirit was in the air as our colleagues and their families gathered for a magical day filled with presents, laughter, and fun activities. Sinterklaas and his helpers delighted everyone with their presence, bringing smiles to both young and young at heart. It was a fantastic opportunity for our team and their families to come together, share laughter, and strengthen our bonds in a festive setting. We look forward to the rest of the holiday season, wishing everyone a special time with their family and loved ones!

Last week Friday, the Bright Innovators got the chance to learn more about one of the topics on the Technology Roadmap: additive manufacturing. They got to see the 3D printing technology in action in an industrial context and learned more about the technical aspects of it. An interesting and enlightening session, hosted by one of our valued customers in the Eindhoven region! 

Following the educational bit, we got to unwind during our monthly Brightnewday Borrel. We reconnected and updated each other on our (professional) lives and celebrated the beginning of the weekend. We did that of course while enjoying a snack and a drink.

iner Glass is establishing a state-of-the-art glass production facility at Kristalpark III in Lommel. The investment of more than 600 million euros will lead to the creation of between 500 and 550 new jobs in the region.

The arrival of Ciner Glass, part of the Turkish conglomerate Ciner Group, will be an important contribution to the proud tradition and heritage of the Flemish glass industry. This strategic investment meets a growing European market demand from food and drink producers for container glass.

The company was supported by local partners such as the Flemish Government, Flanders Investment & Trade, LRM, and the City of Lommel.

The construction of the factory is set to begin this month. The first glass furnace is scheduled to become operational in 2025, followed by a second furnace in 2026. Once fully operational, the factory will have the capacity to produce 1,300 tonnes of glass daily, or approximately 7 million glass bottles. This groundbreaking investment represents a total financial commitment of 600 million euros, with a focus on ecology and sustainability.

Economic Stimulus

Lommel and Flanders is at the heart of the European economy and close to major industries. The central location, access to essential raw materials, and the availability of a skilled labour force makes this region a perfect choice for this ambitious project.

Ciner Glass’s investment is one of the most substantial in the region of recent years, both in terms of size and scale as well as employment. With a strong focus on the environment and sustainability, the company is expected to create between 500 and 550 new jobs. This project symbolizes a renewed focus on the glass industry in Belgium and puts the country back on the map as a significant player in the manufacturing industry.

Glass Production with a Sustainable Edge

This investment in the Flemish glass industry will not only support economic growth but also contribute to a cleaner planet. Ciner Glass is committed to reducing its environmental footprint by providing customers with high-quality container glass that is not only lighter but also produced with minimal energy consumption.

In Lommel, Ciner Glass aims to use 75% recycled glass. Glass can be recycled indefinitely and is environmentally friendly.

It can reduce energy consumption by at least 20%, because recycled glass melts at a lower temperature. In addition, the company innovates by reducing the weight of its glass bottles by 10%, resulting in a significant decrease in resource use and CO2 emissions during their transport.

This weight reduction, combined with local production, will result in an annual CO2 reduction of nearly 29,000 tonnes, significantly shrinking both our environmental footprint and that of our customers.

Gokhan Sen, CEO Ciner Glass Europe: “Thanks to sustainable and innovative production processes, we can make a substantial contribution to tackling climate change in Flanders. We aim to be part of the thriving local economy and contribute to further progress. Our history, as that of Lommel, is defined as a mentality of pioneering, innovation, and pride in glass production.”

Symbolic first – glass – stone laying ceremony

The special VIP attendees were welcomed by the Mayor of Lommel, Bob Nijs, who emphasized the importance of this investment for his city. Also Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon and Flemish Minister of Work and Economy Jo Brouns, as well as Faruk Kaymakcı, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Türkiye to the European Union expressed their support for the project.

Jan Jambon, Flemish Minister-President: “The glass industry has always been present in Flanders and with this investment by Ciner we are certain that this sector will be here for a long time to come. This high-tech site offers us a golden opportunity to make Flanders more sustainable, establish a competitive manufacturing industry and develop a circular economy. An investment of this magnitude sends a very clear signal to international and local markets, investors and industry. Flanders is still at the head of the pack in terms of the manufacturing industry.”

Jo Brouns, Flemish Minister of Work and Economy: “This investment is not only very important for the economic fabric of Limburg. It simultaneously ensures the creation of 500 new jobs. Flanders is doing its bit with 2 million euros in subsidies and 3 million euros repayable advance. The fact that Ciner Glass chooses Flanders shows that this makes us an attractive region for foreign investors. Thanks to this investment, the cluster of glass production and processing in the Limburg/Kempen region will be strengthened through new technologies.”

The highlight of the ceremony was the symbolic placement of the first glass brick by the Chair of Ciner Glass Didem Ciner and Turgay Ciner, the founder of Ciner Glass Group, together with Mr Luyckx, representative of  Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon and Mrs Mertens, representative of Flemish Minister of Work and Economy Jo Brouns. This first stone laying not only confirms the future of the new factory but also underscores the joint commitment to economic growth and sustainability for the region.

SOURCE: https://cinerglass.com/ciner-glass-invests-in-flanders/

Behind the scenes we are working hard to prepare everything in our new office in Pelt.

Did you know that the character of this new office building is 100% aligned with our sustainable values as a company? This building uses geothermal energy to heat the offices and has solar panels and batteries to meet its electricity needs. No connection to the gas grid necessary! We look forward to welcome you here in the next months!

Today we had our yearly family day out! To strengthen our team's bonds and get to know each other and our families better, we decided to organize a scooter tour. 

Exploring Tongeren's country roads on scooters was a fun experience. We picked the right day as the weather was sunny. The laughter, good food and drinks along the way strengthened our connections.

We firmly believe that building a workplace where you can be yourself and where there is attention for life beyond the office contributes to the happiness of our Bright Innovators. Our scooter escapade is a prime example of this philosophy!

Looking forward to the next activity...

Classified Cycling werd opgericht door Roel van Druten en Mathias Plouvier, twee voormalige werknemers van Punch Powertrain in Sint-Truiden (lees eerder artikel hier). Met hun kennis van transmissies voor auto's, ontwikkelden ze een systeem dat komaf maakt met de klassieke derailleur. Hun (eerste) toepassing zit verwerkt in de naaf van het achterwiel en laat toe dat het schakelen gebeurt in een fractie van een seconde, zelfs onder piekbelasting. Revolutionair, zo vonden ook LRM en heel wat topwielrenners, zoals Tom Boonen, Marcel Kittel en André Greipel, die allen investeerden in het jonge bedrijf.

Na de start in Sint-Truiden, volgde de doorontwikkeling en productie in Turnhout. Vandaag is het hoofdkantoor gevestigd in Antwerpen en werd de R&D-afdeling ondergebracht in Eindhoven. De aandrijfsystemen en wielen van Classiefied Cycling zijn gegeerd in de markt. Meer dan 40 fietsmerken en een wereldwijd netwerk van ruim 300 gecertificeerde distributeurs en dealers zorgen voor de verspreiding in de markt. Om niet alleen racefietsen uit te rusten, maar bijvoorbeeld ook de gigantische markt van elektrische fietsen met de nieuwe technologie te bevoorraden, is extra kapitaal nodig. En dat komt er nu dankzij twee Britse investeringsvehikels: Active Partners en Bridford Investments. Zij stoppen samen 22 miljoen euro vers geld in de Belgische start-up.

Voor LRM meteen het sein om langs de kassa te passeren en uit de aandeelhoudersstructuur te stappen. “LRM stapte als één van de eerste believers in Classified Cycling”, zegt Roeland Engelen, Head of Investments bij LRM. “In totaal investeerde LRM 800.000 euro slim geld in het bedrijf, een financieel engagement mét toegevoegde strategische en inhoudelijke waarde. Als investeerder van het eerste uur hebben we Classified Cycling succesvol zien uitgroeien van early stage startup tot scale-up met een beloftevolle technologie. Onze rol is nu uitgespeeld. We hebben er alle vertrouwen in dat Classified Cycling klaar is voor het volgende hoofdstuk en dat de nieuwe investeerders het bedrijf daar vakkundig in zullen begeleiden.”

Bron: https://www.made-in.be/limburg/lrm-komt-uit-wiel-tom-boonen-en-wint-tussensprint

Door lering te trekken uit grote hoeveelheden data worden deep learning-algoritmen slimmer en beter. De AI-technologie van VBTI verzamelt met camerasystemen veel beelden en met deze data kan bijvoorbeeld het oogstmoment van asperges worden bepaald of de oogstprognose van aardbeien worden voorspeld. Hiermee worden belangrijke en efficiënte stappen gezet in de verduurzaming van ons voedselsysteem waarvoor nu nog vaak handwerk nodig is.

Versnellen

President-directeur Willem van der Leegte van VDL Groep: “Met onder meer combinaties tussen mechanica, elektronica en software bieden wij met onze hoogwaardige producten en diensten onze klanten toegevoegde waarde. Daarbij biedt automatisering steeds vaker ondersteuning. VBTI zien wij als een belangrijke partner om ook in dat kader te versnellen op de deelgebieden visuele technologie en AI”.

Groei

Oprichter Albert van Breemen van VBTI: “Met deze strategische samenwerking met VDL kunnen wij onze groei versnellen”. VBTI ontwikkelt een eigen platform waarmee deep learning-technologie wordt geïntegreerd in applicaties om visuele inspectietaken te optimaliseren en productielijnen te automatiseren. Algoritmen vinden daarbij de meest efficiënte manier om productietaken uit te voeren, van het vouwen van een doos tot het runnen van een complete assemblagelijn.

Bladplukrobot

VDL Cropteq Robotics heeft een platform voor een agrarische robot ontwikkeld en geproduceerd, CropTeq. De eerste versie is een robot die bladeren van komkommerplanten knipt waarbij visiontechnologie, robotica, mechatronica, kunstmatige intelligentie en kennis uit de land- en tuinbouw worden gecombineerd. De robot is uitgerust met technologie van VBTI. “Komkommerplanten zijn nooit hetzelfde”, legt Van Breemen uit. “Door geleerd te hebben van data geeft ons algoritme precies aan waar en wanneer bladeren van komkommerplanten moeten worden geknipt. Bovendien past het algoritme zich aan een veranderende omgeving aan, zodat de robot altijd optimaal presteert ongeacht de kas, het seizoen of de plantenvariant.” 

“De wetenschappelijke en tegelijkertijd praktische benadering van VBTI versnelt onze ontwikkeling”, stelt directeur Harrie Schonewille van VDL Cropteq Robotics. “In een complexe omgeving zoals in een kas, met veel variatie van gewassen, is de samenwerking met de specialisten van VBTI voor ons erg belangrijk. Met het deep learning-platform van VBTI kunnen wij onze ontwikkelingen versnellen.”

Door de strategische samenwerking tussen VDL en VBTI zal de slimme, zelflerende technologie van VBTI breder bij VDL worden ingezet dan uitsluitend in het VDL-cluster Foodtech. Daarbij kan bijvoorbeeld worden gedacht aan het voorspellen wanneer onderhoudswerkzaamheden aan machines moeten worden uitgevoerd, vroegtijdige signalering van eventuele onregelmatigheden in productieprocessen of het stroomlijnen van voorraadbeheer zodat bijvoorbeeld preventief tekorten worden voorkomen. 

Over VBTI

VBTI is een AI-engineering bedrijf dat opgericht is in 2019. Het bedrijf ontwikkelt deep learning-technologie om machines en processen slimmer te maken voor onder meer landbouw- en productietoepassingen. Het hoofdkantoor is gevestigd in Eindhoven. Het groeiende VBTI-team bestaat uit meer dan 20 gemotiveerde professionals die AI inzetten om problemen op het gebied van engineering op te lossen. Ook traint VBTI bedrijven en kennisinstellingen op het gebied van deep learning.

Over VDL Groep 

Kracht door samenwerking. Dat is de basis van VDL Groep, het internationale industriële familiebedrijf met het hoofdkantoor in Brainportregio Eindhoven. Opgericht in 1953, nu bijna 70 jaar later staat sinds 2017 de derde generatie van de familie Van der Leegte aan het roer. VDL Groep is met ruim 15.000 medewerkers in 19 landen actief. De groep omvat 106 werkmaatschappijen, elk met een eigen specialisme, die onderling intensief samenwerken.

De activiteiten van deze bedrijven zijn samen te vatten in de ‘vijf werelden van VDL’: Science Technology & Health, Mobility, Energy & Sustainability, Infratech en Foodtech. De gecombineerde jaaromzet in 2021 van VDL Groep bedroeg 4,995 miljard euro.

Bron: https://www.vdletg.com/nl/nieuws/vdl-groep-en-vbti-samenwerken-rond-slimme-zelflerende-technologie