News
The Care-ys park and the Silver Economy by BEP
Care-ys, the place to develop your ‘Health’ company
We are there! The BEP will be able to start work on equipping its new ‘Care-ys’ themed business park. As well as being urban, this new park focuses on health and more specifically the silver economy.
The ageing of the population is both a social and an economic challenge. The aim is to allow an ageing population to live with dignity while enabling the market economy to meet the needs of this group with varying profiles.
These developments give rise to the need for new economic activities… which could set up in the Care-ys park.
For example, the park will welcome:
- companies in the technology sector linked to health, in fields such as e-health or digital health, as well as building technologies (home automation, etc.), among others;
- companies active in biotechnologies, with a view to developing medical applications, in connection with artificial intelligence in particular;
- or companies in the nutritional sector, related to the development of products that can improve the standard of living through diet or – why not? – 3D food printing technologies.
Sterilisation centre for Namur hospitals
BEP Expansion Economique has acquired land for the future site on the Bouge plateau. The study and infrastructure works contracts are underway. The aim is to start work on the road network and utilities in early 2022 and be ready to welcome investors as of 2023.
The first buildings on the site are expected to be constructed as of 2022. The BEP has been assisting with the project for many months, in order to create a shared sterilisation centre for the hospitals of Saint Luc de Bouge and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire UCL Namur Dinant-Godinne-Ste Elisabeth.
Last May, the BEP Expansion Economique Board of Directors approved the sale of the plot of land for this project, which is very much in keeping with the times. An investment of € 10 million has been announced and 35 people are to be employed. The Design & Build invitation to tender is currently in progress and the service providers are to be chosen as of September. Work will then be able to start in early 2022 and the centre is scheduled to be operational in the spring of 2023.
Two other investors have already expressed an interest and requests for information have been received from companies in anticipation of the time when Care-ys will become available.
Looking back at the origin of the Care-ys project
Silver Eco By BEP: Networking and innovation support
In keeping with the aim of contributing to the well-being of our senior citizens and allowing them to age well, the BEP has continued to organise various projects focusing on the silver economy.
For example, the BEP has launched its ‘Silver Eco Belgium’ LinkedIn page, which is open to contributions from all its partners, companies providing goods and services, associations active in this field, etc.
On 15 June 2021, the BEP’s ‘Silver Eco’ team also took part in the ‘Studio connecté’ (Connected studio) of the Village francophone, a French-speaking collective intelligence platform organised at the TRAKK creative hub, on the fringes of the ‘VivaTech’ event. The studio devoted an afternoon to the issue of health and technology with stakeholders from the Walloon economic sector. The BEP presented its actions, as well as the company Home Based, the Jardin des Paraboles, and others.
Replay the ‘Health and Tech’ session (in French)
On Wednesday, 16 June, the BEP team also took part in the ‘Innov&vous’ event entitled “SILVER ECONOMY, QUAND LES SENIORS BOOSTENT L’INNOVATION! (Silver economy, when senior citizens boost innovation!”).
Finally, let’s take a look back at the debate on the Silver Economy held on the LN24 television news channel on 10 June, with Namur stakeholders such as Christophe Urvoy of Senior Agency, a BEP partner, and Christophe Nihon, who heads the ‘Jardin des Paraboles’ project in Lessive. The role of the BEP was stressed here. The experts pointed out that all products or services intended for senior citizens could also suit every segment of the population and that, from now on, it is important to integrate these adaptations in all areas of daily live.
If you think Care-ys is made for you, too…