Kimberley Vanstiphout
If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Things are moving fast in the Belgian manufacturing industry. As atypical innovators, we at Xylos are always looking for the latest developments in the market. At Advanced Engineering at Antwerp Expo, we were inspired by the 56 speakers, 10 inspiration sessions, and 145 exhibitors.
Our special attention went to the experience area of XR valley, our first Belgian XR non-profit organization. Here we were welcomed by a group of like-minded passionate Extended Reality entrepreneurs.
Big things are ahead for Belgium and we are happy to be a part of it!

Some interesting solutions we have spotted
Faktion
Faktion is a machine learning specialist with a strong focus on productizing AI. Faktion makes AI operational in mature solutions.
In addition to their project work, they also provide long-term consultants to integrate into your team or help fill your open staffing positions.
Flanders Make
Flanders Make is the strategic research center for the manufacturing industry. They stimulate open innovation through research. In addition, companies can work together with them in a custom innovation trajectory. They also offer an extensive range of testing and validation infrastructure for your products or production.
Their goal is to contribute to the technological development of the vehicles, machines, and factories of the future. Together they help companies innovate better and faster. In addition, they attach great importance to international cooperation in the field of innovation and to participation in European research projects.
The Beacon
The Beacon is a smart innovation hub in the center of Antwerp, focused on the key Internet of Things & Artificial Intelligence domains of smart city, mobility, logistics, and industry. It is a community where tech companies, industry, research institutes, the city, and the Port of Antwerp join forces to develop tomorrow’s high-quality smart applications. Within one year, nearly 50 startups, scale-ups, and corporates took an office or flex seat in The Beacon. A dedicated The Beacon management brings these companies together in a broad community to create new products and services in open innovation.
The Beacon will act as a venture builder for its founding fathers: incubated ideas within these partners will be developed into independent companies. The Beacon will also develop an international strategy, attracting new companies from abroad to The Beacon community. This strategy will give new opportunities to the companies in The Beacon community. We are very proud to be part of The Beacon community with Xylos’ sister company Bagaar, a digital product agency.
Want to know more about Bagaar?
Check it out here!