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Lier, Belgium - 16 December 2016 - Europem, a Lier (Belgium) based engineering and technology company specialized in environmental and energy related process technologies, has received a 2 million Euro capital injection from its existing shareholders: Marcel Goemans - Europem’s CEO, Vuurvast and Tialoc, as well as from its new shareholder, Finindus.

Europem develops and delivers “environmental payback projects” using a range of in-house developed proprietary technologies. These technologies recover energy and/or valuable products from industrial effluents, waste and residues, generating a new source of income for its clients.

Europem’s proprietary technologies are applied in different solutions:

•       for energy production: advanced multifuel/flexifuel burners, advanced thermal oxidizers, boilers and heaters, energy-from-waste systems;

•       for product recovery: vapor recovery units (VRU), flare gas recovery units (FGRU) and sulfur recovery units (SRU);

•       for safety and environmental protection: vapor extraction and treatment (ATEX Zone 0), elevated flares, ground flares and combustors, deNOX and gas cleaning systems

Europem is a well-known supplier to the chemical and petrochemical as well as steel industry, and is further extending its reach in new geographies and newly developing business areas. The company has activities worldwide and has established branches and subsidiaries in France, Italy, the UAE (Dubai) and India. Through a partnership with Tialoc, one of its shareholders, Europem also serves the Chinese market.

The company experienced double digit year-on-year growth for the last three years. An ambitious expansion in strategic growth markets outside Europe was started in 2014, which has resulted in major commercial breakthroughs in India, the Middle East and South America in 2016:

In January Europem was awarded the design and construction of a hazardous waste treatment plant for the leading waste management company in Ecuador;
In July the company won a 6 million Euro contract with the Oil and Natural Gas Company of India (ONGC) – the largest public oil & gas company in India – in a project to eliminate H2S emissions at their largest gas treatment plant, located in Uran, near Mumbai (India);
In November the company won a repeat order to supply thermal processing equipment for a new sulfur recovery unit (SRU) at the Numaligerh Refinery in Assam (India);
In December the company was awarded the design and construction of a hazardous waste incineration facility as part of a multi-billion Euro green field chemical project in Oman.
In a comment to the transaction Marcel Goemans, CEO of Europem states: ’With the recent sharp growth in high profile customer projects it was clear we needed to strengthen our balance sheet. Finindus helped us to do exactly that, while also bringing an industrial mindset and strong network to the table.’

‘We are excited to be able to support a Flemish technology company in its international growth,’ added Hans Maenhout, Investment Director of Finindus, ‘especially since Europem offers innovative but proven technologies focusing on environment and energy, not co-incidental two key topics for both our shareholders.’

ABOUT EUROPEM

Europem was founded in 1999 by a group of combustion engineers, combining over 150 years of cummulative experience in the field. Europem started as an engineering & technology company and EPC contractor and has grown into a full-service provider along the project life cycle: from performing feasibility studies over full engineering, procurement and construction activities to offering operational support and maintenance services, once in operation.

Europem has built over 250 installations in more than 35 countries on all continents.

(www.euro-pem.com)

ABOUT FININDUS

Finindus is a Belgian investment company backed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region. Finindus invests in early stage and growth companies, with a specific focus on materials, material processing and sustainable manufacturing.

(www.finindus.be)

For further information please contact:

Marcel Goemans, CEO

Tel.         : +32 473 92 93 32

Email     :  mgoemans@euro-pem.com

Hans Maenhout, Investment Director at Finindus.

Tel.         : +32 9 - 345 12 07

Email     : hans.maenhout@finindus.be

Only one year after successfully launching Expanite’s surface hardening technology for stainless steel in the Chinese market, KERN-LIEBERS and Expanite has signed a joint agreement, which will expand the product offerings available from KERN-LIEBERS´ facility in Taicang, China. The new agreement ensures that all Expanite processes for surface hardening of stainless steel will be available in China from the fall of 2019.

In November 2017, KERN-LIEBERS and Expanite signed the first license agreement which included KERNLIEBERS installing equipment to executing Expanite’s hardening processes for martensitic stainless steels, also referred to as the ExpaniteHigh-T processes, at their Taicang facility near Shanghai, China. Now, approximately one year later, the Parties have agreed to expand the license agreement to also cover Expanite’s processes for austenitic, ferritic and duplex stainless steels, referred to as the ExpaniteLow-T and SuperExpanite processes, and thereby making it possible to offer the complete range of Expanite processes for stainless steel to Chinese and other Asian companies.

“Our China business has had a fantastic start in 2018 and we continue to see tremendous growth potential towards many local and international companies with operations in China. The combination of KERNLIEBERS reputation of supplying parts and heat treatment to the highest quality standards and Expanite’s best-in-class hardening technologies for stainless steel, represents an ideal partnership, which essentially benefits our customers,” Thomas Abel Sandholdt CEO at Expanite explains.

Richard Zhang, CEO of KERN-LIEBERS, Taicang continues, “with extension of our current installation, we will have the capabilities of reaching a much broader range of customers, applications and industries – and we can offer cutting-edge technologies to our customers. We are very proud of being the first in China to have true low-temperature surface hardening solution for stainless steel”.

The new installation is expected to be fully operational during Q4, 2019.

About KERN-LIEBERS

KERN-LIEBERS, a medium-sized family-owned company based in southwest Germany, is a global technology leader for the production of highly complex strip and wire parts, and assemblies. The KERNLIEBERS group of companies develops and manufactures precision products of the highest quality at over 50 locations around the world (www.kern-liebers.com).

About Expanite

Expanite is based on uninterrupted research since 2000 and was founded in 2010 by leading experts in materials and surface hardening. The company is headquartered in Hillerød near Copenhagen and has hardening capacity in the USA, Germany and China. In addition, Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be tailored to be introduced into a customer’s own product line as part of a licensing agreement (www.expanite.com). Contact info If you would like more information about this topic, please contact For KERN-LIEBERS: Richard Zhang, CEO of KERN-LIEBERS in Taicang - richard.zhang@kern-liebers.com.cn, +86 512 5328 3533 For Expanite: Thomas Abel Sandholdt, CEO of Expanite – tsa@expanite.com, +45 20407207.

Expanite announces it has submitted a Master File for Devices (MAF) to the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and has now been issued the submission number MAF3078.

Expanite has successfully submitted a Master File for Devices (MAF) to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the FDA for SuperExpanite® , their patented process for surface hardening of stainless steel and received an Acknowledgment letter from the FDA confirming submission filing. The MAF covers necessary information such as technology, production processes and facility information, as well as test data and more. The SuperExpanite Master File has been issued submission document control number MAF3078.

“We are very pleased to have achieved this significant milestone. The FDA registration makes it easier for our U.S. customers to obtain approval for new medical products that use Expanite surface hardening. Expanite is now able to provide a signed and named Authorization letter to our customers on their request, for the purpose of their product registrations at the FDA. This is the first of many MAFs to come” says Expanite CEO, Thomas Abel Sandholdt.

Benefits of MAF implementation

The advantages of the MAF being submitted at FDA for the manufacturers who utilize Expanite surface hardening technology and register their products at the FDA are many e.g.:

Expanite, individually, invested time to search and understand the FDA requirements for MAF submission;

Documentation compiled, as required, and submission confirmed by the FDA;

Surface hardening technology documentation available for FDA’s review as of now;

Eliminates communication time and effort between manufacturer and Expanite on MAF build and requirements;

Expanite responsible to maintain MAF up to date, as appropriate.

For the manufacturer‘s medical devices registrations purposes, the SuperExpanite Master File for Devices is now available for reference and review at the FDA. Expanite shall provide MAF Authorization letter on customer requests to make Expanite technical documentation available for FDA’s review in context of their product registration.

Please contact Thomas Abel Sandholdt to hear more about the FDA Master File for Devices, SuperExpanite MAF content and request a signed and named Authorization letter for your product registrations.

About Expanite A/S

Expanite offers state-of-the-art solutions for surface hardening treatment of stainless steels and titanium. With Expanite's processes, it is possible to increase the material’s surface hardness tenfold while at the same time maintaining and even increasing its corrosion resistance. Expanite has a combined development and production facility near Copenhagen, Denmark, and hardening capacity in the US, Germany and China. Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be introduced directly into a customer’s own production line as part of a licensing arrangement. Learn more on www.expanite.com

The transition to cheaper and more environmentally friendly fuels is crucial to the future of the shipping industry, and MAN Diesel & Turbo is a major player in that market.

MAN Diesel & Turbo's newest generation of gasdriven engines already plays a key role in the sector's fuel conversion from oil to alternative energy. When developing the engine, Expanite and MAN Diesel & Turbo collaborated in solving the installation of their gas injection valve in the engine. An important part of the solution came from Expanite - a surface hardening technology that makes stainless steel extremely wear and corrosion resistant.

Per Brandt, manager at MAN Diesel & Turbo, says: “Originally, we had specified a chrome plating in our cylinder cap for mounting our gas injection valve, but it could not always stay tight as there were high requirements for chrome surface quality. We tried unsuccessfully with different solutions. Fortunately, someone had heard about Expanite's surface hardening, and although stainless steel is usually softer than chrome surface, it turned out to be the solution. A design change coupled with Expanite's hardening technology solved our challenge. In cooperation with Expanite we relatively quickly found a hardening that made our surface resistant against scratches and corrosion. The solution passed our test in service where the system remained sealed and tight and in addition the solution was also easy and cost efficient to implement."

A cheaper and greener solution Expanite is a Danish growth company established in 2010 by three experts in materials and surface hardening from the Technical University of Denmark. In short, the technology is a gas-based treatment of the surface of stainless steel or titanium, so that corrosion resistance is improved and the hardness is multiplied (eg up to 1200HV 0.05 in stainless steel). This eliminates wear and galling, and the lifespan of the parts is increased by a factor of ten. "Expanite's processes are significantly more environmentally friendly and sustainable as opposed to chrome baths," Claus Løndal, European Sales Director in Expanite, emphasizes. "With Expanite, we have the opportunity to change the rules and extend the limits for what qualities you can expect from stainless steel. In addition, our solutions have the advantage that the equipment and processes can be easily implemented directly by our customers."

It is expected to be a huge international market for Expanite, which technology is protected by patents. Expanite has already established service centers in Denmark, Germany, the US and China, and customers are today comming from automotive, medical, food and pumps & valves industry, but the demand for more resistant and durable stainless steel products is wide - also in the marine sector. "We have had a very positive beginning with Expanite, and as the equipment is to deliver more and more and is pushed to the limits, the need for extra hardening of vital components will also increase," Per Brandt adds. 

MAN Diesel & Turbo profile The German MAN Diesel & Turbo has roots dating back to the 18th century and is today the world's leading supplier of large diesel engines for the marine and stationary plants. The twostroke engines department is headquartered in Copenhagen, which designs engines and propulsion solutions under the brand MAN B&W. www.mandieselturbo.com

Expanite A/S profile

Expanite is based on uninterrupted research since 2000 and founded in 2010 by leading experts in materials and surface hardening. The company is headquartered in Hillerød near Copenhagen and with hardening capacity in US, Germany and China. In addition, Expanite's solutions are flexible and can be tailored to be introduced into a customer’s own production line as part of a licensing arrangement. www.expanite.com

Contact Thomas Abel Sandholdt, CEO, +45 20 40 72 07, tsa@expanite.com

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, October 10, 2016 – Innecs Power Systems BV, a Dutch provider of solutions that enable industrial sites to increase their energy efficiency, has received a substantial growth equity investment to support its further international expansion.

The financing was led by main investor Brabant Development Agency (BOM Capital) and Finindus, a Belgian investment company backed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region.The new funds will be used to invest in sales and marketing and to set up a network of local distribution partners to capitalize on international growth opportunities.

“We are experiencing active demand from Europe, the Middle East and Asia across our product portfolio. The new funds enable us to scale up the organization and take advantage of these promising opportunities,” said Reidar Koolen, CEO of Innecs. “Apart from continuing our productive partnership with BOM, we are very pleased to welcome our new investor Finindus. They have relevant expertise, an extensive industry network and a direct link to ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel producer. We look forward to working with them as we realize our growth plans.”

Founded in 2004, Innecs offers a range of intelligent solutions to help industrial sites and small to medium-sized businesses increase their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. In Europe, multiple customers are already relying on Innecs’ BoilerBurner to comply with regulation to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Meanwhile, Innecs’ SteamExpander and PowerBurner use innovative technology to help industrial clients generate both steam and electricity to power on-site processes in a cost-effective and responsible manner.

“There’s an enormous potential for energy savings in the industry segment. In an ideal world everyone, even industrial sites, should exclusively use renewable energy, but the energy transition is a process that won’t happen overnight. With more than 60,000 steam boilers in Europe alone, fossil fuels will remain crucial to the energy supply of industrial sites for decades to come,” Koolen continued.

“Innecs has a unique and realistic approach to addressing the energy and environmental efficiency of industrial companies, which account for a considerable share of total energy consumption in the world,” commented Miriam Dragstra, Director of BOM Capital. “We are pleased to continue our partnership and enable this innovative company to realize its ambitions in and outside Europe.”

“After years of development work, Innecs has managed to build a balanced portfolio of intelligent solutions that are ready to address a serious need in the market. Industrial groups are increasingly interested in energy efficiency, not only because of cost considerations but also to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Hans Maenhout, Investment Director at Finindus. “Innecs’ solutions have been designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, they are compact and have a short payback period, which are all key differentiators in an industrial context.”

About Innecs
Founded in 2004, Innecs Power Systems BV is a Dutch provider of solutions that help industrial sites, and small and mid-sized businesses increase their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact when using steam. The BoilerBurner is an industrial burner that enables clients to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, while the SteamExpander and PowerBurner use innovative technology to generate both steam and electricity to power on-site processes in a cost-effective and responsible manner. (www.innecs.nl)

About BOM
The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) endeavors to promote an innovative and resilient economy in the Dutch province of Brabant, giving the region a lasting competitive edge in a rapidly globalizing world. The emphasis in this policy is focused on the top economic clusters, crossovers between these clusters, and linking these clusters to social issues.

BOM encourages companies, local and national authorities and knowledge institutes to realize the economic ambitions nurtured by the province of Brabant. The starting point in this is to provide smart solutions to social problems. BOM’s core tasks involve forging alliances between companies and institutions, attracting foreign companies, investing risk capital in both innovative startups as well as growing companies and developing business sites. (www.bom.nl)

About Finindus
Finindus is a Belgian investment company backed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region. Finindus invests in early stage and growth companies, with a specific focus on materials, material processing and sustainable manufacturing. (www.finindus.be)

For further information please contact:

Reidar Koolen, CEO at Innecs.

Tel.       : +31 (0)85 – 27 33 160

Email    :  r.koolen@innecs.nl

Westminster, CO, USA - 30 October 2017 – Keystone Tower Systems Inc, a Colorado based technology company, has secured significant growth capital to further support the global roll out of its advanced wind turbine tower manufacturing technology.

Keystone Tower Systems has developed and patented an innovative process for spiral welding conical steel structures, enabling greater production efficiencies. The company is tailoring its spiral welding technology for the production of wind turbine towers. The technology significantly reduces the overall cost of tower manufacturing through increased throughput and lower labor and material costs, resulting in a reduction of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for wind. The first commercial tower production is planned for 2019.

Earlier this year, Keystone partnered with a leading equipment OEM in the steel industry to roll out the technology worldwide. The first phase focuses on licensing its spiral welding technology to existing tower manufacturing plants for conventional dimension towers. In the follow-up phase, they will pursue mobile manufacturing facilities producing large diameter wind towers at the wind farm site, eliminating limitations on the tower diameter imposed by road transport restrictions.

The current investment round is led by a consortium of Keystone’s existing investors together with Finindus, a Belgium based venture capital company funded by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region; the Colorado Impact Fund, a Colorado based fund dedicated to supporting Colorado companies that generate consistent investment returns in addition to positive community impact; and Zoma Capital, the investment arm for the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, based in Denver, which invests in a broad range of market-based sustainable solutions addressing environmental and social problems.

“We are thrilled to bring onboard incredible partners who will help us accelerate our roll-out plan,” Eric Smith, CEO of Keystone Tower Systems, commented on the transaction.

“Steel and welding technology are at the core of the business of one of our shareholders. It is clear that Keystone Tower Systems is a natural fit within our investment focus,” Hans Maenhout, Investment Director at Finindus, commented.

“The Colorado Impact Fund is excited to support Keystone Tower Systems as it develops and commercializes a world-class technology that will further cement Colorado’s position as a leader in the wind energy sector,” said Scott Reich of the Colorado Impact Fund.

Melissa Cheong, Zoma's Chief Investment Officer, remarked, “We are excited to support an innovative Colorado-based business whose technology has the potential to accelerate the adoption of wind power and expand the geographic reach of renewable energy development.”

ABOUT KEYSTONE TOWER SYSTEMS

Keystone Tower Systems, founded in 2010, is a Colorado based company specializing in innovative wind tower manufacturing technologies. It is the only company in the world with the technology to spiral weld wind towers.

www.keystonetowersystems.com

ABOUT FININDUS

Finindus is a Belgian investment company backed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region. Finindus invests in early stage and growth companies, with a specific focus on materials, material processing and sustainable manufacturing.

www.finindus.be

ABOUT COLORADO IMPACT FUND

The Colorado Impact Fund, founded in July 2014, is a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting local Colorado companies that generate consistent investment returns in addition to positive community outcomes. Investors in the Fund include some of Colorado’s most respected executives, families, foundations and corporations, each of whom is committed to making a difference in the State of Colorado and beyond. Targeting investments in the areas of community health, natural resource conservation, education and workforce development and economic development, the Colorado Impact Fund leverages its collective experiences, resources and networks to help Colorado entrepreneurs create exceptional and lasting companies.

www.coloradoimpactfund.com

ABOUT ZOMA CAPITAL

Zoma Capital is the investment arm for the family office of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, based in Denver. Zoma manages an investment portfolio with strategies in Colorado and in Chile focused on issues of energy, water, community development, workforce development and mental health.

For further information please contact:

Anna Moon, VP of Business Development & Strategy

Email     : info@keystonetowersystems.com

November 15, 2018 - Great apotheosis after it nomination for Deloitte Fast 50 Rising Star.

This evening, CEO Michaël Callens and COO Niels De Greef were excited and proud when receiving the 'Most Disruptive Innovator' award! The award was handed over on Deloitte's Fast50 and Rising Star competitions celebration. Thank you to the entire REIN4CED team for its inspiring composites innovation.

Combined material innovation & process automation

Undoubtedly, the jury was impressed by REIN4CED’s new impact-resistant composite material for bicycle frames. The disruptive impact-resistant material eliminates the sudden and dramatic failure of carbon bicycle frames that put riders’ lives in danger. REIN4CED’s new lightweight material combines carbon with fine steel fibers, offering cyclists maximum performance with enhanced safety and durability.

A second disruption is the patent-pending method that REIN4CED developed for automated production of bicycle frames. Today, carbon race bicycles and mountain bikes are produced in Asia because bicycle production is a largely manual process with low hourly wages. Currently the team is working to bring its automated process to an industrial scale through its production plant in Leuven. The combined material innovation and process automation is a decisive stronghold of REIN4CED.

Bring back carbon frame production to Europe

Already late 2019, REIN4CED’s first impact-resistant frames will roll off the new production line. The production facility of REIN4CED will allow customers – leading cycling brands – to bring back carbon frame production from Asia to Europe. As a result, they will benefit from significant logistic advantages as well as increased supply chain flexibility and efficiency. 

The REIN4CED facility in Leuven will start at an annual production capacity of at least 20,000 bicycle frames and is ready to be easily upgraded to meet higher production capacity. It is a scalable process that allows REIN4CED to steadily increase production volumes in response to the growing demand for localized production in Europe.

Targeting automotive and aerospace industries  

REIN4CED focuses on the bicycle world because this fast-paced industry is constantly searching for new material innovations. The advantage of the patented material is that any inflicted damage remains visible after an impact and that its structural integrity is maintained. The new composite material combined with a repeatable and automated process is much desired in other composite-intensive markets such as automotive and aerospace.

Silicon photonics based fiber optic sensing allows for highly accurate, small, robust and cost-efficient structural health monitoring and process control

Ghent (Belgium) - September 10, 2018 – Ghent University (UGent) and imec today announced the incorporation of Sentea, a spin-off from their world leading Photonics Research Group. An initial 1.6 million Euro in funding was raised from Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II and the founders. Sentea will develop and market advanced silicon photonics based fiber optic sensing solutions. These will be used to continuously monitor engineering structures for signs of damages that over time could lead to catastrophic failure, as well as to control industrial installations to maximize their efficiency.

According to the new market research report from MarketsandMarkets, the structural health monitoring market is estimated to grow from USD 1.48 billion in 2018 to USD 3.38 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 17.93% between 2018 and 2023. The major factors driving the growth of the structural health monitoring market include concerns about catastrophic failure due to aging infrastructures in the developed countries, stringent government regulations pertaining to the sustainability of structures, and the superior benefits of structural health monitoring. Furthermore, the structural Health Monitoring Market for the Energy vertical is expected to grow at a rate of more than 20% from 2018-2023, owing to various applications such as wind turbines, nuclear power plants and hydropower plants.

“Integrating all optical functions into a single silicon photonics component will allow us to make highly accurate, small and robust fiber optic sensor interrogators. Silicon photonics is also very cost-effective, which makes fiber optic sensing affordable for a wide range of new markets and applications and facilitates universal and continues monitoring of structures”, commented Karsten Verhaegen, CEO of Sentea. “Key potential customers have expressed great interest in Sentea’s solutions, stating that better infrastructure lifetime management and process control makes them more competitive in their respective markets.”

“Sentea builds on state-of-the-art silicon photonics technology IP that has been developed at the Photonics Research Group of imec and the UGent for the past 20 years, a technology in which both organizations are perceived as world-leading,” stated Luc Van den hove, president and Chief Executive Officer at imec. “This firm technology base will provide Sentea a kick-start to develop its sensor technology that is answering an existing need in a broad range of market segments.”

To develop its first products and bring them to market, the company raised 1.6 million Euro in funding from a consortium of investors including Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II.

About Structural Health Monitoring

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a process in which engineering structures are continuously monitored throughout their lifetime for early signs of damages that over time could lead to catastrophic failure. By detecting any damage early on, and repairing or replacing the damaged part, catastrophic failure and the resulting downtime and huge repair costs can be avoided. A range of SHM solutions, such as fiber optic sensing, have found their way into engineering structures such as wind turbines, nuclear power plants, ships, trains, airplanes, buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, heavy machinery, blast furnaces and so on.

About fiber optic sensing

Fiber optic sensing is a technology where the sensor itself is a specialty fiber designed such that it can sense pressure and temperature at multiple point along the length of the fiber. An interrogator device then captures the signal of the multiple sensing points in the fiber and interprets the signal into pressure, temperature or other derived parameters (e.g. acceleration or vibration). The inherent advantages of fiber optic sensors such as light weight, small size, passive, low attenuation, immunity to electromagnetic interference, wide bandwidth and environmental ruggedness are heavily used to offset their major disadvantages of high cost of the interrogator. Cost reduction of fiber optic sensor interrogators, together with new trends like IoT, big data and industry 4.0 will boost the utility and demand of fiber optic sensing in SHM and process control even further.

About Silicon Photonics

Silicon photonics allows for major cost savings and a significant increase in capabilities in developing and fabricating optical components. The ability to use standard CMOS manufacturing processes makes silicon photonics commercially very attractive. The sub-micron precision of these standard microelectronic CMOS processes allow for silicon photonics components to integrate a variety of optical functions in a very small chip that consumes far less power than traditional optical components. Decades of experience in making (electronic) chips from silicon as well as the installed base of (silicon) semiconductor manufacturing capacity can be leveraged to build highly integrated low-cost optical components for a variety of applications.

About Sentea

Sentea aspires to be a market leader in advanced fiber optical solutions for structural health and process monitoring. The company was incorporated in 2018 as a spin-off of the Photonics Research Group of Ghent University and imec to commercialize more than a decade of research in silicon photonics and fiber optic sensing. Benefitting from the advantages of silicon photonics, Sentea will develop and market fiber optic sensing interrogators that offer high accuracy, small size and advanced functionality, positioned for deployment in a wide range of applications and markets, hence enabling continuous monitoring of structural integrity to become the standard. Sentea is privately held by a consortium of investors including Fidimec, Finindus, PMV and QBIC II.

Contact: Karsten Verhaegen, CEO, e-mail: karsten.verhaegen@senteatech.com

About imec

Imec is the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. The combination of our widely acclaimed leadership in microchip technology and profound software and ICT expertise is what makes us unique. By leveraging our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries, we create groundbreaking innovation in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, energy and education.

As a trusted partner for companies, start-ups and universities we bring together more than 4,000 brilliant minds from over 85 nationalities. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium and has distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, in the Netherlands, Taiwan, USA, China, and offices in India and Japan. In 2017, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 546 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec-int.com.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited), imec Florida (IMEC USA nanoelectronics design center).

Contact: Hanne Degans, Press communications manager, +32 16 28 17 69 // +32 486 06 51 75 // Hanne.Degans@imec.be

About UGent

Ghent University was founded in 1817 and is one of Europe’s leading institutions of higher education and research in the Dutch-speaking region today. It comprises eleven faculties offering education driven by its innovative research in the many scientific disciplines. Located in Flanders, Belgium, the cultural, political, and economic heart of Europe, Ghent University is an active partner in many national and international educational, scientific and industrial collaboration projects.

The Photonics Research Group in the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture is one of Europe’s leading groups in the field of photonic integration and silicon photonics. It is associated with imec and hosts 80 researchers including six ERC-grantees. The Photonics Research Group is part of the Center for Nano and Biophotonics – NB-Photonics – a multidisciplinary research and technology transfer platform clustering the resources and knowhow of 23 professors across four different faculties.