Kevin Poelmans, Business Group Leader at Agoria Composites, and Jan Verhaeghe, Managing Director of Agesia, Vice-President of EuCIA and President of Agoria Composites, guide us through the activities and strategies to support the composites industry.
What is Agoria Composites?
Agoria is the federation for the technology industry in Belgium, representing about 2,100 companies that innovate, develop, and produce across various technological sectors. It serves as a bridge between its members and policymakers, fostering an environment conducive to innovation, sustainable growth, and competitiveness. Agoria offers services in HR, training, market development, regulation, digitisation, infrastructure, manufacturing, climate, environment, and energy.
Agoria Composites focuses on Belgian companies in the composites value chain, with dedicated lobbying activities, networking events, promotion of best practices, sharing of essential information, and fostering connections between technology producers and user markets to drive growth and development.
What is your strategy?
The Agoria Composites strategy is seamlessly integrated into the federation’s overall approach, with five dedicated focus areas tailored specifically to the composites sector.
Advocacy and Representation: Represents the interests of members to policymakers and stakeholders at regional, national, and European levels. Provides input on legislation and policies impacting the technology industry.
Business Support: Offers expertise and consultancy on regulatory compliance, taxation, and labour issues. Helps members navigate challenges like international trade, digital transformation, and sustainability. The Make the Future programme guides our companies on the road to industry 4.0.
Networking and Collaboration: Organises events to foster collaboration among members. Encourages knowledge sharing and partnerships within and across industries. Connects with other organisations in the field to maximise the return on effort.
Innovation and Competitiveness: Supports companies in adopting cutting-edge technologies and processes. Encourages innovation in areas like digital transformation, sustainability, and circular economy.
Talent and training: Collaborates with Sirris to provide learning networks and specialised training. Bridges academia and industry through technology roadmaps and partnerships with student teams to connect future talent with real-world opportunities.
What are your key initiatives related to sustainability?
The Agoria Technology for a Better World sustainability report highlights the organisation’s commitment to leveraging technology to address global sustainability challenges. It outlines how the technology industry in Belgium contributes to environmental, social, and economic sustainability through innovation and collaboration.
All actions and activities organised by Agoria Composites need to be in line with the ambitions and 12 action domains.
Road to a circular economy: sharing best practices and technological innovation through learning networks, events and circular business opportunities. Agoria is active in regional programs for accelerating the transition to a circular economy like Vlaanderen Circulair and Circular Wallonia. These serve as a strategic framework for collaboration among government, businesses, research institutions, and civil society.
The Make the Future programme by Agoria and Sirris is designed exclusively for members of Agoria and Sirris in the Belgian manufacturing industry. This programme helps them stand out as leading players in the sector. Since 2021, Agoria and Sirris have been working together to guide these companies toward a sustainable future. This programme is geared to 7 strategic transformations, and provides an ideal opportunity to innovate, become more sustainable, and strengthen the company’s competitive position.
Collaborative Research: Engages through dedicated platforms in Belgium, like MateriNex, Pôle MecaTech, and Skywin, with stakeholders to support the collaborative research and development of innovative materials and sustainable processes that reduce environmental impact and advance green technologies.
How does being a member of EuCIA assist you in your work?
EuCIA offers invaluable support to work towards a level playing field by facilitating collaboration with European partners and ensuring alignment with EU regulations and sustainability objectives. It is the preferred channel for our advocacy efforts at the European level. This ensures that the unique challenges and opportunities of the composites sector are effectively represented and addressed.
This membership also provides access to a robust network of expertise, and allows for exchange of best practices across borders.
Where do you see your association in 10 years from now?
In the next 10 years, Agoria Composites aims to position Belgium as an innovative force in the field of composites by leveraging the strengths of our ecosystem. This includes strong relationships with renowned research centres, the chemistry cluster at the Port of Antwerp, and the agility of numerous SMEs. We will also focus on turning challenges ꟷ such as the absence of OEMs and high labour and energy costs ꟷ into opportunities. Our emphasis will be on innovation that drives sustainability and enhances competitiveness, achieved through improved supply chain resilience, circularity, and digitalisation, including AI and automation.
We aspire to become the Belgian authority for our members, partners, and government, guiding sustainable technological advancements and securing a central role in driving industry progress.
Further information: www.agoria.be/composites
Kevin Poelmans obtained his master’s degree in chemistry, followed by a PhD in chemical engineering at the Free University of Brussels.
He worked for about 13 years for allnex, a coating resins manufacturer, in different R&D and business development roles.
Kevin joined Agoria in October 2020 as a Business Group Leader for the Belgian composites and plastics converters. In September 2024 he assumed the position of Industry Technology Cluster Leader for materials and subcontracting. In this role he coordinates the efforts and activities of the different business groups within Agoria in the field of materials (composites, metals and plastics) and subcontracting (Additive Manufacturing, Innovation Design and Engineering Services & Subcontractors). All these segments are at the early stage of the value chain in the manufacturing industries.
Jan Verhaeghe earned his master’s degree in electromechanical engineering from Ghent University, followed by an MBA from the Flanders Business School in Antwerp.
Throughout his career, Jan has held technical and general management roles in diverse industries, beginning with metal transport equipment and later focusing on composite transportation solutions. He is the inventor of the innovative ACROSOMA stitched panel technology and the founder of Acrosoma NV. Currently, he serves as the Co-founder and President of Agesia BV.
In addition to his entrepreneurial accomplishments, Jan has made significant contributions to industry organisations. He is a former president of FLAG (Flemish Aerospace Group), the President of Agoria Composites, and a Vice-President and Board Member of EuCIA.
