About the sector
An agency dedicated exclusively to ICT
Conscious of the importance of telecommunications, the Region has set up an agency specializing in ICT. The general task of the “Agence Wallonne des Télécommunications (AWT)” (The Walloon Telecommunications Agency) is to promote these technologies and their use in the Walloon Region. This mission is expressed through three fundamental priorities, in the order: technology monitoring, consultancy and reference, promotion.
The AWT has set up a reference web portal, an environment wholly dedicated to the convergence and distribution of ICT in the Walloon Region: www.awt.be.
Very high bandwidth for companies
One of the particular features of Belgium, in the north as well as the south, is that it is one of the most cabled countries in the world. Different methods of broadband connection are available: ADSL, SDSL, VDSL, cable. The Walloon Region also has wide high-speed wireless coverage (3G) thanks to the different mobile operators.
Access to “fibre optic to the building” (FTTB) is a reality for over 1,500 SMEs in the Walloon Region. Fibre optic permits very high bandwidth telecommunications connections. It is often used to connect large enterprises or companies for which telecommunications are a critical work tool (call centres, e-commerce sites, etc.), but remains outside the scope of the majority of SMEs for reasons of cost and geographical location.
Consequently, the Walloon Region has invested in the deployment of a public fibre optic network open to all telecommunications operators. Originally consisting of fibre optic cables laid alongside the motorways, this network has been fleshed out with links serving the main urban centres, but also with the complete "cabling" of 44 business parks, this network is interconnected at national and international level.
In order to stimulate the use of this technology, the Walloon Region made Sofico (the Walloon infrastructure complementary funding Company) responsible for prefinancing investments and promoting the commercial value of this telecommunications infrastructure to operators interested in attractive terms. Any operator can contact Sofico to offer, via this infrastructure, its services to end customers (SMEs, hospitals, public authorities, etc.) served by this fibre optic. Several options are offered:
standard “telephony and symmetric broadband internet” solutions.
“dark fibre” connections.
“leased line” connections.
etc.
Twist: a cluster for the digital and multimedia sector
The TWIST Cluster is a network of enterprises that includes the Walloon actors in the audiovisual and multimedia sector (technology companies, service providers, training centres, universities, research centres, distributors, producers, professional associations, etc.). Its aim is to develop partnerships between its members and promote image, sound and text technologies.
TWIST represents a sector, the turnover of which in the Walloon Region is estimated as being close to a billion euros with 4,000 direct jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. Alterface, CoToon, Digital Graphics, Dreamwall, EVS, I-Movix, Neuro TV, Victor 3D, XDC, Acapela, IRIS, etc. are among the 40 companies that are currently members.
In addition to better mutual knowledge between the actors and contacts between members, the cluster needs to generate:
stronger partnerships with a view to developing business and privileged access to technological innovation.
convergence between manufacturers, researchers, teachers, trainers, service companies and other actors involved in audiovisual and multimedia production and distribution.
the promotion of the network at national and international level and the creation of synergies with other similar and complementary networks, in Belgium and abroad.
access to public or private funding to accelerate the development and marketing of a variety of innovative products and to develop new technologies and new products.
The cluster must also allow its members to make strong representations to the relevant contacts concerning fundamental questions to do with training and recruitment. Indeed, a shortage of talent is one of the main stumbling blocks faced by technology companies’ high added value projects. One can only be glad of the presence within TWIST of research centres, universities and competence centres. FPms, Multitel, UCL, ULg, etc.
Dialogue with the public authorities will also be strengthened by the representation of state agencies active in funding projects on the board of directors: Wallimage, DGTRE, AWT, etc.
The ICT sector in the Walloon Region
In the context of its mission as a monitor or observatory, the AWT is setting up a database listing companies active in the Information and Communication Technologies sector, from the manufacture of cables and electronic components to the creation of three-dimensional animation software.
Accessible free on-line, it constitutes a shop window of companies in our region making it possible for Belgian and foreign entrepreneurs to identify potential partners quickly as they seek to develop activities making use of ICT.
Over 850 companies active in this sector in the Walloon Region are now listed in this database available in 4 languages.
ICT cluster
The Infopole ICT Cluster is part of a cluster system. From this perspective, its aim is to bring university and industrial skills together to create a centre of excellence in the field of information and communication technologies. Through this mobilization of skills, the ICT Cluster aims to maximize the regional expertise available and to strengthen its position at local, regional, national and international level.
The ICT Cluster’s objectives are as follows:
to bring professional actors together in a network, that is, Walloon companies and research centres specializing in information technology, in order to create synergies and enable them to reach the critical mass necessary to acquire national and international influence.
to develop a platform for exchanges between the members of the Network in order, notably, to facilitate access to the markets and research projects, public and private, national and international.
to stimulate the partnership in order to contribute to the development of companies and/or research centres, by stimulating the Network, ensuring that partnership projects between enterprises and/or research centres are set up and supported.
to promote the Walloon Region’s image as a pole of excellence in terms of information and communication systems, and to be a beacon in this field at national and international level.
Centres of competence
Centres of competence are effective technical platforms endowed with modern facilities, made available to training agencies and companies. As multi-user resource centres, they accommodate training courses for a varied public: company employees, job seekers, workers, teachers and students.
They offer a wide choice of training courses, either standard or custom designed, in phase with the needs of the job market, as well as providing information, raising awareness with regard to the use of the various technologies and giving training advice. They are the result of partnerships between the Walloon Region, Forem, social partners from the professional sectors, research centres and the universities.
Due to its increasing success, the new concept of training and technical dissemination implemented in these centres needs to be multiplied in order to ensure, in the longer term, a sectoral and geographical network in the Walloon Region. Currently there are 12 such centres, located in zones with great development potential.
As far as ICT is concerned, the centres are as follows:
Technifutur (Liège region).
Technocité (Mons region).
Technofutur3 (Charleroi region).
Techno.bel (Luxembourg and Namur regions).
E-learning
The promotion of e-learning is part of the dynamic of the Lisbon Summit (March 2000). This dynamic has evolved towards the implementation of a European education and life-long learning space, of which e-learning is a leading tool. Numerous European funding projects and programs are making it possible to get a little closer to this objective each day.
The Walloon government has given AWT the task of setting up an e-learning umbrella body with the task of coordinating and bringing together actors and initiatives in the Walloon Region and French Community, in order to act as a catalyst in the development of e-learning.
Information and contact
Agence Wallonne des Télécommunications (AWT)
Avenue Prince de Liège 133 - 5100 Jambes (Namur) - Belgium
www.awt.be - info@awt.be