New spaces for businesses in Wallonia: the Durobor and Ougrée projects are progressing Wallonia continues the redevelopment of its disused industrial areas, aiming to recover spaces and prepare them to welcome new economic activities. In Soignies and Seraing, two projects followed by Wallonie Entreprendre have made new advances in terms of remediation, authorisations, and funding.
The initiatives concern the former Durobor site and the former Ougrée Coke Works, two elements of Wallonia's industrial heritage at the centre of redevelopment paths involving regional institutions, local administrations, and private partners.
In Soignies, over 16.5 million euros for the Durobor site
The Walloon Government has approved the remediation project for the former Durobor site, located in Soignies, in the province of Hainaut. The intervention aims to mobilise over 16.5 million euros, with a European co-financing of 40% through the European Regional Development Fund.
The goal is to rehabilitate the area and prepare it for a new purpose. The redevelopment of the former glassworks is being developed in collaboration with the City of Soignies, SPAQUE, and the intermunicipal IDEA, bringing together environmental expertise and spatial planning.
In Ougrée, a future park for industrial activities and SMEs
In Seraing, in the province of Liège, the transformation of the former Ougrée Coke Works into a park for economic activities is progressing.
The project is promoted by SORECO, a company born from the collaboration between Wallonie Entreprendre and DEME Environnement. A first authorisation allows for the recovery of the area of the former rolling mill, while the infrastructure project has been selected to benefit from 8.1 million euros of European ERDF support.
The first phase covers 18.3 hectares and should make available 13.1 hectares of equipped land, mainly intended for industrial activities, SMEs and business services. According to estimates reported by Wallonie Entreprendre, around twenty companies could settle, with a potential of between 200 and 260 jobs. The first equipped plots should be available in 2029.
The prospects for businesses
The two projects show how the recovery of industrial heritage can contribute to the development of the supply of spaces for new productive activities.
For companies interested in settling or expanding their presence in Wallonia, including Italian ones, these are initiatives to follow in the evaluation of medium-term projects. In particular, the evolution of the Ougrée park will allow us to observe how the future supply of land intended for businesses will take shape.