Sirris

11/06/2026

Innovation doesn't stand still. Neither does "Innovation Forward".
The 2026 edition is here.

Explore how companies are boosting productivity, accelerating innovation through industrial prototyping, and creating business value with AI.

Featuring:
🔹 Productivity growth
🔹 Industrial Prototyping
🔹 AI for Industry

Discover the technologies, insights, and success stories that are shaping the future of Belgian industry.

👉 (EN) Download the magazine : https://www.sirris.be/en/sirris-innovation-forward-magazine

👉 (NL) Download the magazine: https://www.sirris.be/nl/sirris-innovation-forward-magazine

👉 (FR) Download the magazine: https://www.sirris.be/fr/sirris-innovation-forward-magazine

Check our annual Sirris Innovation Forward magazine!

09/06/2026

Innovation only creates value when it delivers impact.
As technology evolves, markets shift, and geopolitical realities reshape industries, companies need more than technological breakthroughs. They need trusted partners who can turn opportunities into industrial impact.

That is where Sirris | Innovation forwards comes in.

In our 2025 Annual Report, we look back on a year of innovation, collaboration, and tangible results. Together with companies, we helped translate emerging technologies into practical solutions that strengthen competitiveness, productivity, and sustainable growth.

Curious about the projects, figures, and achievements that made a difference in 2025?

Read the 2025 Annual Report:
📘 EN: https://www.sirris.be/en/activity-reports
📘 NL: https://www.sirris.be/nl/activiteitenverslagen
📘 FR: https://www.sirris.be/fr/rapports-dactivites

A sincere thank you to all the companies, partners, and colleagues who continue to build the future of Belgian industry with us.

Ann Debaere, Jeroen Deleu, Herman Derache, Jean-Francois Delaigle, Massiel Bustamante, Johan De Geyter, Walter Auwers.

26/05/2026

Ever thought of replacing paperwork on the shopfloor by an AI driven workspace?

At OSG Grinding Services, paperwork on the shopfloor was slowing people down and increased the risk of errors.
With an AI-driven digital workplace, information is now easier to access and update. This reduces administration and improves daily workflows.

Are you ready to rethink your workflows ?
Get inspired by the suscess story of David grinding services :
👉 https://www.sirris.be/en/inspiration/osg-david-grinding-services-replaces-paperwork-ai-driven-workplace
Or contact our experts: Christophe Michiels or debaveye

12/05/2026

LDES is entering the real world.
Not in 10 years. Now.

The technology is ready. Batteries that can store energy for 8, 20 or even 40+ hours already exist. From zinc-bromide to redox flow and CO₂-based systems, the innovation is here.

Meanwhile, the pressure on our energy system keeps growing.
Factories electrify. AI drives massive power demand. Renewable energy peaks overload the grid. And too much green energy still goes unused because we cannot store it long enough.

That’s why long-duration energy storage matters. Not as a niche technology but as critical infrastructure.

What became clear during our Sirris | Innovation forward event is that the challenge is no longer technological. It’s economic and systemic. Today’s markets still reward short-term speed, while LDES creates value over time: resilience, stability and energy security.

The companies exploring LDES are doing more than testing batteries, they are preparing for a completely different energy reality.

And the future will not be one technology replacing another. It will be hybrid. Fast-response storage combined with long-duration flexibility.

The energy transition is growing up. Storage is becoming strategic.

Read the full article 👇
https://www.sirris.be/en/inspiration/ldes-technology-ready-market-not-yet



Paul Peeters

23/04/2026

From idea to industry, more complex than ever.

Today in Sirris Liège, together with -Yves Jeholet, Walloon Minister of Economy, and Herman Derache, we officially opened our renewed high-tech laboratories.

Products are becoming increasingly complex and hybrid, combining software, data, electronics and materials. The real challenge? Turning that complexity into manufacturable and scalable solutions.

This is where industrial prototyping makes the difference: bridging the gap between innovation and industrial reality.

For 30 years, Sirris Liège has been doing exactly that and with our upgraded labs, we’re ready for what’s next.

👉 Read more: https://www.sirris.be/en/inspiration/concept-industry-manufacturable-innovation

Jean-Francois Delaigle, halleux, René Branders, ramakers, Herman Derache, -yves jeholet

01/04/2026

A great visit to FacThory in Thor Park Genk today, where Sirris had the honour of welcoming European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto.

Together with our partners, we showcased how innovation and advanced manufacturing are taking shape on the ground — and how collaboration between industry, technology partners and policymakers is essential to strengthen Europe’s industrial future.

We are proud that Sirris could contribute to this exchange and highlight the expertise and ambition present in this unique innovation ecosystem.

Thank you to everyone involved in making this visit possible.

Raffaele Fittoo Lantmeeters Dries Vercauteren Derache Auwers

09/03/2026

At Sirris | Innovation forward Testlabs, we perform a wide range of mechanical and chemical tests to support the manufacturing industry.
Today, we highlight one of our services: Hardness testing: 👉 https://testlabs.sirris.be/tests/hardness-test/)
Hardness testing is a fast and reliable method to determine a material’s resistance to deformation. It is widely used for quality control, incoming inspection and validation of heat treatment processes.

At Sirris Testlabs, we perform hardness testing according to international standards including:
• EN ISO 6506-1 (Brinell)
• EN ISO 6507-1 (Vickers)
• EN ISO 6508-1 (Rockwell)

Our tests are carried out in Belgium by experienced materials experts, providing independent and accurate results for metals, coatings and other materials.
Hardness testing is just one example of the many test capabilities available within our Metals Testlab.

Looking for a reliable testing partner in Belgium?
Contact [email protected]

26/02/2026

How do you deploy a cobot that is not fixed to one workstation, but moves flexibly with your production?
Build your own robust cobot cart: practical insights from the ROBUST project
👉 Download the casebook here: https://portal.sirris.be/casebook-robust-cobots

In the COOCK+ ROBUST project, Sirris | Innovation forward and Leuven (ACRO) developed and tested a mobile cobot cart tailored to high-mix, low-volume manufacturing in sheet metal processing.

The result? A practical casebook with real industrial insights on:
✔ Designing a stable and modular cobot cart
✔ Ensuring accurate alignment after every move
✔ Smart communication with machines, MES and ERP
✔ Using 3D vision and 6D pose tracking for flexibility
✔ Staying compliant with the new EU Machinery Regulation
✔ Making programming easier for SMEs

This guide translates research into concrete, SME-feasible solutions for flexible automation.
👉 Download the casebook here: https://portal.sirris.be/casebook-robust-cobots

Interested in exploring how mobile cobots can boost flexibility and productivity in your production environment? Let’s connect.

12/02/2026

🛁 Cutting impact without cutting corners.🛁
Bao Living rethought its modular bathroom with one clear ambition: make it circular and economically sound. Together with Sirris | Innovation forward , they used the Ecocost method to turn sustainability into something you can actually decide on.

By expressing life cycle impact in euros, every design choice became comparable: materials, construction, take-back scenarios, reuse. No assumptions. No green guesswork.

The result?
♻️ A circular bathroom module with around 50% less life cycle impact, developed in weeks instead of months and a quantitative model Bao Living can keep using for future innovations.

This is what happens when simplified LCA becomes a decision tool, not a reporting exercise.

Want to see how eco-costing helps you make product choices that truly matter?
Join our Masterclass: Making meaningful product choices with simplified LCA
👉 https://www.sirris.be/en/agenda/making-meaningful-product-choices-simplified-lca
Read the Bao Living Case:
👉 https://www.sirris.be/en/bao-living-sustainable-bathroom-modules



Stefan Milis Thomas Vandenhaute Christian Seghers

03/02/2026

Corrosion never sleeps.
But the way we fight it has to wake up.

Every year, corrosion eats away at metal, budgets and safety. The classic solutions still work, but the pressure is on. Stricter regulation. Lower VOCs. Higher sustainability targets.

So what if corrosion protection could come from biology, not the periodic table’s problem list?

In our new article series, we explore bio-based anticorrosion additives. No green fairy dust. Just chemistry, system-level thinking and real-world constraints.

In part 1, we look at:
🔹 Why bio-based additives are gaining serious traction
🔹 How they work inside coatings and protection systems
🔹 Which forces are driving their adoption

This research connects directly to the VLAIO COOCK+ AddBIO project, where Sirris | Innovation forward together with Flemish research and industry partners, converts residual biomass into functional anticorrosion and hydrophobic additives.

And this is only the start.
Part 2 zooms in on applications, sectors, biomass sources and formulation logic.

Less fossil dependency. Smarter formulations. Protection ready for the coatings of tomorrow.

👉 Read part I: https://www.sirris.be/en/inspiration/bio-based-anticorrosion-additives-part-1
👉 Read part II: https://www.sirris.be/en/inspiration/bio-based-anticorrosion-additives-part-2



Pieter Samyn