Agoria facts for kids
Logo of Agoria
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| Motto | Embracing Technology, Embracing Ambition |
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| Established | 1946 |
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Professional title
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Agoria |
| Location |
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Region
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 BEL |
| Services | Expertise, Business Development, Lobby |
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Membership
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> 1700 technology inspired companies |
| Rene Branders, president, Marc Lambotte, CEO | |
| representing 275,000 employees | |
Agoria, once known as Fabrimetal, is a Belgian group for employers in the technology industry. It helps companies that create or use new technologies.
Contents
What Agoria Does
Agoria helps companies in Belgium that are inspired by technology. About 200 people work for Agoria. More than 1,900 Belgian tech companies are members of Agoria as of 2019.
Agoria has three main goals:
- To connect everyone who loves technology.
- To help companies become more successful.
- To help build a better future for everyone.
Agoria's Story
Agoria started in 1946. Its first name was Fabrimetal. This name stood for the Federation of Enterprises in the Metal Industry. Before that, it was called the Federation of Manufacturers, which began in 1906.
Fabrimetal used to represent about 1,200 companies. These companies worked with metal, electronics, and plastics.
In 2000, the group changed its name from Fabrimetal to Agoria. The old name sounded too much like it was only about metal. The group wanted to include more companies from the wider technology sector.
Today, Agoria has over 1,900 member companies. These companies are in manufacturing, digital, and telecom fields. In 2018, these sectors made about €125.20 billion. This is about 9% of all the money made by private businesses in Belgium. They also create many jobs, both directly and indirectly. Agoria is the largest group within the Federation of Belgian Enterprises.
Over the years, many different people have led Agoria as President and CEO. The current President is René Branders, and the current CEO is Marc Lambotte.
How Agoria is Organized
Agoria is run by Belgian companies. René Branders is the current head of its Board of Directors. Agoria also has offices in different parts of Belgium. These are Agoria Flanders, Agoria Brussels, and Agoria Wallonia. Agoria is also part of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises.
Agoria's Activities
Agoria helps its member companies in several ways.
Connecting Tech-Inspired People
Agoria brings its members together in different groups. This helps them work on new technology ideas.
Agoria helps people learn about new tech. This includes things like Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, and cybersecurity. The group helps companies find and use new technologies. They also help companies compare their own new ideas with others. This helps them improve their products and services.
Agoria creates "ecosystems" to speed up new ideas. These are like special groups that work on specific tech areas. Examples include smart cities, smart buildings, smart ways to travel, smart energy, and smart health.
Helping Companies Succeed
Agoria offers advice and support to its member companies.
Expert Advice
Agoria has experts who give advice to member companies. They help with all parts of a company's work. Members learn about new trends in their industry. They can also use many helpful documents and tools.
Building Networks
Agoria holds many events to help companies connect. This helps them grow. The group brings companies from different areas together. They share knowledge and experiences to make each other stronger. This network works in Belgium and around the world. There are also six special tech clubs for different markets. These events include seminars that connect businesses based on their tech needs.
Preparing for the Digital Future
Agoria helps manufacturers become more sustainable. This also helps local jobs and the economy. They have seven special plans to help companies change. Companies that do well with these plans get the "Factory of the Future" award. In 2018, these award-winning factories invested a lot of money and hired more people.
Building a Sustainable Future
Agoria speaks for its member companies to important decision-makers. This happens at local, regional, national, European, and international levels. Their goal is to create a good environment for new technology. They also work to remove anything that stops companies from growing.
Agoria makes sure its member companies' voices are heard by leaders. They represent the tech sector's views at all levels of government. Through the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium, Agoria influences important topics. These include agreements between different jobs and taxes on digital services.
At a regional level, Agoria encourages government spending. For example, they support companies in Wallonia to lower their CO2 pollution. They also help set up new training centers in Brussels. In Flanders, they promote artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. At a European level, Agoria is part of over 40 European committees. They are also a member of Business Europe.
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Logo of Agoria
