The Flemish government is releasing 1.8 million euros to co-fund the high-tech FacThory at the Thor Park in Genk (Limburg). The cash will be used at Thor Park that is located on the site of the former Waterschei Colliery.
“The extra cash will help to turn Thor Park into a technology hotspot that supports sustainable business innovation” says Joris Merckx, the park’s director.
Thor Park covers 93 hectares on the former colliery site where today technological research is already being carried out. At the end of October work on the first phase of construction of FacThory started at Thor Park. The new Flemish cash will help to fund innovative high-tech equipment that can be used across a wide number of industrial sectors. By the end of 2023 businesses will be able to head for Thor Park to test automatisation, digitalisation and robotisation processes.
Flemish innovation minister Jo Brouns (Christian democrat) says the 1.8 million euros will be used to fund a hybrid 3D printer that can print using several different materials all at the same time. A special inspection machine that can inspect products both from the inside and the outside is also planned. Other modern inspection processes using AI (artificial intelligence) will be trialled. All appliances will be linked to a 3D laser printer that can change the surface of virtually all materials without the need for any chemical treatment.