wim dries

1. ‘Experiences with redevelopment
of industrial sites’
Conference Shift-X project
15th October 2014
Wim Dries – mayor of Genk

2. - More than 65.000 inhabitants
- Young population: 24% under age of 22
- Almost 90 nationalities co-exist peacefully in Genk
- Employment opportunity totals nearly 39.000 jobs
- Yearly around 80.000 tourists in hotels
- More than 440 shops and 141 restaurants and cafés in
city centre and surrounding shopping streets
Genk, facts

3. Easily accessible & network
Motorways
Train
Albert Canal
Airports nearby

4. COAL
 Coal mines
MANUAL LABOR
 Large social tissue
COMMUNICATION
 Paper
1st industrial revolution

5. 2nd industrial revolution
OIL
 Companies like Ford
& Aperam
AUTOMATISATION
 Wealth
 Increase in comfort
 Social impact
COMMUNICATION
 Broadcast

6. City motive
Turning problem situations into opportunities
A diverse conversion process

7. 3rd industrial revolution
RENEWABLE
ENERGY
 Sustainability
CREATIVITY
 Innovation
COMMUNICATION
 3.0

8. C-mine
“From coals to
creativity”

9. C-mine, 4 pillars
EDUCATION
Faculty of Arts
MAD Faculty

10. C-mine, 4 pillars
CREATIVE ECONOMY
C-mine crib, events,
Business center
(Nascom, Deusjevoo,
Painting with light, …)

11. C-mine, 4 pillars
ARTISTIC CREATION &
PRESENTATION
Stage rooms,
exhibitions
C-mine culture centre

12. C-mine, 4 pillars
CREATIVE RECREATIONAL
Tourism, Movie theatres,
Cultural heritage
C-mine expedition

13. C-mine, partners
- Urban services
- Private companies
- Educational institutions
- Knowledge institutions
- Creative organizations

14. THTHOORR P PAaRrKk
“From coal to
smart energy”
Science based,
technology driven

15. Overview: 3 zones on 222 acres
Ambition: create 6.000-7.000 jobs
Main building
Sustainable &
high-quality
business park
Science park

16. THOR Park, mTaHinO bRu PilAdiRnKg
Facility service center
72.178 ft²
• Central reception
• Auditory (300 pers.)
• Multipurpose room
• Offices
• Custom meeting rooms
• Food court
• Nursery
• Support services
(o.a. convenience)

17. THOR Park, sTcHieOnRc eP ApaRrKk
Masterplan: 11 clusters of
65.616 ft²
• Cluster 1: EnergyVille
• Cluster 2: IncubaThor
• Cluster 3: EnergyVille II
• Cluster 4-11: still to be
completed
Partners:
• City of Genk AGB
• LRM
• Association KUL / KHLIM
• UHasselt / PXL
• Vito, Imec, POM

18. THOR Park, business park
Sustainable and high-quality
business park
Small space users
• Space for 9 office-like
buldings (11.482 ft²)
Medium space users
• Offices, labs, small
production companies
Large space users
• ex. datacenter

19. THOR Park, T² Campus
THOR PARK
Motivate youth to pursue
a technical education
T² = technology & talent
Total concept around technology-
Education in the make economy
 Strengthen the economic fabric
Shared Campus
• Creation of crossovers
• Collaboration with businesses

20. Zwartberg
“From coals to
Cosmopolitism
& diversity”

21. Zwartberg
La Biomista
Koen Vanmechelen

22. Thanks for yToHuOrR a tPteAnRtiKon