Our Scans · Belgium · Weekly Summary

• [New] Seven hospitals in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland are participating in UMBRELLA and will be working to improve, standardize, and validate stroke management protocols, as well as implement them in European guidelines. AuntMinnieEurope
• Repeated national strikes in Belgium have caused severe disruption to the aviation sector, affecting approximately 180,000 passengers and costing the Belgian economy an estimated €100 million in 2025 alone. Travel And Tour World
• Discussion has centered around the risks of nuclear power, and nations such as Italy, Belgium, Spain, and Switzerland are moving away from nuclear energy. SpringerLink
• Strategic cooperation with advanced maritime nations such as Norway, Belgium, Japan, and South Korea offers Africa the opportunity to acquire, adapt, and localise cutting-edge technologies. Myjoyonline
• Without social welfare redistribution mechanisms, heating and energy expenditures could rise significantly (in Hungary and Latvia, the price of fossil gas heating could increase by 37%, fuel costs could increase by 32% in Belgium and in Poland, the price of coal would increase by 91%). Hfw
• Several regions, including Iceland and some of France's overseas territories, should see their risk factors for windstorm increased while the risk factors of countries like Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg should be bumped up for hail risk. European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority
• Regarding risk level, China has the highest number of approved high-risk devices (China: n = 11 [91.67%]; the US: n = 0 [0%]; Germany: n = 0 [0%]; Belgium: n = 1 [8.33%]). Nature
• While plans (NL, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the UK) promise to reach a 30-3 5GW electrolyzer capacity by 2030, no real progress is made. oilprice.com
• There will be a lot of investment in new military capabilities and the creation of strategic stocks, both in Belgium and in other European countries. FPS Foreign Affairs - Foreign Trade and Development Coo
• Air Belgium's cargo division is attracting significant attention from an unnamed investor, a development that might prove pivotal for the struggling airline. Mighty Travels Premium
• Legal authorities in France and Belgium - countries known for strong corporate accountability laws - will now decide whether to investigate further and potentially bring criminal charges. FirstPost
• High energy prices and gas shortages in Europe (exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis) led countries like the UK, Netherlands, and even once-nuclear-averse Belgium to extend reactor lifetimes or plan new ones for energy security. Energy Central
• Princess Elisabeth Island, with a projected capacity of up to 3.5 GW of renewable energy, will play a crucial role in diminishing Belgium's dependence on fossil fuels and bolstering energy security. Europe Diplomatic Magazine
• Several NATO members, including the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium, have collectively pledged 79 F-16s to Ukraine, with more deliveries expected throughout 2025. Mehr News Agency
• The Meuse River, which flows through France and Belgium before meeting the North Sea in the Netherlands, is expected to remain drier than usual over the coming weeks. Circle of Blue
• The A400M is in service with the air forces of Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Turkey, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malaysia, and is expected to enter service with Kazakhstan and Indonesia in the next few years. Airbus
• RailTech Belgium is coming up in, and one of the key topics we will be tackling is FRMCS - the 5G-driven next-generation train communication system that's set to shape the future of European rail. RailTech.com
• All HEMA stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, and Austria will be live with the RFID solution by mid-2026. Retail Technology Innovation Hub
• Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and coastal flooding will threaten European nations, especially the Netherlands and Belgium, increasing the burden on the RNLN. HCSS
• Damen Shipyards has delivered six RSD Tugs 2513 to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, including the first fully electric tug that will operate in a European port. MarineLink
• The quantum computer will be set up in Ostrava by the LUMI-Q consortium, which links nine European countries (Czechia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium) and their research institutions under the EuroHPC joint venture. MSIC
• In countries such as Luxembourg, Belgium, France and Austria, there is significant potential to boost labour-force participation rates among individuals aged 55-65, especially when compared to higher-performing Western and Northern EU countries including Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands. Bruegel | The Brussels-based economic think tank

Last updated: 17 June 2025