The Export Lion Award 2022 winners have been revealed: Twipe Mobile Solutions (Heverlee) and Kipco-Damaco (Oostrozebeke)

Flanders Investment & Trade presented the Export Lion Award 2022 (#LvdE22) to two Flanders-based companies that are international pioneers within their niche: Twipe Mobile Solutions and Kipco-Damaco. Based in the Brabant province of Flanders, tech company Twipe Mobile Solutions supports news media in their digital transformation, and producer of mechanically deboned poultry meat Kipco-Damaco from West Flanders was already working in a circular way before it became a hot topic. The jury members based their judgment on, among other things, sales figures from exports, geographical diversification, the main lines of the company’s export policy, corporate social responsibility and innovative strength.

Leuven, 14 September 2022 – With the 21st edition of the Export Lion Awards, Flanders Investment & Trade is once again putting the spotlight on two export champions in Flanders. During the award ceremony in Leuven, Danny Lein, CEO and Dana Nastase, Head of Business Development Twipe Mobile Solutions and Iris vandaele, commercial en Marketing Director and co-owner Kipco-Damaco and Paul Larmuseau, CEO received the prestigious trophy from Flanders Minister-President Jan Jambon and FIT CEO Joy Donné.

In the ‘Companies with up to 49 employees’ category, the award went to Twipe Mobile Solutions. The Heverlee-based technology player beat food producer Belkorn from Diest and XenomatiX from Leuven. Long before organic foods became a trend, Belkorn was already marketing organic baby and children’s cakes. XenomatiX is specialized in the patented multi-beam LiDAR laser system, which is marketed in driver assistance systems and self-driving vehicles, among other target applications.

In the ‘Companies with 50 or more employees’ category, Kipco-Damaco from Oostrozebeke won the award. The producer of mechanically deboned poultry meat and processor of residual flows beat Bogaerts Greenhouse Logistics from Hoogstraten and Lambo Laboratories from Wijnegem to the finish line. At Bogaerts Greenhouse Logistics, everything revolves around the automation of manual operations in greenhouse horticulture. Lambo laboratories is the only producer of soft gelatin capsules (softgels) in Belgium.

Created as an innovation platform for media group Corelio, this tech player based in Heverlee is now providing software to more than 80 newspaper titles in 13 different countries. Twipe Mobile Solutions’ software application enables readers to browse their digital newspaper in a user-friendly way, on a web browser as well as through mobile apps. The technology also allows publishers to monitor reading behavior.

Le Monde, The Telegraph and The Daily Mail are on Twipe Mobile Solutions’ reference list, among other titles. Together with The Times, they developed JAMES, a digital butler that uses artificial intelligence to compile personalized reading lists for subscribers. The tech company received a substantial innovation grant from Google for the software. JAMES also opened markets in the Scandinavian countries, among others.

Besides Scandinavia, the company is now active in Belgium’s neighboring countries, as well as in Italy, the UK and the US, together accounting for a 92% share of turnover. In addition to developing software, Twipe Mobile Solutions positions itself as a thought leader within its niche, by participating in scientific research projects, for example. It shares the insights gained in such research through publications, specialized conferences and its own blog. In addition to expanding its presence in the US and the UK, Twipe Mobile Solutions also wants to gain a stronger foothold in the German media landscape in the coming years.

• Site: Heverlee
• Number of employees: 28 full-time equivalents (Belgium)
• Turnover (2021): € 4,307,149.89
• Export share in turnover (2021): 92%
• Share of non-EU countries in exports: 9%
• www.twipemobile.com

This global player from Oostrozebeke in West Flanders produces mechanically deboned poultry meat (MDM) for further processing into frankfurter sausages and various deep-fry nuggets, among other products. It also supplies frozen vegetables, meat, fish and French fries for the retail and food services segment.

Finally, Kipco-Damaco recovers by-products from poultry production. For example, using patented production processes, it extracts the proteins from feathers for use as components for animal feed, aquaculture and an innovative biostimulant for arable farming.

83% of turnover comes from exports, a significant part of which to non-EU markets. Kipco-Damaco also leverages the local market knowledge acquired by the sales offices and its specialized know-how to examine the customer’s processes. How can processing be optimized or cost-efficient transport be organized?

Year after year, Kipco-Damaco has been expanding internationally. The Group has now built a network of four production sites and eleven sales offices in countries such as Brazil, the Philippines and Vietnam. In the coming years, the company wants to develop its sales further in Africa and Latin America.

• Site: Oostrozebeke
• Number of employees: 56 full-time equivalents (Belgium)
• Turnover (2021): € 99,599,544.38
• Export share in turnover (2021): 83%
• Share of non-EU countries in exports: 62%
• www.damaco-group.com

For the 21st successive year, Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) is honoring Flanders-based companies that excel in export with the Export Lion Award. With this award, Flanders’ Agency for sustainable international business emphasizes the huge importance of export for the economy of Flanders. The award brings recognition and new opportunities not just nationally, in Belgium, but also internationally via FIT’s foreign network.

Former winners of the prestigious export award are role models and an incentive for other Flanders-based companies with international ambitions. This year’s competition was sponsored by BNP Paribas Fortis, Credendo, DHL Express, Green Energy Park, City of Leuven and the provincial government of Flanders Brabant.

Companies with up to 49 employees and companies with 50 or more employees can compete for the award. On 8 June 2022, 3 nominees per category were shortlisted out of 30 original contestants. The jury based its judgment on, among other things, sales figures from exports, geographical diversification, the main lines of the company’s export policy, corporate social responsibility and innovative strength. The 6 nominees then presented their competition dossier to a nine-member final jury panel on September 7th. The final decision was also taken on that occasion.

In addition to chairpersons Joy Donné (CEO of FIT) and Sonja Willems (chairperson of the FIT board of directors), the panel was composed of: Dirk Van Steerteghem (Head of International Trade FIT), Peter Lauwers (Head of Advisory KPMG Belgium), Frank Haak (Head Sales Global Trade Solutions BNP Paribas Fortis), Filip Abraham (Full Professor International Economics Vlerick Business School), Gert Lambrecht (Head of Business Development, Credendo) and Roeland Byl (journalist, Trends). The three 2021 ‘Export Lions’ were also represented in the final jury by Valérie Lucq (General Manager Molecubes), Geert Caignau (Commercial Director Sylva) and Lieven Pieters (Commercial Director Locinox).

www.leeuwvandeexport.be
 

About Flanders Investment & Trade

Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) is the government agency which promotes Flanders as a business location for foreign companies, and also supports Flanders-based companies in their international business ambitions. They can make full use of the expertise of FIT and its national and international network. The Export Lion Award fits within FIT’s overall mission which is to promote international business among Flanders-based companies and encourage them to grow internationally.

Press Contact

Tine Van Valckenborgh, spokesperson for Flanders Investment & Trade
  Tine.vanvalckenborgh@fitagency.be
  +32 499 246 093