From more than 400 entries, ‘the general public’ has made a final selection of 5 contenders for the Made in Limburg Award 2023, awarded for the very best product manufactured here in this province. Today we introduce you to the 5 finalists who will compete for the main prize on November 21: (2) Ecobeton Water Technologies from Sint-Truiden, which innovates with a comfortable and environmentally friendly cycle path.
“Ecopath® is an innovative prefab concrete cycle path that is maintenance-free, can be easily constructed and dismantled, and above all, is adapted to the needs of our contemporary society,” says Luc Vandebeek, CEO of Ecobeton Water Technologies from Sint-Truiden. “The product was developed here and is made in our own factory in Sint-Truiden. We came up with the idea in the context of our mission: creating solutions for social issues and challenges, including for the collection and drainage of rainwater In addition, we put our general well-being first, focusing on healthy living and more exercise. We also want to connect with nature with our cycle path and connect people with each other. We have integrated these two needs into one solution by creating cycle paths up to 4 meters wide, which are very pleasant to ride on and motivate people to cycle more often and exercise in nature. In addition, the cycle paths offer the opportunity to collect rainwater that falls on the road surface and the cycle path and return it to the groundwater table, so that it can be made into tap water again. After all, sufficient clean tap water is a basic right!”
60 years
“We are proud of this product because it is comprehensive: it contributes to our environment and our well-being on so many levels, and it has exceptional properties,” said Jill Aquilani, commercial director of Ecobeton. “The cycle path can also be placed in tree-rich areas, because the tree roots can grow healthily under the cycle path without pushing onto the path. The quality, safety and driving comfort – tested by independent official bodies – are maintained, and this for a lifespan of 60 years.”
“Customers of the Truiense Ecopath® are (local) authorities on the one hand and land developers, project developers and agencies that develop industrial estates on the other,” says Jill Aquilani. “This last target group regularly opts for the option whereby rainwater, domestic wastewater and utility pipes are given space in a facility under the cycle path. This way, only 1 trench needs to be dug and everything is easily accessible for inspection or maintenance work by simply removing 1 concrete panel, which will be replaced 10 minutes after the work has been carried out.”
7X S…
A clever innovation from Ecobeton, perhaps a ‘hidden gem’ for the general public? “Our Eco-family has approximately 65 employees. They all contribute, each with their talents, to the development of our solutions,” says Luc Vandebeek. “Our 7 S’s are woven into our vision and culture. The house slogan is “concepts that drive society”, in other words: we work every day on sustainable solutions (Sustainable) to improve our environment and our society (Solidary). core competencies in that domain are: solutions for rainwater, purification of domestic wastewater, solutions for noise pollution, functional solutions and ornaments for cities and municipalities, all with the aim of making our living environment more pleasant. Over the years we have grown into an integrated service provider , because our services are present in everything we do. We devise and create (Smart) our solutions ourselves and patent where possible. We relieve every link in the chain, from the designer to the client or operator. Support each (Supportive) we meet the needs of that target group with attention to our plug & play solutions (Simple) that ensure installation pleasure. All our solutions are tested by independent, recognized bodies and labs (Sure), before we launch them in the market and we serve our customers and can offer stakeholders a solution that will continue to function well in the long term (Solid). In short, we think out of the box, push boundaries and try to achieve special things.”
Vote for Ecobeton?
“There are many reasons for this,” says Jill Aquilani. “Flanders has the modal shift (changing modes of transport) high on the agenda. With the Ecopaths® we offer a “concrete” interpretation of this social challenge and we sensitize our fellow human beings to opt for cycling more, because the infrastructure will adapt to this So, in other words: good for health and for the environment! In general, we believe that social and ecological entrepreneurship is no longer an option, but a must. Authenticity and sincerity are the keys in the battle for the mind… After all, the definition of entrepreneurship includes society – and people – and nature – and the shareholder: that means taking responsibility for the bigger picture and taking on the consequences: involvement, empathy and trust!”
You can vote via this link!
