BlueBird – plans for a tech cluster at the interface of North Sea Port and the city of Ghent

Tech cluster for innovation at the interface of North Sea Port and Ghent

At the southernmost point of North Sea Port in Ghent, Brocap is planning an office building for a technology cluster. Brocap is targeting companies that are active in innovation and digitalisation from the port or in the maritime sector.

North Sea Port was looking for a developer to breathe new life into the 1.4 hectare wasteland at the corner of Port Arthurlaan and Vliegtuiglaan. Brocap won the contract. Under the project name BlueBird, Brocap is investigating whether the site could be transformed into a vibrant area of office and production space. This space would be used by companies operating from the port or in the maritime sector in the fields of innovation and digitalisation. Companies will have the opportunity to work together on renewable energy, circular economy, mobility and logistics. It is precisely this activity that fits into the further development of North Sea Port as a port.

BlueBird is more than a business centre and will support companies with infrastructure and community services by developing and curating an ecosystem in the port.

Ghent, technology city

Located at the southernmost tip of the port, in Grootdok, the site is a link between the port and the city of Ghent. For Ghent, BlueBird could become a third, northern technology cluster. After all, the city of Ghent – together with all its partners – wants Ghent to become a technology capital of Europe. Not for the technology itself, but because a strong, forward-looking economy creates extra jobs. With tech hubs such as the Winter Circus in the centre and Tech Lane Ghent in the south, the city is making tech hubs visible both nationally and internationally.

This article appeared first (in Dutch) on North Sea Port News – March 24, 2022