Laying the foundation stone of the Green Energy Park datacenter

We are pleased to invite you as a journalist to the laying of the foundation stone of the sustainable Datacenter of the Green Energy Park on Wednesday, September 21 at 2 pm. The Datacenter will be at the heart of the park. It will house supercomputers, enabling research into high-tech solutions. The 3500 m2 building has room for fifteen modules. The VUB and UZ Brussel both occupy one module.

Program

14:00 Reception and guide to the grounds

14:30 Speech rector VUB, Jan Danckaert

14:35 Speech mayor of Asse, Koen Van Elsen

14:40 Speech Minister Ben Weyts

14:45 Speech Michael Gheysens, Ghelamco

14:50 Solemn unveiling of the QR code

Location for reception: Zone1 Research Park 120, 1731

This Datacenter is the first truly sustainable center in Belgium. It uses 100 percent green energy, which is partly generated locally. The design is focused on maximum energy efficiency. In addition, the heat from the servers is recovered, rainwater is used for cooling and it is designed as a circular building. It is focused on reusing materials, minimizing new raw materials and minimizing pollution.

Green Energy Park was established in 2019. The man who made it possible is the recently deceased Honorary Rector Paul De Knop. Green Energy Park will be a large-scale living lab where companies, research institutions, governments and users work together in co-creation on innovative and sustainable solutions to societal challenges. The research focuses on four areas: the transition to green energy and mobility, the hospital of the future, digital issues such as smart cities and smart technologies based on Artificial Intelligence and biotechnology.

The World Needs You

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel assumes its scientific and social responsibility with love and decisiveness. That’s why VUB launched the platform De Wereld Heeft Je Nodig - The World Needs You, which brings together ideas, actions and projects based on six Ps. The first P stands for People , because that’s what it’s all about: giving people equal opportunities, prosperity, welfare, respect. Peace is about fighting injustice, big and small, in the world. Prosperity combats poverty and inequality. Planet stands for actions on biodiversity, climate, air quality, animal rights... With Partnership , VUB is looking for joint actions to make the world a better place. The sixth and last P is for Poincaré , the French philosopher Henri Poincaré, from whom VUB derives its motto that thinking should submit to nothing except the facts themselves. VUB is an ’urban engaged university’, strongly anchored in Brussels and Europe and working according to the principles of free research.

www.vub.be/dewereldheeftjenodig