Approved and supported by the Walloon Region, Plastiwin is a network of companies that brings together players specialised in polymers and biopolymers, elastomers, composite materials and synthetic textiles.
Plastiwin’s Missions
First Mission: Promote Business Development and Innovation
To do this, the cluster brings out innovative projects, supports marketing, and promotes the plastics industry.
Second Mission: Stimulate Ideas
This involves creating a dynamic exchange between members to enable technology and skills transfers. This is key to bringing out the ideas of tomorrow and making the plastics industry more sustainable and eco-circular.
Third Mission: Inform
Plastiwin facilitates access to contractors by increasing the visibility of the value chain and by communicating the technological potential of Wallonia. The cluster also prepares the future by informing its members about technological trends and growth markets. Finally, it raises public awareness of the innovative, sustainable, and circular nature of the plastics industry, which is still not well known.
The Impact of the Plastics Industry in Belgium
It must be said that this industry weighs heavily in Belgium with more than 30,000 jobs, 14.2 billion euros in turnover, and 630 million euros in investment in 2018 (according to Plastics Europe and essenscia). There are many application markets: the packaging industry (39.6% of global plastics consumption), the construction sector (20.4%), the automotive industry (9.6%), the electrical and electronics sector (6.2%), households, sports and leisure (4.1%), agriculture (3.4%), etc.
Plastiwin’s 4-Step Strategy
1. Increase Competitiveness
Thanks to its extended network and its partnership with AWEX (organisation of meetings, publication of promotional articles and videos on its platforms).
2. Facilitate Recruitment
By developing and facilitating access to training and by relaying the job offers of its members.
3. Support Businesses Towards Circular Economy
Through its involvement in Circular Wallonia, with an added value creation that could reach 488 million euros and the potential creation of 3,500 jobs via 6 concrete actions.
4. Strengthen Digitalisation and Innovation
In cooperation with all member research centres and universities. A new collaborative project validated by the Agence du Numérique will allow Plastiwin to support its members in their digitalisation process for 2 years. The objective is to offer three types of turnkey solutions: the development of tools to identify needs and facilitate the digital transition, the establishment of a network to raise awareness through flagship events (GreenW’Innovation Challenge, Infopôle On Tour, etc.), and personalised support of SMEs in their digitalisation process, from diagnosis to digitalisation itself.
Plastiwin’s Services
Networking
The cluster uses its partnerships to put its members in touch with key players in the plastics industry, both locally and internationally. Participation in plenary meetings, working groups, and other collective work or networking meetings within the framework of partner projects, development of a specific strategy with AWEX and EEN to ensure promotion abroad, constant monitoring of the evolution of the international market, and prospecting work by participating in key events linked to the plastics industry: all these avenues are designed to increase the growth prospects of companies in the sector.
Consulting
Plastiwin puts its expertise at the service of companies to support their projects towards more eco-circularity (development of offers, sustainable services, and partnerships in line with Wallonia’s circular economy strategy), facilitate innovation (digitization of activities, orientation towards investment aid), and facilitate the recruitment of new talent and training (with a dedicated working group since 2020).
Storytelling
Telling the story of a company and that of the plastics industry: this is the ambition of the cluster, which wants to highlight those who today shape the plastics industry of tomorrow. There’s nothing like a great story to mobilize talent and encourage vocations!
