Put water to work – the potential on business parks is ready to be tapped
24 April 2025 – Grimbergen
Industrial zones hold significant potential for progress. This was the key takeaway from the event Waterwinsten op bedrijventerreinen, organized by VITO Water Knowledge Centre in collaboration with the municipality of Grimbergen, the Hi! site, and the Strombeek Cultural Centre. Around 80 participants – including policymakers, businesses, and researchers – gathered to address one central question: how can we make industrial sites more resilient to drought and water-related challenges?
©Hi!
Hi! site as a living example
The location was telling: the Hi! site, a former coffee roastery sustainably redeveloped into a modern hub. What was once grey and industrial has transformed into a green, circular workspace. It serves as a tangible demonstration that reuse and minimising hard surfaces can go hand in hand with economic growth. Mayor Bart Laeremans opened the event with a clear message: “Climate change is real. The question is how we choose to respond.”
©Hi
In a playful exercise – ‘God of Water’ – participants experienced how difficult it is to manage water efficiently without collaboration. The message was clear: water requires collective action and smart systems thinking.
Burgemeester Laeremans ontpopt zich tot God van het water en bedeelt gegadigden die blind op zoek gaan naar water.
Water management as a lever for change
Business parks have the potential to evolve into water-smart clusters. A prime example is the water strategy at Brussels Airport, where – with VITO’s guidance – systems thinking is gradually taking root through actions focused on reuse, buffering, and collaboration.
In small groups, participants discussed inspiring projects:
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Tiense Watervelden: Wastewater from the sugar refinery is treated to drinking water quality – totalling an impressive 1 million m³ per year.
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Business Parks Tielt & Keiberg-Vossem: Companies collaborate on collective rainwater management. Clear business models make all the difference.
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VITO’s Water Experience Container: Through four virtual personas, participants explored the challenges and solutions on paved industrial sites in an engaging, interactive way.
The Regenplus Project (De Watergroep): This pilot project uses real-time monitoring to intelligently manage rainwater flows, with a focus on broader societal benefits such as reduced drought risk and less pressure on the sewer system. While rainwater infrastructure may seem costly, we must also consider its social co-benefits. Water redistribution is economically viable – especially when smart technology is used.
Dare to change, dare to fail
Karen Peeters, programme manager at the Province of Flemish Brabant, left us with an inspiring call to action:
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You have more power than you think.
Everyone can make a difference – by making choices, asking questions, and taking action. -
No one has all the answers.
Change is rarely meticulously planned. It involves exploration, experimentation, and learning. -
Start today.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment. The future demands action – now.
“Do we dare to view the business park as a living system where water circulates and data reveals insights?”
Water connects, also through culture
For those still hungry for more, there was Zeemaal – a sensory theatre experience exploring how we might save the world from our very own kitchens. This culinary journey along coasts and cliffs emphasised the importance of individual action and collective awareness in the fight against climate change.
In short: water should never be taken for granted. But on business parks, the potential is there – ready to be unlocked, if we dare to collaborate, to experiment, and to build smart solutions together.
Every drop counts.
