In collaboration with Leansquare, Liege Airport set up the WeCargo event from 12 to 14 November, which brought together start-ups, air cargo industrialists and investors. This innovation laboratory gave the airport the opportunity to sign 3 major partnership agreements with Orange Belgium, Alibaba Cloud and Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways Cargo will extend its contract with Liege Airport and grow its operations. For Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer of Cargo Qatar Airways, the Liege Airport hub is an important asset in his company’s network: “We are very satisfied with the services received at Liege and its logistic connections with the major European cities. Liege Airport is a guarantee of future growth and we are happy to contribute to the increase of jobs in the Liege region.”
A partnership agreement was signed with Alibaba Cloud, the technology subsidiary of Alibaba, which has a successful AI platform and which has the skills and experience needed to transform, digitise and support our airport’s operations and handling procedures.
Finally, a partnership agreement to develop the internet of things and smart services was signed with Orange Belgium. In practical terms, this means that Orange Belgium and Liege Airport will select together which cargo activities to study and for which technological solutions will be implemented. These case studies will serve the operators and businesses working at the airport. “We are delighted to work with Liege Airport in developing innovative solutions. The logistics sector presents many opportunities to make the most of our technological expertise concerning connected objects or track & trace solutions. We also welcome the possibility to help develop this economic activity hub, which is so important for the Liege region”, said Michaël Trabbia, CEO of Orange Belgium.
Luc Partoune, CEO of Liege Airport, was delighted with both the success of the event and its outcomes:
If we want to stay at the cutting edge and continue to grow as a cargo-only airport, we must energise our ecosystem. This was the main goal of WeCargo: to energise and inspire the international cargo community. This goal was met and we are already preparing the next WeCargo event. The partnership agreements with Alibaba Cloud and Orange Belgium covering digital matters, as well as the extension and growth of Qatar Airways on the site, are leading the airport towards excellence.