Smart Nobi lamps are 100% ‘Made In Belgium’ as of today
Reshoring: a plus for ‘Brand, Employees & Society’
Barely six months after deciding to resume local production, Belgian age-tech company Nobi officially opens its production site in Aartselaar today. Nobi (known for its smart AI lamps for fall detection and fall prevention) is capitalising on the recent reshoring trend, in which companies choose to bring foreign production back to the country of origin. By the end of this year, Nobi will employ 20 people in its production facility. Nobi offers a wide range of opportunities for new recruits, including for people who find it difficult to enter the mainstream labour market.
Local manufacturing gains popularity
More and more Belgian companies are bringing their production back to Belgium from abroad. Nobi is also swapping China for Belgium. As of today, the assembly - including electronics assembly (PCBA) - of the smart lamps will take place in the Antwerp region. The decision to undertake local manufacturing is due to the following benefits:
- SAVINGS: For high-tech company Nobi, manufacturing in Flanders is at least 18% cheaper than in China.
- SECURITY: Local manufacturing offers production and commercial security in uncertain geopolitical times.
- FLEXIBILITY: Bringing thinkers and makers together physically allows fast-evolving scale-ups like Nobi to move quickly when the product needs an upgrade.
Click here for more details on Nobi’s rationale.
Reshoring trend accelerates ‘industry 4.0 ambition’
Bringing production back home helps not only the companies themselves but also the economy. Professor Dr Rudy Aernoudt (Corporate Finance & European Enterprise Policy) explains.
”Too often, reshoring is dismissed because of lower wages in Asian countries. But for many companies, the overall costs are better if they come back. Nobi is a great example. In the most pessimistic scenario, production in Flanders is no less than 18% cheaper than in China. In the spirit of “words awaken, examples inspire”, I hope that many companies will follow in Nobi’s footsteps because the only sustainable economy in Europe is one where industry is welcome again.”
Nobi’s recruitment strategy: ‘commitment’ is a prerequisite
Nobi will employ 20 people at its new production site by the end of 2023. The high-tech company offers opportunities to everyone. This includes people who sometimes struggle to find their way in the mainstream labour market. Nobi’s prerequisite is a genuine commitment to supporting Nobi’s common business goal.
The interim result? A few months after the first vacancies were advertised, Ukrainian refugees, people of Belarusian origin, new Belgians who are still in the process of learning the Dutch language and employees with occupational disabilities came forward. What unites them is a common goal: to make a difference in the lives of older adults around the world.
Conny Struylaart, Head of HR at Nobi:
"At Nobi, we strive to create a stable work environment with attention to our employees’ individuality and well-being, mutual respect and opportunities for advancement. At Nobi, ‘knowledge and ability’ are of secondary importance. ‘Wanting’ is fundamental - everything else can be taught. All our new employees receive the practical training needed to produce our high-tech lamps. We also look at the support needed at an individual level to give people opportunities within our company. For example, we provide language training to some employees. Others are given extra support with their personal or family administration so that they feel good at work too. We hope to offer everyone an inclusive corporate culture and a nice group of colleagues who share a common goal. That creates a bond. Something that automatically helps to speed up integration into our society.”
Flanders: fertile soil for innovative tech companies
Flemish Minister Jo Brouns (Economy, Innovation, Work, Social Economy and Agriculture):
"Flanders has a lot to offer innovative technology companies, and not only in the initial R&D phase. Nobi’s symbolic ‘reshoring act’ shows vision and courage. I can only hope that it will also encourage other Flemish high-tech entrepreneurs to anchor themselves more strongly in the region. We provide a lot of support measures to support companies that anchor themselves regionally and want to take steps to make our labour market more inclusive.”
Mark Vanhecke, Alderman for Economy in Aartselaar, on the benefits of producing locally:
"As a local government, we can only applaud the fact that Nobi has chosen the municipality of Aartselaar to produce its smart lamps. This will create a lot of additional jobs. Quite a lot of things are already produced in our business parks, and now the Nobi lamp, an incredibly clever and ingenious product. This is very special. From now on, 'Made in China' will be 'Made in Aartselaar'. This sounds wonderful, and I would sincerely like to thank Nobi. It underlines our municipality’s ambition to remain business friendly and offer very attractive tax provisions. I hope that many more companies will follow this smart decision."
Erica Caluwaerts, Alderman for Economy, Work, Innovation and Industry in Antwerp and a Nobi supporter from day one, is delighted with the further expansion of Nobi’s production facilities in the Antwerp region:
“We are extremely excited about this next step of the Antwerp-based company ‘Nobi’. Not only because it makes us very happy to see innovative companies from our region doing well, but also because it creates new employment opportunities, including for people who aren’t always given opportunities on the mainstream labour market.”
Nobi in figures
The Belgian age-tech company ‘Nobi’ aims to grow through an international expansion strategy.
4 years after its foundation:
- 6 Nobi officesin 5 countries
Belgium (Antwerp), Austria (Klagenfurt & Vienna), the Netherlands (Utrecht), the United Kingdom (North Lakes District) and the United States (New York). - Distribution partners in 9 countries
Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom. - Nobi lamps in 21 countries
By the end of 2022, Nobi smart lamps were installed in 21 countries worldwide - 80 employees
Nobi will double the number of employees from 40 to 80 in 2023
Liesbeth Pyck