<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=2528533714139722&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
New call-to-action
be-page-banner (1)

Welcome to CIONET Belgium

Realise your ambition! Connect with your local community of digital leaders.

See what's next

Upcoming Events

 
Banner

Belgium 23-9-25 Squad Only Virtual english

Cybersecurity Without the Burnout ; Refocusing effort when alerts, threats, and pressure won’t stop

Security teams are overwhelmed. Too many tools. Too many alerts. Too few people. And now, increasing pressure from the board to protect everything, everywhere, all the time. Expect honest reflection, shared strategies, and a conversation that cuts through compliance noise and focuses on what to do when your team is stretched and your risk is rising.

Read More
Banner

Belgium 23-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english

Reclaim the cloud : Powering Belgian Finance with Sovereignty

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the financial services industry in Belgium faces a critical juncture regarding its cloud adoption strategy. While the allure of cloud computing – with its promise of scalability, agility, and innovation – is undeniable, the unique regulatory demands and paramount need for data sovereignty present significant challenges. This CIONET roundtable, aims to bring together Digital Leaders from the Belgian financial sector to discuss how to navigate these complexities. We will explore how financial institutions can leverage cloud technologies while ensuring complete control over their data, maintaining compliance with stringent European regulations like GDPR and DORA, and mitigating geopolitical risks.

Read More
Banner

Belgium 24-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english

Bridging the Unbridgeable: IT Meets M(i)OT ; Converged infrastructures demand converged security

As smart devices proliferate across operational environments — from sensors on factory lines and GPS trackers in logistics fleets to wearables in healthcare and connected systems in smart cities — the integration of Managed IoT (MiOT) is accelerating. But with it comes a surge in cybersecurity risks. No longer isolated or air-gapped, OT systems are becoming fully networked, remotely accessible, and deeply entwined with IT. This creates a vulnerable, highly complex digital mesh, one where a single compromised device can trigger physical, financial, and reputational consequences.

Read More

Upcoming TRIBE Events

 
Banner

September 23, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

Cybersecurity Without the Burnout ; Refocusing effort when alerts, threats, and pressure won’t stop

Security teams are overwhelmed. Too many tools. Too many alerts. Too few people. And now, increasing pressure from the board to protect everything, everywhere, all the time. Expect honest reflection, shared strategies, and a conversation that cuts through compliance noise and focuses on what to do when your team is stretched and your risk is rising.

Read More
Banner

September 30, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

Technical Debt: When to Pay It and When to Walk Away ; Making smart trade-offs between progress, maintenance, and risk

Everyone has technical debt. The question is what to do with it. Refactor now? Wait for the next feature? Build on it and hope it holds? If you’re tired of debating whether to clean up or move on, this session helps you frame the debt conversation in a way that supports both speed and stability.

Read More
Banner

October 2, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

The Career Path of the Architect ;Great architecture begins with great architects

Architecture doesn’t happen in diagrams. It happens in minds, seasoned, curious, sharp minds that understand how the pieces fit. But who’s shaping these minds? Who’s growing the next generation of digital architects? If you’re responsible for complex systems, and for the people designing them, this session is for you.

Read More

CIONET Partner Updates

CIONET Partner Updates

Recent Cases

Please Log In with your CIONET account first

Connecting DP World Antwerp’s operations with smarter wireless technology

With a wireless mesh backbone network across the port, every employee can get the information in a dynamic environment.

Overview
DP World Antwerp helps to get products where they need to be. The Antwerp Gateway terminal handles 2.5 million containers every year, 3,000 trucks a day and almost 950 ships annually.
It’s one of the larger terminals in Europe, with a team of over 900 people keeping things running smoothly.

In logistics, efficiency is everything. That’s why DP World Antwerp’s fleet of vehicles – including straddle carriers and cranes – need to be constantly connected. But with a huge area to cover, avoiding signal dropouts is tough.

“If a terminal’s network went down, and it lasted longer than a few hours, the impact would be disastrous,” explains Jef Lambregts, DP World Antwerp’s head of engineering. “You’d have all the trucks queuing to bring or pick-up containers, and you’d have queues all around Antwerp.”

 

The challenge  
The port landscape poses many wireless networking challenges:

Signals bounce back off the corrugated sides of the metal containers.
Reefer zones, used to power refrigeration units, can impact wireless signal strength and quality.
Wireless signals from docked ships can interfere with those of the terminal.
Terminals have to comply with strict regulations when using outdoor wireless technology, ensuring that port authority weather radars get priority whenever it’s needed.
Signals have to travel across huge areas without losing the connection.
People and vehicles, including cranes and straddle carriers, are constantly moving, so every corner of the terminal has to have a connection.
According to Philippe de Crombrugghe, global account director for our Global division, DP World Antwerp needed a wireless connectivity solution that could transport all its data in real time, without compromising on security. It had to be resilient, carry large amounts of data, and it couldn’t go down. And because the team plan to integrate more functionality into their operations in the future, they also needed a network that could evolve alongside the company. One that could handle Internet of Things devices, geolocation devices, truck scanning and video streaming without breaking a sweat.

“We handle more than 200 trucks an hour, so the system has to be very reliable. If it went down, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack,” explains Jef.

Timings for deployment were very well agreed on, and also kept. If there was an issue it was immediately solved.”

Jef LambregtsHead of Engineering, DP World Antwerp.


The solution
“BT’s was the first solution that we really believed could solve our problems,” says Jef. “We had a lot of proposals, but that was the one that we really believed in.”

We started with a pilot program, to test the approach and make sure the wireless backbone technology and approach would work in the port environment. Once it was approved, we created a terminal-wide solution that kept costs low, without compromising on connectivity. We also made sure the network supported the static and dynamic elements of DP World Antwerp’s operational environment – a key part of their digital transformation roadmap.

Deploying Rajant’s Kinetic Mesh technology, we created a stable backbone solution that would keep everyone connected to the same network, even as they moved around the port. “A Rajant network maintains multiple connections at all times, and is constantly scanning the environment to check the fastest route for the data, from source to destination,” explains Chris Mason, Rajant’s director of sales. So if corrugated containers block or disrupt connections, the network will route around it to maintain the signal. Which means there’s no single point of failure.

And if DP World Antwerp wants to make changes to the network, it doesn’t have to reconfigure anything. It’s all done seamlessly and automatically in the background.

In logistics, efficiency is everything.


The result
The reliable wireless backbone means DP World Antwerp’s operations across the Antwerp Gateway terminal can always stay in touch with the central system. So they get the information they need, when they need it. And because the network is future proof, it can also support new ways to work more efficiently and save on costs.

In the logistics industry, it’s essential to stay a step ahead. And with the wireless backbone, it’s easier for DP World Antwerp to innovate, work more efficiently and stay agile in an industry that is quickly moving towards automation.

“In the last few years there has been a big move towards automation of the container terminals,” explains Jef. “This network opens new opportunities for us. One of the things we’ve started testing now is related to the Internet of Things. With the wireless backbone network, we’re able to receive messages from machines about their condition. In the future this will allow us to predict when the machines need to come in for maintenance.”

With a new, adaptable network in place, DP World Antwerp is one step further on its journey towards digital transformation.  

Within the logistics vertical, digitisation will help them increase their efficiency and lower their environmental impact.”

Philippe de CrombruggheGlobal account director, BT


The new network is also highly scalable, which means there will always be bandwidth capacity available as DP World Antwerp grows. And unlike a traditional wireless network, the Kinetic Mesh Network operates on multiple frequencies and multiple paths. So DP World Antwerp can add as many new devices to the network as it wants without efficiency dropping.

With our wireless backbone solution behind it, DP World Antwerp is one step closer to its digital transformation goals. And when new technologies roll out worldwide – like wind-powered container vessels and connected drones for loading and unloading – they’ll have the network to support them from day one.

Technologies

Rajant Kinetic Mesh

CIONET Circles

CIONET Business Circles

Banner
Healthcare Circle

Digital Transformation is redefining the future of health care and health delivery. All stakeholders are convinced that these innovations will create value for patients, healthcare practitioners, hospitals, and governments along the patient pathway. The benefits are starting from prevention and awareness to diagnosis, treatment, short- and long-term follow-up, and ultimately survival. But how do you make sure that your working towards an architecturally sound, secure and interoperable health IT ecosystem for your hospital and avoid implementing a hodgepodge of spot solutions? How does your IT department work together with the other stakeholders, such as the doctors and other healthcare practitioners, Life Sciences companies, Tech companies, regulators and your internal governance and administrative bodies?

Read More
Banner
Telenet Business Leadership Circle

The Telenet Business Leadership Circle powered by CIONET, offers a platform where IT executives and thought leaders can meet to inspire each other and share best practices. We want to be a facilitator who helps you optimise the performance of your IT function and your business by embracing the endless opportunities that digital change brings.

Read More
Banner
Les Rencontres

Découvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !

Read More
Banner
Female Leadership Circle

CIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.

Read More

Check out our latest news

Testimonials

Geert Goethals
Geert Goethals
CIO
Sibelga
Bahadir Samli
Bahadir Samli
CIO
ING Belgique
2-Feb-29-2024-11-35-00-9309-AM
Bart Kerkhofs
Vice President & Head of IT
Bridgestone EMIA
Untitled design (1)-Apr-01-2022-10-58-34-57-AM
Michał Paprocki
Group CIO
Euroclear
1-Feb-29-2024-11-34-59-8990-AM
Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer
Chief Information Officer
NATO
Untitled design-Nov-22-2023-08-42-05-3178-AM
Annick Faes
Vice President IT and CIO Medical Devices EMEA
Johnson & Johnson
Piet_De_Ceuleners
Piet De Ceuleners
Global IT Director
Melexis
1658251930890
Dirk De Bevere
Large Enterprise Sales Leader
Telenet Business
Untitled design-7
Stef Schampaert
Country Managing Director BeLux
Red Hat
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Geert Lejon
Geert Lejon
Vice President Head of Belux / Head of Comms Benelux
Cognizant
Kevin_Ledegen
Kevin Ledegen
Group IT director
SDWorx
Gunter-Van-Craen_Small
Gunter Van Craen
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Bekaert
Thomas Kessler
Thomas Kessler
Partner | CIO Programme Leader
Deloitte
Emmanuel Gob
Emmanuel Gob
CIO
DPD
pascal pauwels
Pascal Pauwels
CIO
Colruyt
Untitled design (4)-Dec-13-2023-10-53-15-5032-AM
Koen Segers
Managing Director Belgium and Luxembourg
Dell Technologies
benoit dewaele
Benoît Dewaele
Group IT Directo
Vandemoortele
Dirk Deridder-1
Dirk Deridder
CTO - Technology Services & Practices
SMALS
Thierry Driesens
Thierry Driesens
CIO
TVH
Untitled design-Sep-18-2023-11-59-29-7866-AM
Koen Vandaele
CIO
Delen Private Bank
Untitled design (4)-Jun-12-2023-01-23-11-7540-PM
Liesbet D'hoker
Managing Director
Kyndryl BeLux
steven-vermeulen
Steven Vermeulen
CIO
Digitaal Vlaanderen
Jack Hamande
Jack Hamande
Director General Digital Transformation
Federale Overheidsdienst Beleid en Ondersteuning
Tom Tomczak
Tom Tomczak
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
NRB
1726588748718
Cassandre Laurent
Directeur général
Agence du Numérique
an swalens
An Swalens
Head Of IT (CIO)
National Bank of Belgium
Untitled design (2)-Apr-01-2022-10-58-34-68-AM
Elke Laeremans
Chief Digital & Supply Chain Officer at Casa International
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Koen Van Loo
Koen Van Loo
CIO
Group S.
Peter Sany
Peter Sany
Executive Advisor
Zoom
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Steven De Haes
Steven De Haes
Dean
Antwerp Management School
Marleen Thorré
Marleen Thorré
Head of Digital EMEA
Mitsubishi Chemical Group
christel-plessers
Christel Plessers
Head of IT European Markets
Mercedes-Benz Europe
bauduin cor
Baudouin Corlùy
Chief Market Development Officer
LCL Data Centers

Team

Luc Hendrikx
Luc Hendrikx
Partner - CEO
Inès De Bien
Inès De Bien
Partner - CCO
1-Feb-08-2022-10-22-08-68-AM
Daniel Eycken
Partner - COO
Hendrik Deckers
Hendrik Deckers
Partner - Founder
Untitled design (1)-2
Jelte Scheys
Tribes Sales Director Belgium
foto Herman
Herman Roelandts
Tribe Master
Joseph Antoun
Joseph Antoun
Senior Programme Director
1-Dec-16-2021-02-15-57-02-PM
Eman De Sutter
Programme Manager
4-Feb-08-2022-10-22-09-03-AM
Shelly Deracourt
Programme Manager
Untitled design (5)-Sep-01-2022-02-47-55-60-PM
Charlotte Coen
Partner Success Manager
Untitled design (1)-Nov-22-2023-08-56-42-6802-AM
Ivana Bradvica
Programme Manager
ML B-W-1
Martine Lefevre
Financial Controller
Vlera Berishaa (1)
Vlera Berisha
Community Manager
Phaedra Vanhaeren
Phaedra Vanhaeren
Programme Manager

Contact us

Would you like to know more about CIONET Belgium, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!