AGP Executive Report

AI & Web Governance: Tim Berners-Lee says AI should preserve the “original values” of the web and keep people in control of their own data, calling for regulation and better standards. Belgian Industry Upgrade: Unilin will invest over €100m to modernise its particleboard plant in Oostrozebeke, aiming for more efficient, lower-carbon, circular production using recycled wood. Medical Tech & Sleep Apnea: Nyxoah (Mont-Saint-Guibert) starts a search for a new U.S.-based CEO to accelerate Genio’s commercial push, while also outlining a proposed U.S. share offering. Biotech Deal: Gilead and Lakefront complete the acquisition of Ouro Medicines, adding gamgertamig (OM336) to expand T-cell engager work for autoimmune diseases. Cybersecurity: New reports highlight active exploitation of Windows Netlogon flaws (CVE-2026-41089), with urgent patching urged. EU Funding for Moldova: The EU announced up to €641m for Moldova investments across energy, digital infrastructure, education and sustainable agriculture. Tech in Belgium’s Ecosystem: TOMI Environmental Solutions gains EU regulatory approvals for its Binary Ionization Technology, now authorised in Belgium and more countries. Science Communication: A new piece argues scientists remain far less visible than celebrities, and that public-facing science communication needs a reset.

Web Governance: Tim Berners-Lee urged AI to preserve the web’s “original values,” arguing people must keep control of their own data as models learn from the internet. Belgian Health Tech & Finance: Nyxoah (Mont-Saint-Guibert) kicked off a search for a new U.S.-based CEO to accelerate its Genio sleep apnea launch, alongside a proposed U.S. share offering. Biotech Deal: Gilead and Lakefront completed the acquisition of Ouro Medicines, adding gamgertamig (OM336) to expand inflammation-focused T cell engager work. EU Regulation & Safety Tech: TOMI secured further EU approvals for its Binary Ionization Technology, now authorized in more member states including Belgium. Retail Meets Tech: bol is bringing physical festival stores to Rock Werchter, letting shoppers pre-order online and collect on-site. Healthcare Distribution: Cosmos Health expanded Sky Premium Life availability across all 27 EU countries via Skroutz. Aviation Electrification: Ostend-Bruges Airport hosted a demonstration flight of an electric cargo aircraft to test low-emissions operations in Benelux. Cybersecurity Access: Anthropic expanded Claude Mythos Preview cybersecurity model access to India through Project Glasswing, which already includes Belgium among other countries.

AI Safety & Trust: Synthesia is partnering with Cinder to add a second-pass moderation layer for AI video, aiming to judge scripts before frames are generated. Belgium Tech & Telecom: Telenet reports intermittent fixed-network disruptions, blaming public works, weather, and stressed components, and says it will boost field engineers by 40%. Real Estate Tokenization: Leuven-based Integra and SettleMint plan AI + blockchain-compliant real estate tokenization across the UAE and the US. Cybersecurity Patch Pressure: Microsoft’s June 9 Patch Tuesday is the last deployment before Secure Boot certificates expire June 24–27, risking degraded boot-level protections for delayed enterprises. EU Animal Testing: The European Commission released a roadmap to phase out animal testing for chemical safety, citing slow progress and hundreds of thousands of animals used in 2023. Energy & Industry Jobs: EU documents warn energy costs and restructuring could threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs, with major pressure on autos and batteries. Hydrogen Research (France): FDE’s Pontpierre deep well in Lorraine is pushing natural hydrogen exploration toward ~4,000m to test “white hydrogen” potential. Belgium Employment Focus: The EU urges Belgium to tackle labour shortages and skills mismatches, including better regional employment cooperation and support for return-to-work. Healthcare (SLE): UCB and Biogen shared new EULAR 2026 data on dapirolizumab pegol, highlighting sustained disease control with lower steroid exposure. Web & AI Values: Tim Berners-Lee calls for AI to preserve the web’s original “person-first” values and give users control over data sent to tech giants.

AI Security & Access: Anthropic is expanding its cybersecurity-focused Mythos model access via Project Glasswing to about 150 organisations across more than 15 countries, including Belgium, with participants required to meet security standards. Belgium Jobs & Skills: The European Commission tells Belgium to tackle labour shortages and a skills mismatch, warning that flexi-jobs expansion could worsen gaps in healthcare and education. Payments With AI Agents: Worldline and ING completed the first end-to-end European agent payment in production, using Mastercard rails and infrastructure deployed in Belgium. Hydrogen Reality Check: A new Belgian hydrogen station rollout is being questioned on economics, with the key issue being how many kilograms per day can actually be dispensed versus announcement capacity. Life Sciences Patents (Belgium angle): A monthly roundup highlights Belgium court decisions affecting medical device and supplementary protection certificate rules, alongside broader Unified Patent Court developments. Health Research (Belgium): A Belgian study finds nearly 18% of GP DOAC prescriptions for non-valvular atrial fibrillation include drug-drug interactions, mostly pharmacodynamic. Recycling Science: Research in Nature suggests pre-sorting plastics at household level improves recycled plastic quality, even if mixed collection can raise volumes. Media & AI Licensing: A coalition led by BBC/Sky/Guardian, including Belgium’s Mediahuis, pushes for fair payment and content protection from AI platforms.

Critical Cybersecurity: Belgium’s Centre for Cybersecurity warns that Windows Netlogon flaw CVE-2026-41089 is being actively exploited in the wild, with attackers able to trigger SYSTEM-level code execution on unpatched domain controllers—so admins are urged to patch now, not later. EU Digital Rules: The EU’s Digital Markets Act faces fresh courtroom pressure after a General Court ruling that the Commission didn’t justify classifying Meta’s Facebook Marketplace as a core platform, tightening how regulators must explain decisions. Belgian Industry Investment: Cargill is putting €56m into Belgian edible oils, gourmet chocolate and its Vilvoorde innovation centre, aiming to scale production and R&D for growing European demand. Mission-Critical Comms: Airspan joins the ARES consortium to build a sovereign, resilient European communications platform for defence, emergency response and drone/airborne connectivity. Tech & Privacy: Google Home expands Gemini for Home in Belgium, adding “Pet Memory” and home-event summaries—raising the usual questions about how much smart-home data is used. Illicit Trade: A new EU study says counterfeit cigarettes pushed black-market consumption above 10% in 2025, costing governments billions in tax revenue. Environment Policy: A call grows for a Europe-wide bottom trawling ban in marine protected areas after research estimates huge net costs to society.

Belgium & Security Planning: Belgium’s updated Marine Spatial Plan (in force to 2034) boosts protection of North Sea critical infrastructure, including seabed cables, with Defence, coastguard and inspection partners stepping up amid heightened maritime security risks. Belgian Defence Tech: IDDEA will debut an embedded, fully offline AI system at Eurosatory 2026 to identify specific military equipment models directly onboard vehicles and sensors—aimed at faster decisions when networks are jammed or disconnected. Belgian Fintech Watch: Wise is under a Belgian money-laundering investigation; prosecutors say hundreds of criminal files and over €500m in suspicious transactions are being reviewed, raising questions about client identification and activity monitoring. STEM & Research Links: Kazakhstan’s science minister met EU and Belgian research leaders (including KU Leuven and imec) to explore partnerships in microelectronics, semiconductors, critical materials and rare-earth extraction. Health Research (Belgium in the mix): A secondary analysis of the international CogEx trial reports computerized cognitive rehabilitation in progressive MS, with Belgium among the participating centres. AI in Payments (Europe-wide, Belgium-linked): Worldline and ING completed a live end-to-end agentic payment in production across European markets using Mastercard infrastructure. Belgian Universities & Israel Ties: Nearly 5,000 university staff and students signed an open letter urging Belgian universities to cut institutional collaborations with Israeli partners tied to alleged international-law violations.

Plastics Regulation in Brussels: CFREP published the draft agenda for its 2026 Contact-Sensitive Plastics Conference (16–17 June) at Martin’s Brussels Hotel, focusing on food-contact rules, PPWR and reuse, recycling and certification, plus how PFAS requirements intersect with packaging design and enforcement. Robotaxis in Europe: WeRide and Uber plan Spain’s first commercial robotaxi pilot in Madrid, with rides via the Uber app and AVOMO supporting operations, aiming for progressive scaling later this year. Belgium AI & jobs: A Belgian bank says it plans to replace 1,000 jobs with AI over three years, while another report highlights how few Belgian firms have AI policy and how many lag on cybersecurity updates. Cybersecurity for fans: Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Yubico warns of ticket, travel and merchandise scams and stresses stronger digital identity and phishing-resistant protections. Healthcare dosing in Belgium/region: A study led by Radboud and Ghent finds many psoriasis patients can safely taper newer biologics while keeping control of symptoms. Energy infrastructure coordination: A North Sea CCS and hydrogen report argues progress needs cross-border rules, integrated planning and investor confidence to scale transport and storage.

Cybersecurity in Belgium: The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) warns that the Windows Netlogon remote code execution flaw (CVE-2026-41089) is being exploited in the wild, urging organizations to patch after Microsoft’s fixes. Fintech & compliance: Wise shares plunged after Belgium’s Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed it is investigating Wise Europe over suspected money-laundering linked to fraud, corruption and drug trafficking. AI in banking (Belgium): BNP Paribas Fortis says it plans to replace about 1,000 jobs with AI and digital tools over three years, including shifting millions of customer card inquiries to a chatbot. Hydrogen infrastructure (Rotterdam): Gasunie inaugurated a 32-km hydrogen pipeline section in the Port of Rotterdam, linking Maasvlakte to Pernis to speed up industrial offtake. Nuclear medicine supply (Belgium): TerraPower Isotopes and PanTera expanded actinium-225 production, adding a new line at IRE in Fleurus to boost capacity for targeted alpha therapies. Pharma leadership (Ghent): Ardena appointed Ariane de Ganck as Chief Scientific Officer to strengthen science, project management and CMC regulatory strategy. Security tech orders: Theon secured €42m in new orders (plus €27m options) for vehicle awareness systems under the EU’s SAFE mechanism.

Belgian Finance & Compliance: Wise shares plunged after Belgian prosecutors opened a probe into the London-based payments firm over “non-compliance with anti-money laundering legislation,” tied to hundreds of cross-border requests from 30+ countries and €500m in transactions. Clinical Research: Rejuvenate Biomed says it has completed recruitment for a Phase 2 trial of RJx-01 in COPD-induced sarcopenia, with topline results expected by end-2026. Semiconductors for AI: CEA-Leti showcased die-to-wafer hybrid bonding down to 1 μm pitch, aiming to remove a key bottleneck for high-density AI hardware. Rare Disease AI & Drug Discovery: Belgian AI startup Kantify is feeding its health-focused drug-discovery work into an EU-funded DREAMS project for rare neuromuscular disorders. Chip Inspection Startup: ASML spinout Invisix raised €20M to “see” inside advanced chips during manufacturing, targeting yield problems. Energy & Trade Tech: Solvay and Viridis Mining signed a rare-earth supply letter of intent, linking Brazil feedstocks to processing in France by 2028. Security Watch: Reports of China’s expanding spy network across Europe raise alarms about targeting universities and tech firms.

Space & Security: SpaceX won a $4.16B U.S. Space Force contract to build the SB-AMTI satellite network, aiming to track airborne threats from orbit and reduce reliance on vulnerable aircraft surveillance. Belgium Research & Society: A new study finds mosques in Belgium are sharply clustered, leaving many Brussels neighborhoods underserved and often relying on non-purpose-built spaces. EU Energy Policy: The EU is weighing a temporary freeze of its Russia oil price cap to avoid a jump at the next review, as Middle East tensions keep oil markets volatile. Health & Science: The PEACE-2 trial discussion highlights new questions on whether very high-risk localized prostate cancer patients should get pelvic versus prostate-only radiotherapy, alongside cabazitaxel and ADT. Climate & Infrastructure: Extreme heat is raising blackout risks in the UK, with the electricity grid struggling above 30°C. Belgium Tech/Industry: TVH appointed Giuliano Parodi as CEO effective Sept. 1, 2026, bringing deep industrial and aftermarket experience. Science Diplomacy: Pakistan–EU Erasmus+ collaboration awarded 98 higher-education scholars, with Belgium-based embassy messaging stressing research and emerging technologies.

Sports Tech & Media: PSG beat Arsenal on penalties after a 1–1 draw to lift the Champions League, with Roland Garros also promising court changes after injury complaints tied to poorly placed advertising boards. Digital Regulation: Polymarket is blocking VPN-linked IPs and sometimes demanding identity checks as gambling rules tighten across countries like Spain and Indonesia. Belgium & Europe Research: The 17th European Glaucoma Society congress opens in Brussels (30 May–2 June) with surgery and imaging days, plus sessions spanning neurology, engineering and health economics. Health & Science Policy: A review highlights low pulmonary rehabilitation referral and attendance rates, pointing to behavioural and system barriers that could guide better interventions. Climate Diplomacy: Nepal’s embassy in Brussels held a dialogue on climate change’s impact on the Himalayas ahead of International Everest Day. Public Health Travel: Mexico restricts air entry from parts of Central Africa due to Ebola, as the World Cup approaches. Education Mobility: Pakistan tops Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters fully funded scholarships again, with 98 awardees for the 2026 cycle. Belgian Tech/Innovation Angle: A Belgian deep-tech startup, D-CRBN, raised €17.5m to scale CO₂ recycling.

AI & Society: A Belgian-focused op-ed warns that people are outsourcing thinking to chatbots, with a Belgium rector’s AI-written speech reportedly including a fabricated Einstein quote. Medical Science in Brussels: The 17th European Glaucoma Society Congress opens in Brussels (30 May–2 June) with surgery and imaging sessions, plus links to neurology, engineering and health economics. Ancient DNA (Belgium/Netherlands): New research using ancient DNA teases out more complex prehistoric migrations across Belgium and the Netherlands, including a late Neolithic movement linked to major farmer replacement in Britain. Education Mobility: Pakistan tops the Erasmus Mundus fully funded scholarship rankings again for the 2026 cycle, with Belgium among the EU’s key mobility hubs. Belgium in Defence Finance: Poland receives the first SAFE defence-loan payment (€6.6bn), and Belgium is among the first five EU states that signed SAFE loan agreements with the Commission. Solar Testing (Belgium-linked): SGS Belgium is named in a lab recognition enabling internationally accepted IEC solar PV module testing under the CB Scheme.

Belgium Science & Health: The 17th Congress of the European Glaucoma Society (EGS) opens in Brussels on 30 May, spotlighting glaucoma surgery, imaging and neuroscience, with new “Surgery Day” and an Imaging half-day plus sessions with neurology, engineering and health economics. Belgium Infrastructure & Environment: BESIX Environment and Socogetra will modernise a municipal wastewater plant in Spiennes (Hainaut), starting 1 June 2026, with commissioning due by March 2028 and upgrades aimed at tighter discharge standards. Belgium Cyber & AI Governance: Proximus NXT says AI use is outpacing governance in Belgian organisations: 8 in 10 allow employee AI tools, but fewer than 3 in 10 have a formal AI policy. Belgium Energy & Industry: ESA has selected two new Earth-observing missions—Hibidis (with Belgian partners) and SOVA-S—to study biodiversity health and atmospheric gravity waves. Belgium Tech & Compliance: A Belgian-linked angle on solar testing: Delhi Test House’s lab has been recognised by SGS Belgium as an IEC CB Testing Laboratory for PV module testing under the CB Scheme. Belgium Public Debate: A new report by Appeals Centre Europe says 70% of reported online hate speech content isn’t removed by platforms, with Belgium among the top per-capita challengers.

Belgium Aerospace: Sonaca in Gosselies has inaugurated a fully digital production line for F-35A horizontal tail sections, with the first stabilizer built for the BeLightning consortium—part of Belgium’s shift from F-16s to the F-35 and aiming for 150 skilled jobs by 2035. EU Consumer Rules: The European Commission has launched infringement steps against 20 member states, including Belgium, for not fully transposing the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition—targeting green-claims reliability and sustainability labels. Health Tech & Pharma: Sequana Medical says post-hoc POSEIDON study results show long-term ascites resolution and early liver recovery signals for alfapump patients, presented at EASL Congress 2026. Climate & Living Conditions: A new MCC Brussels analysis argues EU sustainability rules are worsening heatwave impacts by discouraging active cooling and prioritizing winter heating efficiency. Belgium in the Tech Ecosystem: Microsoft and Proximus NXT expand their sovereign cloud partnership across Belgium and Luxembourg. EU Chips Policy: Reuters reports “Chips Act 2.0” would push governments to buy EU-made chips from startups via demand accelerators and public procurement. Smart Reuse Payments: Borro raised €1.3m to expand its digital deposit system for reusable cups across Europe, using bank-card-linked returns.

Belgium Defence Industry: Sonaca in Gosselies has inaugurated a fully digital production line for F-35A horizontal tail sections, feeding the BeLightning consortium and aiming to replace Belgium’s aging F-16 fleet. EU Consumer & Safety Rules: The European Commission has launched infringement procedures against 20 Member States, including Belgium, for failing to fully transpose green-claims, health and worker-safety directives on time. Belgian Corporate Deal: FN Browning Group has agreed to acquire UK precision-rifle maker Accuracy International, strengthening its position in precision firearms manufacturing. Health Tech for Kids: Philips and Disney are rolling out Disney-themed Philips Ambient Experience for MRI in 87 countries, including Belgium, to reduce children’s scan anxiety. Circular Economy Payments: Borro raised €1.3m to expand its reusable-cup deposit system across Europe, using camera-readable codes instead of RFID. Climate & Industry Data: A case study highlights growing demand for real methane (CH4) monitoring tools as reporting rules tighten, with Belgium and the Netherlands funding farm measurement programs. Tech & Markets: Wall Street hit fresh highs as tech stocks surged, with investors watching US-Iran ceasefire talks.

Digital Finance & Security: MeDirect won a European award for its digital savings and investing platform, praising security, governance, and fraud prevention as it grows in Malta and Belgium. EU Trade Policy: The EU plans to strengthen trade defence tools against China, including more import quotas and tariffs for sectors like chemicals, metals and clean technology. Climate Science: A new study with Belgian researchers links slow orbital changes to abrupt climate swings during the dinosaur-age greenhouse period, helping explain rapid past reorganisations. Mobility Tech: Navan added Swedish rail carriers to its AI travel platform via SilverRail integration, expanding domestic and cross-border booking options. Energy Storage: Tesla reportedly broke ground on a 700MWh Megapack battery facility in Belgium, aiming to boost grid stability as renewables scale. Automotive Standards: The MIPI Alliance launched an A-PHY compliance program to speed multi-vendor integration for next-gen automotive SerDes. Circular Packaging: Brussels startup Borro raised €1.3M to expand its digital deposit system for reusable cups across Europe. Neurotech Funding: ReVision Implant secured €4M to prepare a cortical visual prosthesis for human trials. Belgian Tech in the Spotlight: TVH named Giuliano Parodi as its new CEO, effective September 1, bringing long experience in industrial equipment and automotive.