Across Europe, industrial companies are rapidly electrifying. Fleets, production lines, and heating systems are shifting from fossil fuels to electricity. This shift marks a major step toward decarbonization, but it also increases pressure on local electricity networks. As demand grows faster than grid capacity, many industrial areas are discovering that traditional energy systems are no longer suited to tomorrow’s needs.
Business parks, where companies cluster and energy demand concentrates, play a key role in shaping this transition. Business Park Lokeren E 17, East Flanders, is one such site embracing this challenge as an opportunity to modernize, collaborate, and strengthen its long-term economic resilience.
A diverse and dynamic industrial ecosystem
Business Park Lokeren E 17 spans a large, centrally located industrial area situated between Ghent and Antwerp, directly adjacent to the E 17 – one of Belgium’s most important highways. This strategic position has attracted a remarkably diverse range of companies: from local craftsmen and steel-construction specialists to logistics firms and even one of the world’s largest chocolate distribution centers. All these businesses come together within the vibrant industrial community VLI (Vereniging Lokerse Industriëlen), a source of pride for the park.
The area is also home to businesses active in road construction, disinfectant production, sound and event engineering, and renewable-energy activities. A multi-tenant building supports start-ups and small independent firms, adding fresh entrepreneurial energy to the site. This diversity positions the park as a strong engine for regional economic growth.
When ambition outpaces capacity
Lokeren is experiencing strong entrepreneurial growth, driven by the city’s deliberate strategy to create additional space and opportunities for new and expanding businesses. As more companies establish themselves on the business park and existing firms scale up, electricity demand naturally rises. At the same time, several businesses are pursuing ambitious electrification and sustainability goals. One notable example on the periphery of the industrial park is a leading company in industrial logistics and equipment services, among the largest of its kind in Belgium, which plans to electrify its fleet.
Under current conditions, this electrification plan is difficult to achieve, despite being established in Lokeren for decades. This situation illustrates a growing concern: grid congestion is becoming an economic risk.
GEMS: a collaborative path toward a smarter energy system
Recognizing the urgency, POM Oost-Vlaanderen, the City of Lokeren, grid operator Fluvius, Ghent University, Flux50, and local companies have joined forces within GEMS (Green Energy Management Systems for Business Parks). This Interreg North-West Europe project helps business parks adopt smart, scalable, and financially viable energy solutions. Lokeren is one of six pilots developing energy management system models tailored to mid-sized business parks.
Currently, companies in Lokeren operate through individual energy connections without shared coordination. While this model has served the park well historically, it leaves significant room for improved efficiency, flexibility, and resilience. GEMS helps unlock this potential by encouraging collaboration, shared insight, and integrated planning.
The business park is already taking steps toward smarter energy use through its floating-PV installation and a battery energy storage system (BESS), which will be operational in the near future en will create a stronger foundation for local energy resilience. GEMS brings these initiatives together, aligning technology and governance to help companies benefit from coordinated, sustainable energy solutions. Project Manager Renewable Energy Pieter-Jan Van De Weghe (POM Oost-Vlaanderen) explains the importance of the initiative: “Through GEMS, we aim to create the conditions for continued industrial growth. By improving local energy management, increasing flexibility, and addressing capacity constraints, we support companies in expanding sustainably and without being limited by grid constraints.”
A model for tomorrow’s industrial zones
Lokeren’s efforts reflect a broader European shift: business parks are becoming active players in the energy transition. By working collaboratively and embracing digital, shared, and renewable solutions, they can significantly increase their resilience while contributing to regional sustainability goals. As Sarah Poppe, Alderman for Economy in Lokeren, notes: “GEMS is a cornerstone of our ambition to make Lokeren a frontrunner in smart, sustainable business parks”. Peter De Bock, Alderman for Energy, Sustainability and Climate in Lokeren, adds to this by saying: “GEMS delivers immediately actionable insights: smarter energy use, higher returns from solar energy, and concrete steps toward establishing a first energy community”.
Lokeren is only at the beginning of discovering how collaborative and smart energy solutions can strengthen both sustainability and economic growth. As the pilot evolves, the insights gained may help shape approaches that other business parks can build on in the future. Interested in following this journey or exploring what it could mean for your own site? Get in touch with us to learn more.