Financial Partners

• Umicore

  

  Umicore is a materials technology group. Its activities arecentered on four business areas: Advanced Materials, Precious MetalsProducts and Catalysts, Precious Metals Services and Zinc Specialties.Each business area is dividedinto market-focused business units.

  Umicore focuses on the application areas it knows its expertise in materials science, chemistry and metallurgy can make a real difference, be it in products that are essential to everyday life or those at the cutting edge of new technological developments. Umicore's overriding goal of sustainable value creation is based on this ambition to develop, produce and recycle materials in a way that fulfils its mission: materials for a better life.

  The Umicore Group has industrial operations on all continents and serves a global customer base; it generated a turnover of EUR 6.6 billion in 2005 and currently employs some 14,000 people.

• CMB Group

  

  CMB, Compagnie Maritime Belge, is a maritime group with its registered offices in Antwerp. The company was founded in 1895. Its shares are quoted on Euronext. The CMB share is included in the Next 150 index and is also part of the NextPrime index. The CMB Group's main activities are all directly or indirectly related to the shipping industry, i.e. transport of dry cargo and related financial activities.

• GDF SUEZ - Electrabel

  

  One of the leading energy providers in the world, GDF SUEZ is active across the entire energy value chain, in electricity and natural gas, upstream to downstream. On that basis, the Group has become involved in the polar research station. In this way, the GDF SUEZ Group and its subsidiaries highlight their dedication to the quest for innovative and wide-ranging solutions in support of sustainable development.

  Electrabel runs a wide range of generation facilities with a combined power of more than 17,000 MW, and serves 5.7 million residential and business customers. Subsidiary of GDF SUEZ, Electrabel is the leading energy provider on the Benelux market, and aspires to consolidate its position there while also improving its environmental performance; In this spirit, Electrabel has become involved in the first "zero emission" scientific research station.

• Belgian National Lottery

  

  The National Lottery, first donor in Belgium. "Contribute to community welfare", such is the mission of the Belgian National Lottery. It fulfills this goal by contributing back a large fraction of its earnings into Society, through financing projects in a wide array of fields: humanitarian, social, sports, sciences, culture and sustainable development.

• Alpro

  

  Since 1980, Alpro has been dreaming of a healthier world. A place where people can live without disturbing the earth's balance, by simply doing business in a healthy and fair way.
  This is not only a dream. It's something we've been actively working towards. Step by step, with the right teams here in Europe and across the world. By being a fair partner with solid building blocks. Blocks in the form of beans. Soya beans. Alpro is a pioneer in using this healthy sustainable approach, which has enabled us to take the leading role in the European soya food products market. Share our dream.

• Belgacom

  

  The Belgacom Group is Belgium's reference provider of integrated telecommunication services.

  Bolstered by its long-standing experience as Belgium's incumbent operator and its capacity for innovation, the Belgacom Group, thanks to its subsidiaries, is able to provide all its customers, regardless of their profile - whether private or professional, company or institution - with a comprehensive range of offers and solutions in fixed and mobile networks.

• Dexia

  

  Dexia, european banking group, is the world leader in public-sector financing and financial services for the local public sector, a major retail bank in Belgium and Luxembourg, a recognized provider of investment management services.

• InBev-Baillet Latour Fund

  

  The objective of the INBEV-BAILLET LATOUR FUND is to encourage work of great value to humanity and to reward such work through prizes or study grants. The Fund is active in the following main areas: medical research, Belgian cultural heritage, university education and the Olympic movement.

  The Fund, concerned with the environment and sustainable development, teamed up with the International Polar Foundation by awarding grants for the study of climate change, e.g. through a stay at the Princess Elisabeth Station or by financing the purchase of scientific materials and the realisation of a film.

• Lhoist Group

  

  Acting for the environment

  Through its skill and its products, the Lhoist Group, which is an expert in lime and dolomite, is contributing every day to the improvement of everyone's quality of life by offering innovative products designed to protect the environment (treatment of gases, drinking water, polluted soils and sludge). It produces calcium reagents which are used in manufacturing processes in numerous industries (iron and steel, glass, chemicals, paper, civil engineering, agriculture, eco-building).

  In collaboration with the universities, its research and development centres focus their activities on making new products to respond to the needs of today's and tomorrow's markets.

• P&V

  

  P&V Insurance, a co-operative society, was founded in 1907. Today the P&V Group comprises 8 insurance companies in Belgium (P&V, P&V Réassurance, P&V Caisse Commune, VIVIUM and VIVIUM-Life, Piette & Partners, Actel and ARCES) and is developing its business operations in Luxembourg through Euresa-Life and by means of its branch office, which markets its products under the VIVIUM brand-name.

  P&Valso maintains close links with the society through partnerships and sponsorship initiatives ranging from support for preventive campaigns (health, road safety, environment) to educational projects, finance for university research and support for third-world aid initiatives, as well as activities implemented at the P&V Foundation, set up in 2000, which fight social exclusion among the young.

  The P&V Group holds 9th place in the Belgian market.

• Quick

  

  The Group's principal activity is the operation of owned and franchised fast food restaurants under the Quick name. The Group operates more than 400 restaurants in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, Hungary, Slovenia, Guadeloupe and La Reunion.

• Schneider Electric

  

  The world leader in electricity and automation management, Schneider Electric harnesses electricity to support customer performance and enhance quality of life. Thanks to a unique portfolio of products and services, we offer integrated, intelligent and networked solutions that allow customers to use electricity in complete safety, develop automation everywhere, improve energy efficiency, ensure high-quality power supply and manage building utilities and communication networks. By leveraging the strong commitment of its 105,000 team members in 106 countries, Schneider Electric gives the best of the New Electric World to everyone, everywhere at any time.

• Transcor Astra Group (subsidiary of CNP/NMP)

  

  The Transcor Group was created in 1947 in Antwerp, Belgium, under the name of Transcometal. In those days the prime activity consisted of the trade of metals. Ever since then the company has been transformed to an international trading organization with a consolidated turnover figure in excess of 6 billion Euros.

• Volkswagen

  

  Ecology is no longer just a fad. Today, it has become the subject of a worldwide debate where industrial, commercial and social points of view are confronted.

  We decided at Volkswagen Belgium to play our part in this debate of prime importance. We want to raise the awareness of our partners, the press and all other parties concerned by this major issue. We are doing it by supporting environmental research projects such as the Polar Foundation, setting up initiatives towards our customers, promoting several environmental measures inside our company, distributing articles, reports and documentaries. Volkswagen Belgium wishes to encourage a new attitude towards the world we live in.

• Delhaize Group

  

  Delhaize Group is a Belgian international food retailer with activities in 8 countries on three continents.

  Delhaize Group has leading positions in food retailing in key markets. These positions are built through strong regional companies going to market in a variety of food store formats. The operating companies benefit from the Group's expertise and successful practices. The Group is committed to offering a locally differentiated shopping experience to its customers in each of its markets, to delivering superior value and to maintaining high social, environmental and ethical standards.

• Henkel

  

  For more than 130 years, Henkel has been a leader with brands and technologies that make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful.

  Henkel Laundry & Home Care is part of the Henkel Group, of which brands such as Persil, Dixan, Witte Reus Silan or Bref (...) have always combined top quality with respect for people and the environment. These brands offer products that combine high performance with ecological compatibility, that are produced in good working conditions, saving energy and water wherever possible.

  The brands of Henkel Laundry & Home Care are strongly committed to sustainable development, and therefore want to demonstrate this by supporting the International Polar Foundation.

• Solvay

  

  Solvay has changed radically in recent years, into a group focused on competitiveness, leadership and high added value activities, aimed at sustained and profitable growth and led by a passion for innovation.

  Solvay, which operates in Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals and Plastics, generated EUR 9.4 billion of sales in 2006 from more than 400 units in over 50 countries. Some 29,000 people apply their talents daily to satisfying the demands of the Group's 160 000 clients.

• Socialist Mutuality Insurance

  

  The Socialist Mutuality insurance is proud to be partner of the Belgian polar station Princess Elisabeth. The first objective of the Socialist Mutuality insurance is to watch over the well-being of its three million affiliated members. Unmistakably, this one is threatened today by the risks of climate changes. By supporting this project, the Socialist Mutuality insurance confirms its place of engine and key figure in our society. It also reaffirms its conviction in the efficiency of united and national projects.

• ArcelorMittal

  

  ArcelorMittal is the world's number one steel company, with 320,000 employees in more than 60 countries. It has led the consolidation of the world steel industry and today ranks as the only truly global steelmaker with an industrial presence in 27 countries.

  ArcelorMittal is the leader in all major global markets, including automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging. The Group leads in R&D and technology, holds sizeable captive supplies of raw materials and operates extensive distribution networks.

• SPADEL

  

  With SPA REINE, the preferred water of one Belgian on three, SPA is one of the main brands of the SPADEL Group.

  SPADEL is an international Group, employing 770 people, with activities focused on the bottling and commercialisation of natural mineral waters and also a range of refreshing drinks.
  The main brands are SPA, BRU, BRECON CARREG and WATTWILLER. SPADEL is the mineral water leader in the Benelux countries.

  For SPADEL, social responsibility and respect for the environment are an integral part of its mission. SPADEL focuses mainly on the spring's protection, on reduction of the impact of the production sites (among which CO2 emissions) and on responsible management of the packaging (SPA is the first mineral water brand in Belgium to use 25% recycled PET in its bottles since 10 years already).

• Dow Corning

  

  Dow Corning was established in 1943 specifically to explore the potential of silicones. It was created as a joint venture between Corning Glass Works (now Corning, Incorporated) and The Dow Chemical Company.

  Today Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicon-based technology and innovation, offering more than 7,000 products and services, Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States.

• Consolar

  

  Consolar Belgium(Socometal SA) is the exclusive importer for CONSOLAR, the German brand which is the European leader in solar thermal systems for hot water production and for the support of central heating systems.

  Consolar Belgium has been selected by the engineers of the International Polar Foundation for the quality of the products.

  This company based in Liège is in full expansion. It distributes its products through a network of partners across Belgium, partners which are also mandated for the installation of the products. Consolar Belgium however also makes installations itself, guaranteeing a very strong knowledge and a perfect mastering of the products offered.

  To even better answer the needs of its clients, Consolar Belgium has enlarged its range of products and services with complementary elements such as the Voltus 180®, a highly performing monocrystalline photovoltaic solar panel, the Consolar biomass boilers functioning with wood and pellet, the Perhoffer pellet boilers and the Paul double flow ventilation systems