imec Antwerp

The offices of imec in Antwerp are housed in The Beacon: a business and innovation hub for leading companies in Internet of Things (IoT). Technological corporates, innovative start-ups, scale-ups and cutting-edge researchers gather here to develop strong IoT products for industry, mobility, logistics and smart cities. The building hosts several flex workplaces, meeting rooms and brainstorm spaces.

The Beacon is home to the Antwerp branches of:

• imec.istart, the no.1 university-linked tech startup accelerator in Europe.
• imec Flanders, the department of imec that uses digital technology to achieve local societal and economic impact. To enable this, imec actively works on open data spaces in domains such as cities, public health, mobility & logistics.
• imec solutions, the department of imec that develops full-fledged solutions based on imec technology in domains such as healthcare, Industry 4.0, agriculture, and many more.

These programs, along with imec's broader research services, play a key role in The Beacon ecosystem, and accelerate collaborative innovation.

The Beacon has its home right in between the city center of Antwerp and its port, making it an ideal place as an innovation hub for industry, logistics and smart cities.

How to get to The Beacon?

The Beacon is easily accessible through different forms of transport. You can find imec Antwerp on the 6 th & 7th floors.

By train

Antwerp is easily accessible by train. It’s best to travel to the Antwerp Central station, and then continue your route to The Beacon on foot (a 30-minute walk), or by tram or by bike.

By tram

Antwerp has an extensive network of tram lines throughout the city. The Beacon is located near the Sint-Paulusplaats and Brouwersvliet stops, where tramline 7 offers a direct connection to Groenplaats and further to Mortsel. Via the stops at Keizerstraat (tram lines 11 and 24 - stop Sint-Katelijne) and Meirbrug (tram lines 3, 5, 9 and 15 – premetro Meir station) you can transfer to the Central Station, Linkeroever and many other destinations. Tram line 70 offers a connection to the north up to P+R Luchtbal with a transfer at Eilandje.

By bike

Biking to The Beacon? Good idea:  it’s safe, good for the environment, and in many cases the quickest mode of transport. Don’t have a bike? No problem! Rent one and combine your visit to The Beacon with a pleasant cycling trip through the city.

• The Velo city bikes have become a familiar sight around the city. Find a Velo at one of the Velo stations in Antwerp or the districts, cycle to your destination and park your city bike at another station. Easy and fast! The first 30 minutes of every journey are free with a Velo pass. You can buy an annual pass through the website or from the Velo desk in the Central Station. They also sell day and week passes. If you want to take a bike on the spur of the moment, then you can always request a code 24/7 through the mobile website – it only takes minutes. A Velo station is located just in front of The Beacon.
• Blue-bike offers shared bikes at more than 70 train, tram and bus stations and at P+R facilities. In Antwerp, you can use a Blue-bike to continue your visit to the city from the Central Station, or the stations Berchem, Antwerpen-Zuid, Antwerpen-Luchtbal, Antwerpen-Noorderdokken and Ekeren. You can easily check the number of available bicycles through the app. You can order your Blue-bike card online or, during office hours, at a bike point. At your final stop, follow the signs to the bike shed. When you log in with your membership card, you will receive a key with which to unlock the bicycle. You can pay after your trip by direct debit or with a bank card.

By boat

A fast and fun way to reach The Beacon is by DeWaterbus. Your bike or scooter is included in the ticket. The Beacon is a 5-minute walk from the Steenplein stop.

By car

The Beacon has an in-house car park lot for its residents and guests. However, parking spaces are limited. Requests should be made more than 24 hours in advance. Ask your host to secure your parking spot. The public car parks Waagnatie and Grote Markt are at a 5-minute-walk distance from The Beacon.