Flanders Make celebrates successful Accelerator-project at CNH in Zedelgem
Flanders Make celebrates successful Accelerator-project at CNH in Zedelgem
Flanders Make celebrated on 4 November the successful completion of the three-year Accelerator project (2022–2025) at CNH in Zedelgem. This marks an important milestone in the transformation of the Harvesting Center of Excellence in Zedelgem, one of CNH’s most strategic global production and R&D centres.
By delivering this Accelerator project, Flanders Make, VLAIO and all participating partner companies—CNH, Atlas Copco, Crop’s, Picanol and Vandewiele—are positioning Flanders as one of Europe’s most advanced regions in digital and sustainable manufacturing.
€150 million investment in digitalisation
The primary objective of the Accelerator project is to introduce advanced digital manufacturing methods and establish a powerful, disruptive innovation partnership with the Flemish government and regional R&D players. A significant share of this investment goes to advanced production technologies that go beyond current state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 solutions, pushing the boundaries in automation, AI-assisted quality control and flexible manufacturing.
At the Zedelgem site, this resulted in a new flexible assembly line with improved material flow throughout the production process. In addition, an advanced planning system was implemented that uses algorithms to optimise material ordering based on both historical data and real-time process information.
The first results already show how these innovative solutions enable CNH and the local industry to remain globally competitive and flexible.
Digital transformation and production of the CR11 combine harvester
The Accelerator project supported the reorganisation of the plant’s logistics and operations, paving the way for the launch of CNH’s new NextGen Pilot Line. In this dedicated space, six R&D projects have already been implemented in production, increasing both efficiency and flexibility.
This investment also played a key role in the production of the New Holland CR11, the brand’s next-generation flagship combine harvester and the winner of the only gold innovation award at Agritechnica 2023. The introduction of the CR11 significantly increased product complexity in Zedelgem, with a 30% rise in active parts. Nevertheless, the plant maintained its efficiency, quality and agility, thanks to the integration of digital innovation and resilience into every aspect of the production process.
Public-private partnership as a driver of innovation
To support this transformation, CNH received €1.85 million in financial support from the Flemish government, of which €1 million was allocated directly to R&D suppliers. This support helped accelerate the modernisation of operations, shorten innovation cycles, create new high-tech jobs and build a more sustainable and responsive manufacturing ecosystem in Flanders.
“The long-term transformation of our Centre of Excellence in Zedelgem is the result of a strategic industrial vision and effective collaboration with our innovation partners. This synergy is essential to drive performance, innovation and sustainability,” says Tom Verbaeten, Chief Supply Chain Officer at CNH. “Thanks to our commitment and the support of partners such as Flanders Make, Zedelgem is now a reference for digitised, high-tech manufacturing in Europe.”
“With Accelerator, we didn’t just innovate in the lab—we redesigned how industrial research translates into practice,” adds Grisja Lobbestael, CEO of Flanders Make. “It’s about creating reusable, scalable technologies that strengthen Flanders within the global manufacturing value chain. It truly is a catalyst for sustainable industrial growth.”
“The Accelerator project shows how strategic public-private cooperation can strengthen our technological lead and industrial resilience,” says Matthias Diependaele, Minister-President of Flanders. “By investing in digitalisation and high-tech employment, Flanders reinforces its industrial base and helps shape the future of European industry. The success in Zedelgem proves that Flemish expertise and entrepreneurship can set new global standards together.”
Contact for further information:
linda.corstjens@flandersmake.be