Besix Explained

BESIX Group S.A.
Type:	NV
Industry:	Construction
Location City:	Brussels
Area Served:	Worldwide
Owner:	Orascom Construction (50%), Belgian nationals (50%)
Services:	Construction, Real Estate Development, Concessions & Assets
Revenue:	US$3.8 billion (2020)
Num Employees:	12,000 (2020)
Location Country:	Belgium

BESIX Group is a Belgian^[1] construction group based in Brussels,^[2] one of the world's leading international contractors according to the ENR ranking.^[3] Active since 1909, BESIX operates in Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, North America and Asia.^[4]

Its achievements include Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower,^[5] buildings of the European Parliament in Brussels,^{[6] [7]} and the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza pyramids plateau.^[8] In 2021 and 2022, it was announced that BESIX had been chosen to build the Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi,^[9] the Triangle Tower, Paris' third highest tower,^[10] and the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge in Brisbane, one of the world's longest span cable stay pedestrian bridges.^[11]

In 2020, BESIX had a turnover of 3.8 billion dollars and 12,000 employees worldwide.^[1]

General information

• Activities: Besix operates in most sectors of construction,^[12] including building, marine works, environmental installations (drinking water, wastewater treatment, waste treatment), sports and leisure facilities, civil works and infrastructure.^[13] In addition to construction, Besix is active in real estate development, mainly in Western Europe, and manages concessions through public-private partnerships in Europe and in the Middle East.^[14]
• Subsidiaries: BESIX's subsidiaries include Six Construct in the Middle East, Besix Watpac in Australia, and Besix Infra, Cobelba, Jacques Delens, Vanhout, Wust, Lux TP, Franki Foundations, Socogetra and Besix Unitec in Europe.^[15] BESIX also owns A-Stay, a company in the hotel sector.^[16]
• Shareholding: Besix is owned 50% by Belgian nationals and 50% by the Egyptian company Orascom. The chairman of the board of directors is Johan Beerlandt and the CEO is since 2021 Pierre Sironval, both of Belgian nationality.^[17]
• Membership: BESIX Group has signed an International Framework Agreement on fair labour standards with the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) global union federation and with its European Works Council (EWC).^[18] The group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact programme,^[19] as well as of the Belgian Alliance for Climate Action.^[20]
• Sponsorship: Since 2017, BESIX has been an official sponsor of the Belgian football team, the Red Devils,^[21] the Belgium women's national football team and the national youth teams.^[22]

History

• BESIX Group was founded in 1909 by the Stulemeijer family under the name Société Belge des Bétons (SBB).^[23] After the First World War, the company participated in the reconstruction of Belgian ports and waterways destroyed during the conflict.^[24]
• In 1920, the SBB expanded its construction activities into several European countries, particularly France and Spain, and then into Africa from the end of the 1940s.^[25]
• In 1966, SBB created a subsidiary, Six Construct, to take charge of major development projects in the Middle East: via Six Construct, BESIX became in the ensuing decades a driving force in the development of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.^[26]
• In 1988, SBB diversified into the field of real estate development.^[27] This branch would develop rapidly in the following decades via Betonimmo,^[28] which later became BESIX RED, operating in various European countries including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Luxembourg.^[29]
• In 2004, 13 SBB senior managers, with the support of Orascom,^[30] carried out a Leveraged Management Buy-Out. The group was thereupon delisted from the stock market^[31] and renamed BESIX Group.^[32] Johan Beerlandt, who had been with the company since 1974, became its new CEO.^[33] In the following years, BESIX's turnover increased from 850 million euros in 2004 to 3.1 billion in 2011.^[34]
• In 2009, BESIX celebrated its centenary. The anniversary coincided with the inauguration of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, built by BESIX in collaboration with Arabtec and Samsung Engineering & Construction.^[35]
• In 2017, Rik Vandenberghe succeeded Johan Beerlandt as CEO of BESIX, after 12 years as CEO of ING Bank.^[36] Johan Beerlandt became chairman of the board.^[37]
• In 2018, BESIX strengthened its position in Australia by acquiring, through a public takeover bid, all the shares of construction company Watpac Ltd.^[38] In the same year, the group acquired several companies in Europe, including interior decoration specialist Flamant.^[39]
• In 2019, BESIX 3D prints the world's largest 3D printed facade in Dubai^[40] and announces new contracts comprising the design and construction the Rail Baltica Central Station project, the largest infrastructure project in the Baltic region for 100 years.^[41]
• In 2020, BESIX announces new projects comprising the construction of the Saint-Denis–Pleyel station, one of the largest stations of the Grand Paris Express.^[42]
• In 2021, Pierre Sironval succeeds Rik Vandenberghe and becomes Deputy CEO of BESIX Group.^[43] It was announced that BESIX would build the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi,^[44] Europe's largest hybrid-timber building in Amsterdam,^[45] one of the world's largest Waste-to-Energy plant in the UAE^[46] and the 400 meters Tower F in Abidjan, Africa's tallest tower.^{[47] [48]}

Environment

BESIX participates in the construction, management and maintenance of waste-to-energy and waste recycling projects,^{[49] [50]} as well as wastewater treatment plants, water reuse facilities^[51] and drinking water treatment plant. These include one of the largest drinkable water treatment plant in West Africa, in La Mé (Ivory Coast).^[52] In Dubai, the group is notably building the world's largest thermal waste recycling plants.^{[53] [54]}

In the Benelux region, BESIX has built energy-neutral infrastructure. These include sewage treatment plants^[55] as well as infrastructures.^[56] In Belgium, BESIX's subsidiary Jacques Delens has notably built the first passive office building in Brussels,^[57] has won the be.circular award in 2018 and 2019, an award which promotes circular economy in the Belgian construction sector,^{[58] [59]} and has participated to the construction of the first neighborhood in the world to be officially certified BREEAM Outstanding.^[60]

In Cameroon, BESIX participates to the construction of the Nachtigal Hydropower Project,^[61] which will produce up to one-third of the country's electricity.^[62]

BESIX participated in the construction of the first high-rise building in the world to obtain both LEED Platinum certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and High Environmental Quality (HQE) certification, for the Carpe Diem tower in the Parisian district of La Défense).^[63] In Africa, BESIX has begun building one of Africa's tallest towers, the Mohammed VI Tower, which will also be one of the first high-rise buildings in Africa to achieve dual LEED Gold and HQE certification.^[64]

Engineering & Innovation

BESIX has an internal engineering department which undertakes the design work and technical studies for its construction sites, especially for skyscrapers, marine infrastructures and civil engineering works.^[65]

In 2020, BESIX Engineering was awarded the first worldwide Building Information Modeling (BIM) standard (ISO 19650-2).^[66] In 2017, BESIX was the first Belgian construction company and the first general contractor in Europe to achieve maximum certification level in BIM^{[67] [68]} In 2018, BESIX and its subsidiary Vanhout took awards in each category presented at the 2018 BIM Awards.^[69] In the 2017 BIM Awards, BESIX took awards in five out of six categories, also winning the BIM Award of the Year.^[70]

In 2018, BESIX and Proximus, the leader in Belgium's ICT and Telecommunications sectors, set up a partnership to jointly develop a new generation of Smart Buildings, with priority to solutions promoting energy efficiency, comfort and safety.^[71] In 2019, the companies inaugurated their very first smart building in Dordrecht, in the Netherlands.^[72]

BESIX has developed initiatives in the field of Open Innovation.^[73] These comprise the Clean Air project, developed by BESIX employees, that has made it possible to create plant walls for tunnels and roads for treating CO₂.^[74] In Dubai, other BESIX employees have developed 3D concrete printing solutions:^[75] in 2020, they have printed the world's largest 3DCP façade.^[40]

Sponsorship

In the sports area, BESIX has since 2017 been an official sponsor of the Belgium National football team, the Red Devils.^[76] BESIX also supports the Belgium women's national football team, the Red Flames, and the national youth teams.

The BESIX Foundation operates in the sectors of the environment (renewable energies, waste treatment), education (literacy, vocational training) and construction (access to housing, sustainable construction). Created in 2009, it supports existing non-profit organizations, either through project financing or through skills provision.^[77]

Working conditions in the Middle East

BESIX Group is a signatory to an International Framework Agreement on fair labour standards with the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI), a global union federation, and its European Works Council (EWC).^[78] BESIX's commitment to international trade union associations follows regular criticism of construction companies and the working conditions of migrant workers in the Middle East.^[79] The agreements signed with BWI are based on the respect of international standards and the conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).^[80]

• In 2017, the Chairman of the ILO Governing Body highlighted the differences in working conditions of migrant workers in the Middle East from one company to another, taking BESIX as an example of one of the companies with good practices in the area.^[81]
• In 2019, the director of Amnesty International in Belgium presented BESIX as the example to follow in terms of respect for workers' rights, particularly in Qatar.^[82] He repeated similar comments in 2021 on the Belgian television channels BX1 and LN24.^{[83] [84]}
• In 2022, BESIX, Belgian trade unions FGTB-ABVV and CSC-ACV, and BWI officially called upon the International Labour Organization (ILO) to recognize occupational health and safety as a fundamental right.^[85]

Going beyond the ILO rules, BESIX has implemented various initiatives for the benefit of migrant workers, for example in terms of health coverage or quality of housing.^[86] BESIX also organizes training courses for them in IT.^[87]

On a number of occasions since 2013, Six Construct, BESIX's subsidiary in the Middle East, has been awarded the Corporate Social Responsibility label of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.^[88] The label is the highest recognition of Corporate Social Responsibility in the United Arab Emirates.^[89]

The group is a member of the United Nations Global Compact programme.^[19]

Notes and References

1. Web site: ShieldSquare Captcha . 2022-06-03 . globaldata.com . en.
2. Web site: "Smart Buildings" : BESIX Group et Proximus annoncent leur partenariat. UWE. fr-BE. 2019-09-03.
3. Web site: ENR's 2019 Top 250 International Contractors 1-100. enr.com. 2019-09-03.
4. Web site: BESIX Group SA – Company Profile & SWOT Analysis – Marketline Report Store. store.marketline.com. 2019-09-03.
5. Web site: Special report: The UAE's most iconic projects. Construction Week Online Middle East. en. 2019-09-03.
6. Web site: Trebel Tower European Parliament – Wilfried Martens Building. 2018-03-14. Reynaers Aluminium. en. 2019-09-03. 2019-09-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20190903143750/https://www.reynaers.com/en/consumers/get-inspired/aluminium-project-references/trebel-tower-european-parliament-wilfried-martens-building. dead.
7. Web site: De Dubai à l'Esplanade de l'Europe. Communes, régions, Belgique, monde, sports – Toute l'actu 24h/24 sur Lavenir.net. fr. 2019-09-03.
8. Web site: Revealed: Orascom-Besix's progress on Grand Egyptian Museum. Construction Week Online Middle East. en. 2019-09-03.
9. News: Kerr. Simeon. 2021-10-01. Abu Dhabi commits to long-awaited Guggenheim museum by 2025. Financial Times. 2021-10-22.
10. Web site: 2022-01-21. Besix to build Tour Triangle, Paris' third highest tower. 2022-01-24. Global Construction Review. en-GB.
11. Web site: 2021-06-30 . Besix to build half-kilometre-long pedestrian bridge in Brisbane . 2022-06-03 . Global Construction Review . en-GB.
12. Web site: Our members go for a sustainable society and economy. theshift.be. en. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109155629/https://theshift.be/en/members. dead.
13. News: Company overview of BESIX Group SA. Bloomberg.
14. Web site: The BESIX Group OC. www.orascom.com. 2019-01-15.
15. Web site: BESIX NV - BE 0413.630.071 - Brussel - Activity. jaarrekening.be. 2019-01-15.
16. Web site: Safety, Comfort, and Anticipation: Creating Safe Smart Spaces After COVID-19. 2021-10-28. finance.yahoo.com. en-US.
17. Web site: Top infrastructure group Besix names new Deputy CEO. 2021-05-25. www.tradearabia.com.
18. Web site: BESIX Group, BWI et CEE EWC signent un accord-cadre sur des normes de travail équitables. press.besix.com. fr. 2019-01-15.
19. Web site: BESIX Group UN Global Compact. www.unglobalcompact.org. 2019-01-15.
20. Web site: Current members of the Belgian Alliance for Climate Action Belgian Alliance for Climate Action. 2020-11-16. www.belgianallianceforclimateaction.org. en.
21. Web site: Official sponsor of the Belgian national football teams. www.besix.com. en. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109204952/https://www.besix.com/en/about/sponsors-red-devils. dead.
22. Web site: Libre.be. La. Ce que les Diables vont apporter à Besix. 2019-01-15. www.lalibre.be. fr.
23. Web site: La SBB a retrouvé la cote. Libre.be. La. www.lalibre.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
24. Web site: De familie Beerlandt. De Rijkste Belgen. nl. 2019-01-15.
25. Web site: Histoire. www.besix.com. fr. 2019-01-15.
26. Web site: BESIX Group celebrate century building experience. Al Bawaba. 2019-01-15.
27. Web site: Gabriel Uzgen - Besix RED "A 30 ans, le fils s'est fait un prénom!". 2018-03-29. L'Echo. fr. 2019-01-15.
28. Web site: De Dubai à l'Esplanade de l'Europe. Communes, régions, Belgique, monde, sports – Toute l'actu 24h/24 sur Lavenir.net. fr. 2019-01-15.
29. Web site: Rien n'arrête Besix Red Luxembourg. 2018-04-17. Paperjam News. fr. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109160946/http://paperjam.lu/news/rien-narrete-besix-red-luxembourg. dead.
30. Web site: Ancrage belge confirmé chez SBB. Libre.be. La. www.lalibre.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
31. Web site: OPA sur la Belge des Bétons: pourquoi le cours a-t-il flambé?. Libre.be. La. www.lalibre.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
32. Web site: Economie. Libre.be. La. www.lalibre.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
33. Web site: Johan Beerlandt "L'argent n'est pas vraiment une valeur en soi pour moi". 2017-04-01. L'Echo. fr. 2019-01-15.
34. Web site: Besix confiant sur le Moyen-Orient. Libre.be. La. www.lalibre.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
35. 2010-01-04. Burj Khalifa, la plus haute tour du monde, émerge de la crise du siècle. fr.
36. Web site: Rik Vandenberghe sera le nouveau CEO du Groupe BESIX. www.besix.com. fr. 2019-01-15.
37. News: Executive profile : Johan C.M.C. Beerlandt. Bloomberg.
38. Web site: BESIX Group Commences Compulsory Acquisition of Remaining Watpac Shares. press.besix.com. en. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109204842/https://press.besix.com/besix-group-commences-compulsory-acquisition-of-remaining-watpac-shares. dead.
39. Web site: Interiors specialist Flamant taken over by BESIX Group Flamant. www.flamant.com. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109204808/http://www.flamant.com/flamant/news/2018-05-25/interiors-specialist-flamant-taken-over-besix-group. dead.
40. Web site: Vivienne. 2020-09-25. TEC Flash – BESIX 3D. 2020-11-16. EUTEC. en-US.
41. Web site: Besix JV lands €430m Rail Baltica Central Station project in Riga - News - GCR. 2020-11-16. www.globalconstructionreview.com. 4 June 2019 .
42. Web site: 2020-06-09 . Grand Paris: le belge Besix aménagera l'une des principales gares . 2020-11-16 . Le Figaro.fr . fr . AFP.
43. Web site: You are being redirected.... 2021-07-05. meconstructionnews.com.
44. Web site: Besix team lands Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. 2021-10-28. www.theconstructionindex.co.uk. en.
45. Web site: 2021-10-08. Besix to build Europe's largest hybrid-timber office block in Amsterdam. 2021-10-28. Global Construction Review. en-GB.
46. Web site: Godinho. Varun. 2021-03-30. Dubai to build one of the world's largest energy-from-waste projects. 2021-10-28. Gulf Business. en-US.
47. Web site: 2021-07-09. Besix construit la plus haute tour d'Afrique en Côte d'Ivoire (photo). 2021-10-28. Le Soir. fr.
48. Web site: Côte d'Ivoire . La tour F va abriter 74 étages sur plus de 400 mètres de haut. 2021-10-28. Côte d’Ivoire . La tour F va abriter 74 étages sur plus de 400 mètres de haut. fr.
49. Web site: Besix wins work on Dubai's $680m waste-to-energy plant. Construction Week Online Middle East. en. 2020-01-14.
50. Web site: NV Besix to build solid waste treatment plant in UAQ. www.tradearabia.com. 2019-01-15.
51. Web site: Besix unveils revamped Safi water treatment plant in Ajman. Construction Week Online Middle East. en. 2020-01-14.
52. Web site: 2020-01-19. Côte d'Ivoire : Besix et PFO Africa, ticket gagnant dans les infrastructures – Jeune Afrique. 2020-11-16. JeuneAfrique.com. fr-FR.
53. Web site: Dubai Announces Plans to Build the Largest Waste-to-Energy Plant in the World. 2018-01-31. interestingengineering.com. en-US. 2020-01-14.
54. Web site: Besix to build giant thermal waste recycling plant in Dubai. www.tradearabia.com. 2019-01-15.
55. Web site: Tiel: opening of a 100% energy-neutral sewage treatment plant. www.besix.com. en. 2020-01-14.
56. Web site: Rotterdam gets its own Green Turn. press.besix.com. en. 2020-01-14.
57. Web site: Recherche et Développement. www.jacquesdelens.be. fr. 2020-01-14.
58. Web site: be circular be.brussels » Jacques Delens sa – Tour à Plomb. Circular. Be. www.circulareconomy.brussels. fr. 2020-01-14.
59. Web site: be circular be.brussels » Homepage. Circular. Be. www.circulareconomy.brussels. fr. 2020-01-14.
60. Web site: 2020-11-20. Tivoli GreenCity is the Most Sustainable District in the World. 2020-11-24. Off Grid Energy Independence. en.
61. Web site: BESIX secures contract for Nachtigal hydroelectric project in Cameroon. en-US. 2020-01-14.
62. Web site: Nachtigal Hydropower Project, Nachtigal, Cameroon. Power Technology Energy News and Market Analysis. en-GB. 2020-01-14.
63. Web site: SPIE SCGPM et BESIX, constructeurs du premier immeuble de grande hauteur au monde certifié LEED® PLATINIUM et HQE. fpa.fr. 2019-01-15.
64. Web site: Besix inks deal to build Africa's tallest tower in Morocco. www.tradearabia.com. 2019-01-15.
65. Web site: Engineering & BIM. www.besix.com. en. 2019-01-15.
66. Web site: Carothers. Luke. 2020-02-17. BESIX is awarded the first worldwide BIM standard (ISO 19650-2:2018). 2020-11-16. Civil + Structural Engineer magazine. en-US.
67. Web site: BESIX est la première entreprise de construction belge a obtenir la certification BIM niveau 2. press.besix.com. fr. 2019-01-15.
68. chronique. La. 2018-01-17. BIM niveau 2 pour Besix - La Chronique. fr. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109224143/https://www.lachronique.be/article/bim-niveau-2-pour-besix.11488. dead.
69. Web site: Gagnants. Bim Awards 2018. fr-BE. 2019-01-15.
70. Web site: Découvrez les lauréats des BIM Awards 2017. Mira. Lara Alegria. 2018-01-11. BIMportal. fr-FR. 2019-01-15.
71. Web site: BESIX Group et Proximus annoncent leur partenariat dans le domaine des bâtiments intelligents. 2018-07-19. Proximus.com. fr. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205232/https://www.proximus.com/fr/news/besix-group-and-proximus-announce-smart-buildings-partnership. dead.
72. Web site: Proximus : Besix reveals new 'smart' HQ powered by AI, solar panels MarketScreener. MarketScreener. www.marketscreener.com. en. 2020-01-14.
73. Web site: Unleash » Initiatives. Unleash. en-US. 2019-01-15. 2019-01-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109205224/https://innovation.besix.com/initiative/besix-start-ups-accelerator/. dead.
74. Web site: Grandir grâce à l'innovation, l'ambition et la passion. 2018-11-29. L'Echo. fr. 2019-01-15.
75. Web site: BESIX 3D.
76. Web site: BESIX Group, futur sponsor de l'URBSFA Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association. 2019-01-15. www.belgianfootball.be.
77. Web site: BESIX Foundation : une aide axée sur ses domaines d'expertise Bienvenue sur Monasbl.be, le site des responsables d'ASBL. www.monasbl.be. fr. 2019-01-15.
78. Web site: 404. press.besix.comhttps. en. 2019-01-15.
79. News: Migrant workers suffer 'appalling treatment' in Qatar World Cup stadiums, says Amnesty. Gibson. Owen. 2016-03-30. The Guardian. 2019-01-15. correspondent. chief sports. en-GB. 0261-3077.
80. Web site: BESIX s'engage sur les droits humains en signant un ACI sur les normes de travail équitables avec l'IBB. BWI - Building & Wood Workers' International. fr-FR. 2019-01-15.
81. Web site: Vlaams Parlement (Flemish Parliament). docs.vlaamsparlement.be. 2019-01-15.
82. Web site: RTL Info 18h. 27 September 2019. RTL (Bel RTL Radio).
83. Web site: 12 April 2021 . LN24 . LN 24.
84. Web site: Le face à face - Faut-il boycotter le Mondial de football au Qatar ? . 2022-02-28 . BX1 . fr-FR.
85. Web site: 2022-02-05 . Social dialogue and occupational safety and health vital to decent work in the construction sector - ILO . 2022-02-28 . www.ilo.org . en.
86. Web site: Corporate Social Responsibility. BESIX. 2019-01-15.
87. Web site: Working conditions in Qatar, BESIX Group. www.business-humanrights.org. 2019-01-15.
88. Web site: Dubai Chamber CSR Label Recipients Dubai Chamber. en-US. 2019-01-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20190110204709/http://www.dubaichamber.com/what-we-do/business-excellence/centre-for-responsible-business/the-dubai-chamber-csr-label/dubai-chamber-csr-label-recipients. 2019-01-10. dead.
89. Web site: About the Dubai Chamber CSR Label Dubai Chamber. en-US. 2019-01-15.