Johan Gemels, Stow Group and Logistic Center Zwevegem win 2023 multimodal Job Breakers awards

Logistic Center Zwevegem, Stow Group and Johan Gemels (Novandi): these are the winners of Baanbrekers 2023. During an interactive event at Technopolis Mechelen, logistics Flanders cast its vote for the nominated pioneering multimodal projects. The winners: Stow Group as Pioneering Shipper and Logistic Center Zwevegen as Pioneering Service Provider. Johan Gemels was crowned Multimodal Ambassador 2023.

Baanbrekers is an initiative of Multimodaal.Vlaanderen, VIL's multimodal advice center.

Nomination by external jury and live voting

All companies that could demonstrate a special contribution to mobility in Flanders through a project, initiative or realization were eligible for an award. An external jury, composed of government, knowledge institutions and companies, selected the four nominees, who presented their multimodal project. Based on this, the public decided via live voting who could take home the coveted trophy.

The personal honorary title "Multimodal Ambassador 2023" was chosen via online voting prior to the show. The trophy went to Johan Gemels, director at Novandi: "It is quite an honor to receive this award. I see it as a crowning of the work I have been doing with passion for years. It is of great importance that we as a sector green the entire chain in the coming years. Multimodal transport is crucial for this. Going green means an extra cost, but this can largely be offset by innovation. Flanders is a leader in Europe in this field. We have been pioneering semi-autonomous shipping for years and other countries are watching us. I hope that this Multimodal award will inspire even more companies to shift loads from road to inland navigation or rail," Gemels said.

Job creators are real examples

Baanbrekers is now in its fourth edition and lauds Flemish companies that choose the multimodal way. Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters personally presented the Ambassador Award, just like last year.

Through Job Breakers, the minister wants to emphasize the importance of greening freight transport. "Transport and logistics are the barometers of our economy and this also translates into increasing traffic intensity resulting in traffic jams. The mobility and climate challenges are urgent. More than ever it is necessary to focus on modal shift within the logistics sector, towards waterways and rail. The work of Multimodaal.Vlaanderen is very important here. Thanks in part to their efforts, we have avoided millions of truck kilometers since 2017. It is crucial to put the benefits of multimodal transport in the picture, and Multimodaal.Vlaanderen does that through the Baanbrekers awards. The winners are an inspiration to other companies," said Minister Lydia Peeters.

New edition in 2024

Job breakers will remain firmly on the agenda in the coming years. Companies and individuals can apply in spring 2024.