The newly announced investments are a continuation of projects that started in 2018 with new production technology for Atlas Copco’s smart factory and the (re)training of staff. With its Airpower Master Plan, Atlas Copco focuses its investment efforts on three main pillars: 

• innovation (including new production technologies and machinery, increased R&D capacity, the expansion of laboratories and extra production space for core components of the Atlas Copco smart factory);
• attractive working environment; 
• mobility and safety. 

In addition, Atlas Copco wants to create an attractive working environment for its employees in Wilrijk. Through a hybrid work policy for office workers, the site should become the place to be to create and innovate together. Furthermore, the Swedish group remains committed to lifelong learning by investing in the retraining and education of its employees in Flanders. 

Last but not least, Atlas Copco is also investing in mobility and safety on and around its Wilrijk site, including new parking infrastructure and, in time, an on-site truck waiting zone to limit truck traffic around the site. Furthermore, the company is providing green solutions to strengthen local water storage capacity. As such, Atlas Copco is providing an eight-meter-wide green buffer zone on its Flanders-based site, while transferring 8,156 m² of land to the Province of Antwerp free of charge to be turned into an open space area.