On Wednesday, 2 July, the Belgian Federal Minister of Mobility, Climate, and Ecological Transition, Jean-Luc Crucke, and the Mayor of Bornem, Greet De Bruyn, accompanied BMW Group Belux CEO Alexander Wehr to leave an ‘imprint’ at the launch of the rebuild of BMW’s headquarters in Bornem. The plans were announced at the end of 2023 to commemorate BMW’s 50th anniversary in Belgium.
All three drove a vehicle from the group over a fresh concrete layer and left an imprint of the tires of a BMW i5, a Mini Cooper, and a BMW motorcycle in the still-wet concrete, marking the original form of a first-stone inauguration for the rebuild.
BMW will invest €30 million in the total rebuild of its headquarters, which will be called the ‘BMW Group Campus’ upon completion, and regroup almost all BMW Group activities in Belgium. Strabag will execute the rebuild, aiming to establish a sustainable new head for the group in the country.
Since 1973
BMW started its second foreign company (after France) in Belgium, taking over the BMW import from the Moorkens family. In 1985, they relocated from the Pierstraat in Kontich to the new facilities in Bornem, which means that these headquarters are now 40 years old and in need of refurbishment.
In 2027, when the renovation is complete, the site will accommodate 600 employees, bringing together the teams of BMW Group Belux, BMW Financial Services, and Alphabet Belgium’s leasing company.
Sustainability and innovation
Over the last four years, BMW has led the Belgian car market and wants to stay a ‘change-maker’ in the automotive sector. The group aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% (compared to 2019) and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The CO2 emissions of BMW cars sold in Belgium have decreased by 44% over the last two years, thanks to the increasing sales of electrified vehicles.
“This isn’t just another building project, commented Alexander Wehr, CEO of the BMW Group Belux. ‘It’s an investment in the future of mobility, a future we will build together with all stakeholders, local, national, and international. This project strengthens our engagement in the Belux and gives us a leading position. For a future where innovation and ecological responsibility go hand in hand.”
“The mobility of tomorrow starts today, by combining investments in sustainability and innovation,” responded Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke. “The federal government supports these types of engagement by offering an evident and attractive framework for investments in emission-free mobility.”
