Knaepen receives the Economic Appearance Award

André Knaeben, founder and CEO of Hasselt IT giant Sygica, received the Golden Spur award for economic image at the ceremony held on July 11 in Antwerp. “I am very honoured,” Knaeben said in response.

The Flanders-Europe Movement annually awards the Golden Spear to Flemish people who have made a notable mark in the economic, cultural or social field. This year, during the ceremony on 11 July in Antwerp, the Economic Component Award was given to André Knaippen of Sigika, a Limburg company that now employs more than 9,000 people in 19 countries.

“For me, this is a reward for more than 30 years of continuous growth at Cegeka,” answers André Kneippen. “This award is not only for me, but for everyone who has contributed to Cegeka’s success in recent years, our employees, our current CEO Stijn Bijnens, and certainly not least: our loyal customers.”

A major role

The organization praised Knaepen for his visionary leadership and ability to grow Cegeka into an international success story with local roots. Anne de Moor, president of the non-profit organization Vlaanderen-Europa, noted in her award speech that Cegeka has been on a continuous growth trajectory since its inception in 1992: “The company continues to invest continuously in its organization and growth – a textbook example of Flemish entrepreneurship and courage. It supports the Flemish government in its digital goals and is a convinced co-founder of initiatives such as Flanders Technology and Innovation (FTI). They believe that technology can play a key role in helping to solve the major challenges of our time. That is why they are also very active in sectors such as education, healthcare and government. Together with their partners, they help build smart and sustainable cities and factories.”