In Belgium, innovation is all around, drawing its wealth specifically from the application of advances in academic research successfully deployed in industrial sectors. The proof is in N-SIDE, a spin-off of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and the University of Liège (ULiège).
Less waste thanks to artificial intelligence
This Belgian scale-up founded more than 20 years ago has more than 200 employees of 34 different nationalities and generates 90% of its turnover abroad. N-SIDE aims to increase the efficiency of industrial activities by developing mathematical models that drastically reduce the waste of natural resources, thus facilitating the transition to a more sustainable world. Its software and services enable its clients in the pharmaceutical and energy sectors to anticipate and adapt while optimizing their decisions and use of their critical resources.
This Belgian company is on a mission to reduce waste and combat drug shortages to accelerate clinical research. Their software, based on mathematical models of planning, optimization, and artificial intelligence, allow on average 25% to 70% reduction in waste and more efficient and faster clinical trials. In order to extend access to its solutions to all types of clinical trials, this spin-off developed a new software solution in 2023: N-SIDE Lighthouse.
N-SIDE is also well-known in the energy sector, where it has developed an algorithm that allows European power exchanges to calculate prices and volumes traded on electricity markets. This know-how is also being applied to the Indian and Japanese markets to meet their needs in the context of the growing energy transition. Other AI-based solutions help match production and demand in real-time, optimizing resource utilization and reducing costs for society, and are currently being used by various power grid operators.
This Walloon company is renowned for its ability to integrate industrial expertise, applied mathematics, and artificial intelligence into cutting-edge software solutions that enhance global sustainability, making it a world leader in the field.