Antwerp initiates affordable housing pilot and joins Innovation Campus Geel partnership

The City of Antwerp announced a pilot project to add 50 affordable rental apartments in the Rozemaai area of Ekeren. The development will be built on city-owned land through a public‑private partnership, with AG Vespa issuing the call for proposals and construction group Van Roey awarded the contract. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2028, with the first tenants moving in by spring 2030. A Flemish rental subsidy will keep rents at least 15 % below comparable market rates, targeting low‑income households that do not qualify for social housing.

Separately, from 1 January 2026 the Province of Antwerp and its development agency POM became partners in the Innovation Campus Geel. The partnership brings an investment of about €100 000 and aims to strengthen regional innovation, entrepreneurship and talent development. The campus already hosts more than 50 companies, around 1 500 professionals and roughly 6 000 students, and works with local institutions such as the city of Geel, Thomas More and KU Leuven. The collaboration seeks to turn the campus into a regional hub for sectors including electronics, life sciences, agri‑food and health, with long‑term goals to make Geel an attraction pool for innovative businesses by 2035.