The Belgian government continues with its Regional Recovery Plan, through which €4.3 billion is allocated to the construction sector in the Walloon region with the aim of supporting national companies and creating employment within the industry.
The country is expected to improve its GDP by 1.2% in 2025, and by 1.5% in 2026, according to Europe Economic Forecast, with the construction sector contributing to this growth, which is expected to recover after years of decline.
Sarens offers the sector its know-how and cutting-edge machinery with recently completed projects such as Albert Canal where Sarens installed 80% of the bridges.
The Belgian construction sector has good prospects for 2025, expecting a 2% growth for this year, according to the Confédération Construction, and in general terms the European Commission's forecast has placed Belgium's GDP in a situation of growth with 1,2% for this year and 1.5% for next 2026. Although the sector experienced a very limited growth, the expectations for this 2025 are in clear signs of recovery with the increment of production and with estimations for the construction of residential buildings of more than 0.2% for this year and 0.8% in 2026.
One of the main goals of Belgium's regional recovery plan is the modernization of its infrastructure, with a vital focus on upgrading its sustainability and safety standards in key facilities such as railways, roads and bridges, as a further step towards the decarbonization of its economy. With this boost, the Belgian construction sector is showing a recovery trend after years of stagnation or moderate growth due to inflation, rising costs and post-pandemic economic uncertainty.
Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineering transport and crane rental services, has positioned itself as a key player in supporting the Belgian economy through the development of strategic construction projects over the last years. With a proven track record in international large-scale projects, thanks to its large fleet, Sarens is a vital player, being able to offer its ability to make any crane model available for projects and thus adapting to the needs of its customers, regardless of the size of the project or its duration.
Belgium, as many other European countries, has an outdated infrastructure from decades ago, so some bridges and viaducts, especially in urban regions such as Brussels, show wear and tear and require urgent repairs. Examples such as the Herrmann-Debroux viaduct in Brussels was the subject of concern over its condition in recent years, leading to traffic restrictions and renovation plans.
Sarens has shown its expertise in bridge infrastructure with examples such as Albert Canal in 2024. Unlike all other arched bridges they have already placed on this water channel, this bridge was transported in its entirety from the workshops in Ghent. Sarens was also commissioned to install 5 more bridges on the Albert Canal, in total nearly 80% of the bridges have been installed using the company’s engineering and technical solutions. Sarens has also performed recently the replacement of the railway bridge over the Barebeek, in charge of lifting and installing the 4 bridge decks, with each piece being 24 meters long, 3.6 meters wide and weighing 85 tons. This project, which posed a logistical challenge especially due to the small space between the catenaries through which they had to operate, was successfully completed using a Demag 700 crane.
According to Bart Minnen, Country Manager of Sarens in Belgium, “We are fully aware of the importance that the renewal of critical infrastructures will take in our country in the coming years. Thanks to the experience we have gained from our participation in strategic projects around the world and the high level of expertise of our team, we are ready to contribute to the renovation of our country, while minimizing the impact on the environment and the project development time”.
Over the past few years, Sarens has established itself as a strategic player in the renovation of bridges over the world. Recently the company has completed several major projects, such as the century-old Colbert Bridge in Dieppe (France), or the installation of the 5,850-ton OA14 bridge in Bettembourg (Luxembourg). Sarens has also installed a new pedestrian bridge between the Hazebrouck (France) railroad station and its parking lot and an 8,400-ton railway bridge on the A1 freeway in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
About Sarens
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental, heavy lift and engineered transportation services. With state-of-the-art equipment, value engineering, one of the world's largest inventories of cranes, transporters and special rigging equipment, Sarens offers creative and intelligent solutions to today's heavy lifting and engineering transport challenges.
With more than 100 entities in 65 countries operating without borders, Sarens is an ideal partner for small to large-scale projects. Sarens currently employs 5,000 highly qualified professionals who are ready to serve the needs of any client worldwide and in all market sectors. https://www.sarens.com/