Russ Curry, Ministry of New Media
JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced that its subsidiary JCDecaux Belgium has been awarded, following a competitive tender, the advertising bus shelters contract for the city of Antwerp, capital of Antwerp Province, Belgium’s biggest province with 1.9 million inhabitants.
Jean-Charles Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said “We are delighted to have won this new contract with the city of Antwerp, which has chosen to place its trust in our expertise, confirming the success of JCDecaux’s strategy that is based on innovation, design, quality and sustainable development. For over 55 years, JCDecaux’s business model has enabled the design, installation, operation and maintenance of urban public services that are open to all, that respect the environment and that create economic value for local areas. At the forefront of the digital transformation of Out-of-Home, Antwerp has integrated this new digital medium into the city, where it provides an effective means of communication between the municipality and its residents as well as between brands and consumers. As the number one outdoor advertising company in Belgium and worldwide, we actively strive to deploy the most innovative technologies and the most creative formats to serve the ecological, societal and economic transition of cities towards a more sustainable model.”
The 10-year contract previously held by a competitor covers all nine districts in Antwerp, with its 540,000 inhabitants. Belgium’s second-largest city, Antwerp is also Europe’s second-largest port, the world’s second-largest petrochemical hub, the world’s leading diamond trader and a fashion capital. It also has major assets in tourism and a booming high-tech sector.
The new contract covers the installation, upkeep, maintenance and operation of 940 advertising bus shelters. Digital screens will also be installed on bus shelters in strategic locations across the city, providing contextualised, location-based and real-time messaging. Providing real innovation, the screens will display a mix of local city information and advertising, supporting local people in their day-to-day lives while offering cities and advertisers flexibility, responsiveness and a powerful platform for communication
Koen Kennis, mobility officer for the city of Antwerp, said “Well-equipped tram and bus stops play a big role in convincing more people to use public transport. So the new bus shelters are important in improving modal distribution in Antwerp: fewer journeys by car and more journeys using public transport and shared mobility, intelligently linked though a model geared towards a multimodal transition.”
The new street furniture was designed by the renowned architect Norman Foster. It is based on strong environmental values, optimising energy performance while ensuring sustainable operations throughout the contract. Powered by green electricity, the energy consumption of the furniture will be reduced by 50%. The choice of corrosion-resistant and recyclable materials, such as steel, aluminium and glass, will ensure the long-term quality of the street furniture. JCDecaux’s vehicle fleet will also comprise fully electric vehicles. By putting forward its most innovative solutions, JCDecaux underlines its commitment to improving the quality of life in the city, in line with the objectives and goals of the city of Antwerp and its residents.
Claude Marinower, Antwerp Alderman for the Economy, Employment, Innovation, Industry, Digitisation, Marketing and Communication, Public Domain and Legal Affairs, said: “In January 2021, the city of Antwerp launched a concession for street furniture to install, maintain and operate the city’s bus shelters. Through these bus shelters, the city also seeks to create added value for citizens, businesses, and authorities. As such, the agreement not only focused on financial aspects, but also innovation and durability. As the concession holder, JCDecaux will manage the bus shelters, installing smart technologies, green roofs and solar panels.”
JCDecaux is the number one outdoor advertising and street furniture company in Belgium. The Group holds a strategic position in this key market at the heart of Europe with street furniture concessions in Antwerp, where JCDecaux is now present through its MUPI information displays and advertising bus shelters, as well as Brussels, Charleroi, Bruges, Hasselt, Liège, Mons and Namur. The Group also holds the contract for the Villo! self-service bikes in Brussels. At the same time, JCDecaux operates over 900 digital street furniture units in Belgium’s biggest shopping centres, the Carrefour supermarkets in Brussels Airport, Brussels and Liège, and the Brussels metro.
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