Official start of DemonstraThor construction
On 2 September 2026, Open Thor will officially kick off the construction of DemonstraThor, a new 4,400 m² demonstration environment at Thor Park in Genk.
DemonstraThor will become a real-world environment where companies, researchers and other partners can test, validate and demonstrate innovative technologies and integrated energy systems.
The new infrastructure represents a significant expansion of the Open Thor Living Lab and is intended to accelerate the transition from research and technology development to real-world application.
📅 2 September 2026
📍 Thor Park, Genk
From innovation to practice
Technologies for the energy transition need to be developed not only in a laboratory. To apply them on a larger scale, it is also important to be able to test how different technologies, systems and users interact in practice.
This is what DemonstraThor aims to provide space for.
The new environment will create opportunities for testing, demonstrating, collaborating and learning in a real-world context.
A new link in the Open Thor Living Lab
DemonstraThor is part of the investment programme for the further expansion of the Open Thor Living Lab on and around Thor Park. In addition to the existing test environments, including those for the construction sector, the Flemish Government approved an expansion of the living lab in 2024.
The building will occupy a central location at Thor Park, creating a physical link between researchers, companies and public partners. The design of the testing area, by Signum+/Ingenium, draws on Thor Park’s mining heritage through an open-cut mine spoil heap, while integrating the surrounding green space and Thor Central. Gebroeders Janssen bv from Oudsbergen is responsible for the construction, while ATS nv is responsible for the technical installations.
Three challenges, one shared test environment
The energy transition brings new challenges. Open Thor focuses, among others, on:
⚡ Electric trucks
How can we integrate the growth of high-power charging into the electricity system?
🖥️ Data centres
How can new electrical architectures make data centres more energy-efficient?
♨️ Thermal energy networks
How can smart thermal networks contribute to more sustainable heating and cooling?
These challenges form the basis for future collaboration and demonstration within the Open Thor ecosystem.
Building the energy infrastructure of tomorrow together
DemonstraThor will become part of the broader Open Thor Living Lab, where companies, researchers and other partners collaborate on concrete challenges within the energy transition.
The official start of construction on 2 September marks the beginning of a new phase. In the coming period, the demonstration environment will be further developed and the first collaborations will be prepared.
Want to learn more about the three innovation challenges and the opportunities for collaboration?