Princess Astrid celebrates her 60th birthday during America’s economic mission

This anniversary was celebrated with a cake, attended by many participants in the second largest Belgian economic mission ever. More than 500 people take part in the mission that takes them from Atlanta to New York and Boston.

Prince Lorenz also traveled to Atlanta specifically for his wife’s birthday.

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Princess Astrid officially opened a new laboratory for Belgian chemicals and materials Solvay in Georgia on Sunday.

Solvay has invested more than €22 million in the past four years alone in its US facility in Alpharetta, Georgia, which conducts research into new materials. The Alpharetta site, near Atlanta, is the global headquarters of the Solvay Materials business. The Belgian group, which is over 150 years old, has grown from a pure chemical company to a company specializing in chemicals and materials, investing heavily in the development of new materials. This concerns, for example, ultra-lightweight materials used in the aerospace and automotive sectors.

Solvay does a great deal of this research on his Alpharetta site. New materials are being tested, for example, for durability and flexibility. For example, Solvay scientists have developed new polymers that make electric vehicle batteries more efficient, said Solvay CEO Ilham Qadri.