Wase Werkplaats

What Wase Werkplaats does

Wase Werkplaats is a Belgian non-profit sheltered workshop ("maatwerkbedrijf" under the legal form vzw) founded in 1965 and headquartered in Sint-Niklaas, operating as the largest sheltered workshop in East Flanders. The organization employs approximately 800 people, comprising around 670 "maatwerkers" (workers with disabilities or distance to the regular labor market) and 130 support staff, and is funded through a mix of Flemish government social-employment subsidies and commercial service contracts.

The company's activities are organized into three branded commercial divisions. W-pharma provides pharmaceutical packaging services and achieved SMETA audit certification in 2026 alongside ongoing ISO focus audits, indicating compliance with regulated-industry customer requirements. W-technics delivers technical assembly services, and W-green covers green services including maintenance and charging-station-related activities. Operations are distributed across four sites in Temse, Zele, Beveren, and Zelzate, the last of which opened in 2024 to extend the geographic footprint.

The business model combines subsidized employment of maatwerkers with revenue from B2B service contracts across pharmaceutical, industrial, and green-service customers. Recent commercial expansion includes 2025 partnerships with Indaver (pharmaceutical waste sorting) and Vondelmolen (bakery-related activities). Strategic ecosystem relationships include Deloitte and HIVA (research/policy), VSV (traffic training), and VDAB (labor-market integration). Leadership is in transition: General Director Lucas Marain is retiring in January 2026.

Name

Wase Werkplaats

Legal name

Wase Werkplaats vzw

Website

https://wasewerkplaats.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Wase Werkplaats is a Belgian sheltered workshop (maatwerkbedrijf) founded in 1965 in Sint-Niklaas, East Flanders, employing around 800 people — including 670 workers with disabilities — across pharmaceutical packaging, technical assembly, and green services from four regional sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Contract Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Temporary Help Services (56132), Facilities Support Services (56121)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Manufacturing, MSAT & Operations Staffing (API/Biologics/Cell & Gene) (HLAGAOAL)

Keywords

• Sheltered workshop services
• Contract packaging services
• Custom assembly services
• Industrial packaging solutions
• Green management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Temse

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom manufacturing services (maatwerk): Wase Werkplaats generates revenue by providing B2B custom manufacturing services through its three commercial divisions — W-pharma (healthcare assembly and packaging), W-technics (industrial technical work and packaging), and W-green (sustainable green management for public administrations and local industry). Services include assembly, packaging, labeling, quality control, disassembly, green maintenance, and green construction. Revenue is derived from service contracts with healthcare companies, industrial firms, and public sector clients in the East Flanders region, supplemented by public subsidies for social integration of persons with disabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wase Werkplaats is a nonprofit sheltered workshop (maatwerkbedrijf) that provides B2B contract manufacturing and green services through three commercial divisions: W-pharma (healthcare assembly and packaging under ISO 13485), W-technics (industrial technical custom work, packaging, and disassembly), and W-green (sustainable green and nature management for public administrations and industry). Services are performed at its four Belgian facilities or on-site at client locations (enclave work), delivered by a workforce of 670 persons with a distance to the labor market supported by 130 coaching and staff employees.

Product overview

Wase Werkplaats is a sheltered workshop organization operating three commercial divisions: W-pharma (healthcare assembly and packaging), W-technics (technical custom work and industrial packaging solutions), and W-green (sustainable green management). The company provides a portfolio of services including packaging, labeling, quality control, technical assembly, disassembly, and green space management for public administrations and industry clients in East Flanders, Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• W-pharma healthcare assembly and packaging ISO 13485-certified assembly, packaging, and labeling services for healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life sciences clients, including manual and semi-automated packaging of syringes, rapid tests, and other medical products.
• W-technics industrial technical work and packaging Technical custom work, assembly, packaging, labeling, and disassembly services for industrial clients including breweries, charging station manufacturers, and other manufacturers.
• W-green sustainable green management Sustainable green and nature management services for public administrations and regional industry, including mowing, pruning, vegetation maintenance, and green construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increased recycling rate from 0% to 95% for non-recyclable pharmaceutical waste through precise sorting by Wase Werkplaats workers in partnership with Indaver
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• IndavercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025In Kallo, Indaver and Wase Werkplaats combine their expertise to transform a non-recyclable pharmaceutical waste stream into a circular success story. Wase Werkplaats workers perform precise sorting, raising the recycling rate from 0% to 95%. This partnership exemplifies how inclusive employment and industrial innovation can go hand in hand, creating both environmental and social value.
• VondelmolencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2025Vondelmolen and Wase Werkplaats showcased their partnership during a DDS Streekregisseurs network event in Wieze. The collaboration demonstrates the power of cooperation between social economy and regular economy — bridging the two to address labor market shortages. Vondelmolen produces artisanal gingerbread and similar products, with Wase Werkplaats providing operational support.
• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2025VDAB is the Flemish public employment service that refers job seekers with disabilities to Wase Werkplaats and other sheltered workshops. VDAB also approves the maatwerkstatuut required for workers to be employed at Wase Werkplaats.
• Vlaamse Stichting Verkeerskunde (VSV)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Wase Werkplaats and the Flemish Traffic Safety Foundation (VSV) collaborate to provide practical traffic training for maatwerkers and team leaders. Sessions organized at multiple Wase Werkplaats locations help employees cycle and commute more safely, particularly addressing winter conditions and low visibility. Team leaders receive additional tools to promote road safety within their teams. The partnership continues into 2026.
• GTB (Gespecialiseerde Trajectbepaling)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTB provides specialized career path guidance for people with disabilities in Flanders. GTB referrers work with Wase Werkplaats as part of the job placement pathway for maatwerkers.
• OCMW (Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal OCMW social welfare centers refer individuals with barriers to employment to Wase Werkplaats as part of their social integration and employment pathways.
• CompaanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompaan, a regional employment intermediary, collaborates with Wase Werkplaats to connect job seekers with disabilities to employment opportunities.
• Groep IntrominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroep Intro, a Flemish social economy group, partners with Wase Werkplaats on job placement and employment integration for people with a distance to the labor market.
• Welzijnsband MeetjeslandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional well-being network in Meetjesland that collaborates with Wase Werkplaats on connecting people with disabilities to employment.
• WelzijnshuizenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWelfare houses (Welzijnshuizen) in the region collaborate with Wase Werkplaats on referring individuals with barriers to employment for placement in the sheltered workshop.
• DDS StreekregisseurssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDDS Streekregisseurs organizes regional network events where Wase Werkplaats presents its partnership models and the value of social economy collaboration to local businesses. Wase Werkplaats participated in a network event in Wieze alongside partner Vondelmolen.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Recipharm: Swedish contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) serving pharmaceutical clients with packaging, assembly, and supply services. Directly comparable to W-pharma's pharmaceutical packaging and assembly offering, but operating as a commercial CDMO with much greater scale.
• ISS A/S: Global facility services provider offering workplace, cleaning, and support services across industries. Comparable to Wase Werkplaats's W-green and facility support functions at much greater scale, but without a sheltered-employment or social-mission focus.
• Sodexo: French multinational providing food and facility management services, including on-site workplace services. Comparable to Wase Werkplaats's diversified B2B service offering, particularly the facility-support and operations dimensions; lacks the social-economy positioning.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services leader in waste management, recycling, and circular-economy solutions. Comparable to Wase Werkplaats's W-green division and the Indaver circular partnership; operates at vastly larger scale and without the sheltered-employment focus.
• Serco Group: British multinational providing facility management, employment, and public-sector support services. Comparable to Wase Werkplaats's combination of facility support, employment, and government-administration services; larger scale and broader portfolio without the sheltered-workshop mission.
• Catalent: Global pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization offering packaging and assembly services. Comparable to Wase Werkplaats's ISO 13485-certified pharma packaging operations; operates as a multi-site commercial CDMO without a social-employment mandate.

Direct peers

• Groep Intro: Flemish social economy organization supporting people at a distance from the labor market through employment pathways. Confirmed referral partner for Wase Werkplaats; directly comparable as a Belgian social-economy employment and integration enterprise.

Others

• Indaver: European hazardous-waste and circular-economy company with operations in Kallo where it runs a precision-sorting partnership with Wase Werkplaats. Not a competitor but a key partner—useful as an ecosystem comparable for circular-economy integration models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wase-werkplaats

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wase Werkplaats