As part of its recent expansion into education, HB Antwerp has entered into a partnership with a Botswanan university. This is the second recent educational venture for the Belgian diamond manufacturer.
On Friday, HB announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) in Palapye, which will be effective for five years. The two will work together to organize traineeships and scholarships for residents of the southern African country, as well as to create employment opportunities in the diamond industry. According to the manufacturer, the collaboration will also allow for the exchange of knowledge between Belgium and Botswana as a result of the partnership.
HB, which specializes in large diamonds and seeks to streamline the supply chain through the use of technology, has grown rapidly in the past year and a half, primarily through acquisitions and new hires. It established the HB Academy in Antwerp last year as a training and education center for aspiring diamantaires and jewelers, as well as for the company's own employees.
A long-term supply agreement with Lucara Diamond Corp., the owner of the Karowe mine in Botswana, under which the company receives all rough diamonds weighing more than 10.8 carats, has been reached.
