Contents
01 Identity of the data controller
02 Scope of this Privacy Policy
03 Purposes and legal bases for the processing of Your Data
04 Retention period for Your Data
05 Transfer of Your Data to third parties or third countries
06 Rights of the data subject
07 Possibility to lodge a complaintThis section will contain the provided introductory text regarding the processing of personal data.
1. Identity of the data controller
SMARTWELD CENTER BV (hereinafter “SMARTWELD CENTER”, “We”, “Us” or the “Company”) attaches great importance to your privacy and considers it important that your personal data (hereinafter: “Your Data”) are always handled with the necessary care and confidentiality.
SMARTWELD CENTER is a company incorporated under Belgian law, with its registered office at 9000 Ghent, Pantserschipstraat 179C, and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under company number 0759.850.884.
This privacy policy (hereinafter the “Privacy Policy”) explains how We process Your Data and what your rights are in this respect. If, after reading this Privacy Policy, you still have questions, you can of course always contact us using the contact details below:
▪ by post: SMARTWELD CENTER, Pantserschipstraat 179C, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
▪ by e-mail: office@smartweldcenter.be
2. Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies in cases where SMARTWELD CENTER is responsible for the processing of Your Data. This means that SMARTWELD CENTER determines the purposes and means (or the “why” and “how”) of the processing of Your Data.
SMARTWELD CENTER carries out every processing operation involving personal data, as well as data provided by and relating to companies, in accordance with:
▪ Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.
▪ The Belgian Act of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data
The processing of Your Data includes any operation involving data that can identify you as a natural person. Further on in this Privacy Policy, you can read exactly which data are concerned. The concept of “processing” is very broad and covers, among other things, the collection, storage, use or disclosure of Your Data.
More specifically, this Privacy Policy applies to the processing of data relating to the following categories of persons:
▪ Visitors to our Website https://smartweldcenter.be/nl/ (hereinafter the “Website”);
▪ Current, former and prospective customers of Our Company;
▪ Partners or other third parties whom We engage for the performance of Our tasks and services
Where the processing concerns a company or any other legal entity, We process the data of Our contact persons within these entities in the same manner as described above for natural persons.
For the processing of data through the use of cookies, We refer to Our cookie policy, hereinafter the “Cookie Policy”, which forms an integral part of this Privacy Policy and can be consulted separately on Our Website.
2.1 When do We process Your Data?
We may process your data if:
▪ You visit or use Our Website;
▪ You contact Us or have contacted Us;
▪ E.g. by completing Our contact form on the Website;
▪ E.g. by requesting welder qualification tests;
▪ E.g. through data contained in e-mail correspondence sent by you to Us;
▪ E.g. when making an appointment on the Website;
▪ You voluntarily provide or have provided data to Us;
▪ During a training course and/or examination;
▪ We provide or have provided one of Our products and/or services to you, or We may provide products and/or services to you in the future;
▪ You are Our contact person for one of Our current, former or prospective customers or partners;
2.2 Which data are collected?
Below We explain, depending on your relationship with SMARTWELD CENTER, which data We may process about you.
However, We do not necessarily process all of the data listed below about you. Which data We process in a specific case will depend on the particular situation and the preferences you have provided through the pop-up on Our Website.
a. Visitors to the Website
If you visit Our Website, We may process the data listed below through the use of cookies, depending on your cookie preferences. If you do not consent to the use of non-essential cookies, the data listed below are limited to the minimum technically necessary information that is registered in the background of the Website when it is visited.
▪ Electronic identification data: including IP address, browser type and location data;
▪ Data concerning your use of the Website: including how you arrived at Our Website, the type of device used to visit the Website, the web pages visited and the way you navigate through those pages;
▪ Data provided in connection with a request for a welder qualification test: if you submit a request through Our Website to carry out a welder qualification test, We may process, among other things, your name, contact details, company details and data relating to the requested welder qualification test. These data are processed for the handling and follow-up of your request, the planning and performance of the welder qualification test and related communication.
As We mainly rely on the use of cookies when processing the above data, We refer to Our Cookie Policy for further information.
b. Customers of SMARTWELD CENTER
We process the following data relating to Our current, former and prospective customers. The data collected will depend to a large extent on the products and/or services these persons purchase from Us, have purchased from Us, or wish to purchase from Us.
▪ Contact details: including surname, first name, address, e-mail address and telephone number;
▪ Contact history: communications sent and received (e.g. e-mails, messages sent through the contact form on our Website);
▪ Identification data: a copy of your identity card (only where necessary to verify your identity when you wish to exercise one of your rights as a data subject under the GDPR).
▪ Data relating to inspections and training courses: data necessary for the handling and follow-up of requests for inspections, as well as data collected in connection with training courses, including, where applicable, data relating to registration, participation and follow-up of the training course or inspection.
c. Partners or other third parties engaged by SMARTWELD CENTER in connection with the operation of the Company
We process the following data relating to Our partners or other third parties whom We engage in connection with the operation of Our Company.
▪ Identification data: a copy of your identity card (only where necessary to verify your identity when you wish to exercise one of your rights as a data subject under the GDPR);
▪ Contact details: including surname, first name, address, e-mail address, telephone number and position;
▪ Contact history: communications sent and received (e.g. e-mails, messages sent through the contact form on Our Website).
2.3 Amendment of the Privacy Policy
If We make substantial changes to the Privacy Policy, you as a data subject will be informed thereof by e-mail and by means of a pop-up on Our Website.
Last updated: 14 September 2026
3. Purposes and legal bases for the processing of Your Data
3.1. General
All personal data are processed solely for the purpose of providing and performing Our services, including the carrying out of inspections, and to enable Us to contact you in response to a question, application or request submitted by you. Your e-mail address may also be used to send you newsletters at regular intervals if you have selected this option. You have the right at any time to unsubscribe from this mailing list via the dedicated link included in each newsletter.
As explained below, in certain cases We base the processing of Your Data on your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting Us. If you withdraw your consent orally, We ask you to confirm this in writing, by e-mail or letter to the above contact details (hereinafter the “Procedure”).
Where We process Your Data for direct marketing purposes, regardless of the legal basis We use for this purpose, you have the absolute right to object to such processing by e-mail or letter to the above contact details in accordance with the Procedure. A written request to no longer process Your Data for direct marketing purposes will in all cases be honoured within a reasonable period.
In some cases, We base the processing of Your Data on Our legitimate interests. In such cases, We have carried out a thorough assessment and carefully balanced SMARTWELD CENTER’s interests against your interests to ensure that this legal basis is applied lawfully. In addition, you always have the right to lodge a reasoned objection to the processing of Your Data on the basis of Our legitimate interests in accordance with the Procedure described above. Where We rely on legitimate interests, this concerns one of the specific interests listed below, depending on the situation:
▪ Being able to provide a secure and properly functioning Website through the use of strictly necessary cookies;
▪ Improving Our products and services by asking you for valuable feedback on them as Our current or former customer or business partner;
▪ Providing information about the activities, products and services of SMARTWELD CENTER through electronic channels or otherwise, including newsletters;
▪ Ensuring that SMARTWELD CENTER can protect its interests through legal means where We believe that Our interests have been harmed and legal proceedings are necessary, or where legal action is taken against Us by a person who considers themselves harmed by Our actions.
If We wish to process Your Data for a purpose other than those mentioned below, We will contact you before carrying out any further processing of those data.
The processing for the purposes set out below is based on the following legal bases:
▪ The processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party;
▪ The processing is necessary in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into such a contract;
▪ The processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which We are subject;
▪ The processing is based on the legitimate interests of SMARTWELD CENTER.
3.2. Visitors to the Website
If you visit the Website, SMARTWELD CENTER processes Your Data for the following purposes:
▪ To ensure that the Website functions properly from a technical point of view so that We can provide you with a secure and properly functioning Website, as stated above;
▪ To obtain insight into how you use Our Website, including with a view to identifying navigation problems and making the Website more user-friendly and attractive.
The processing of Your Data for these purposes depends on your consent in relation to non-essential cookies. For strictly necessary cookies (referred to as technically essential and functional cookies in Our Cookie Policy), the processing is based on the legitimate interests of SMARTWELD CENTER.
3.3. Customers of SMARTWELD CENTER
If you are a customer of Our Company, SMARTWELD CENTER processes Your Data for the following purposes:
a. Processing of Your Data directly related to the provision of Our services
▪ Entering into, performing or terminating an agreement, including agreements for the supply of specific goods, products or services offered by SMARTWELD CENTER;
▪ Fulfilling the obligations arising from both pre-contractual and contractual aspects of the customer relationship with you. This includes managing the contractual relationship, providing information about Our policies and Our general terms and conditions, supplying the requested products and/or services, drawing up invoices for the services provided and collecting payments. It also includes communication with both employees and any partners of SMARTWELD CENTER in relation to the supply or provision of the aforementioned products and/or services.
The processing of Your Data for these purposes is based on the following legal basis: the processing is necessary for the performance of the agreement and/or quotation to which you are a party, or in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into such an agreement.
b. Administrative and legal purposes
▪ Compliance with Our legal obligations as a Company, including in tax, accounting and administrative matters;
▪ Where applicable, in connection with legal proceedings.
The processing for these purposes is based on the following legal bases: the processing is required to comply with legal obligations applicable to Us, as well as the legitimate interests of SMARTWELD CENTER.
c. Marketing purposes
▪ Promoting the commercial activities of SMARTWELD CENTER by using your contact details to send you a newsletter by e-mail;
▪ Carrying out market research;
▪ Assessing your satisfaction as Our customer;
▪ Publishing customer reviews on Our Website.
Depending on the specific circumstances, processing for marketing purposes is based on the following legal bases: the legitimate interests of SMARTWELD CENTER or your consent.
With regard to the newsletter We send you by e-mail, you always have the option to unsubscribe using the unsubscribe link provided at the bottom of each such e-mail.
3.4. Partners or other parties engaged by SMARTWELD CENTER in connection with the operation of the Company
If you cooperate with SMARTWELD CENTER or assist Us in providing services to Our customers, We process Your Data for the following purposes:
▪ Entering into, performing or terminating the specific agreement with you, in particular service agreements, supplier agreements or any other cooperation agreement;
▪ Compliance with Our legal obligations as a company, including in tax, accounting and administrative matters;
▪ Promoting the commercial activities of SMARTWELD CENTER by using your contact details to send you a newsletter by e-mail;
▪ Where applicable, in connection with legal proceedings.
4. Retention period for Your Data
All personal data are retained by Us for as long as required by law or until you exercise your rights as set out further in section 6.
If it is no longer necessary to process Your Data, We will ensure that they are erased or anonymised. Where this is not technically feasible, such as where Your Data are contained in backup archives, We will retain Your Data without further processing, with the intention of deleting them as soon as this becomes possible.
4.1. Visitors to the Website
To process data relating to visitors to the Website, We mainly use cookies. We retain your cookie preferences for 1 year. After this period, We ensure that the cookie banner is displayed again so that you can reset your cookie preferences. For more information on how you can consent to the use of non-essential cookies and the retention period of the cookies placed on your device, We refer to Our Cookie Policy.
4.2. Customers of SMARTWELD CENTER
Your Data will, insofar as necessary, be retained for 1 year in connection with Our accounting and/or the performance of the Services, unless otherwise required by specific legislation in this area.
4.3. Partners or other parties engaged by SMARTWELD CENTER in connection with the operation of the Company
We retain Your Data for the period necessary for the effective management of Our business relationship with you, as determined by the agreement that is, was or will be applicable at the relevant time.
In addition, Your Data will, where necessary, be retained for 5 years for accounting purposes, unless specific legislation in this area requires otherwise.
5. Transfer of Your Data to third parties or third countries
No third party has access to your personal data, nor do We disclose your personal data, unless this is specifically required by law, you consent to it, or it is necessary for achieving one of Our aforementioned purposes.
If We cooperate with partners, whether domestic or foreign, who process Your Data on Our behalf, We enter into a data processing agreement with them in which the necessary safeguards are obtained regarding proper processing in order to lawfully protect Your Data.
Your Data collected through the use of the Website are processed in SERVER COUNTRY. This is why the above explanation is relevant.
5.1 Identification of third parties to whom We may disclose Your Data
More specifically, the foregoing may result in Us sharing Your Data, insofar as necessary as specified below, with the following third parties for the following purposes, whereby these third parties may in certain cases act as processors on Our behalf:
▪ Postal companies and transport and delivery companies with regard to your contact details for the purpose of sending post to you as Our current, former or prospective customer or business partner;
▪ Payment service providers such as Payconiq with regard to the data relevant to processing your payments to SMARTWELD CENTER as Our customer or business partner, for the purpose of efficiently managing payment administration within Our Company;
▪ Processors who assist Us in the IT field in operating Our Company, for the purpose of efficient digital data management within Our Company, archiving Our Company’s digital files and managing Our calendar;
▪ Partners whom We engage, as stated above, in connection with the operation of Our Company, for the purpose of providing you, as Our customer, with SMARTWELD CENTER’s products and/or services;
▪ Public authorities and regulated professionals such as accountants and lawyers, for the purpose of complying with Our legal obligations as a Company.
Transfers for these purposes are authorised on the following legal bases: the transfer is necessary for the performance of the agreement to which you are a party, or in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into such an agreement; or the legitimate interests of SMARTWELD CENTER; or, where applicable, because the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim; or, where applicable, on the basis of your explicit consent.
6. Rights of the data subject
6.1 Explanation of the various rights
As a data subject in relation to the processing of Your Data, you have various rights with regard to that processing.
a. Right to information
You must be informed that Your Data are being processed, for what reasons and for what purposes, as is the case in this Privacy Policy. As stated above, you can contact Us in accordance with the Procedure referred to above, see section 3, to find out which data We hold about you.
b. Right of access and copy
You have the right to access Your Data and obtain a copy thereof. This right is linked to the above right to information.
c. Right to rectification
You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information relating to you.
d. Right to object
You may object at any time to the use of Your Data, provided you have serious reasons for doing so. You may therefore not object to the processing of data where this is required by law or administrative regulation or where it is necessary for the performance of an agreement to which you are a party. In all other cases, you retain the right to object, free of charge and without justification, to the unlawful use of Your Data where they are processed for direct marketing purposes, in accordance with the above Procedure for contacting Us, see section 3.
e. Right to data portability
You have the right to receive the data you have provided to Us in a structured and commonly used format so that you can easily transfer them to another organisation. In addition, you have the right to ask Us to transfer Your Data directly to another organisation. However, We will not always be able to comply with such a request. For example, it may be technically impossible to transfer the relevant data directly to another organisation.
f. Right to restriction of processing
You have the right to restrict the processing of Your Data where:
▪ The data may be inaccurate;
▪ The processing of the data may be unlawful;
▪ The data are no longer required;
▪ You have objected to the processing of Your Data.
Unless We have good reasons for continuing to process the data which override your interests, We must restrict the processing of Your Data.
g. Right to erasure of data
You have the right to request that We erase Your Data without undue delay.
However, We will not always be able to comply with such a request, including where retaining certain data for a specific period is required by law.
The exercise of the above rights may also be restricted in certain situations in order to safeguard the general interest, Our own interests and the interests of other persons. A balancing exercise must therefore always be carried out between your interests and the aforementioned interests.
6.2 Exercise of rights
If you wish to exercise any of the following rights, We kindly ask you to contact Us using the contact details set out in the first and last sections of this Privacy Policy and in accordance with the Procedure referred to under section 3.
When you submit a request to exercise your rights, We will first have to verify your identity. We therefore ask you to provide a copy of your identity card with your request.
The exercise of your rights is in principle free of charge. Where your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, We may charge a reasonable fee in light of the administrative costs incurred by Us. In the same circumstances, We may instead decide not to act on your request. In that event, you will always be informed of the reasons.
In all cases, We will inform you of the action taken on your request no later than within a period of four weeks.
If and to the extent provided for under the applicable European and Belgian legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
7. Possibility to lodge a complaint
If you have a complaint about how We have handled your personal data, you can contact Us using the following details:
▪ by post: SMARTWELD CENTER, Pantserschipstraat 179C, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
▪ by e-mail: office@smartweldcenter.be
In addition, if you believe that your personal data have not been handled correctly, you may contact the Privacy Commission as follows:
▪ By post: Rue Haute B 139, 1000 Brussels;
▪ By telephone: +32 2 274 48 00;
▪ By e-mail: commission@privacycommission.be;
▪ Or via its website: https://www.privacycommission.be/burger/acties/klacht-indienen.
For further information regarding complaints, We refer you to the website of the Privacy Commission, https://www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be/