10 GOOD REASONS to INVEST in WALLONIA a LAND of GROWTH Create
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Wallonia10 10 GOOD REASONS TO INVEST IN WALLONIA A LAND OF GROWTH Create . 5 WHERE THE HEART OF EUROPE BEATS Reach . 6 65 % OF THE EUROPEAN MARKET IN A FEW HOURS Grow . 8 130 state of the art business parks MEN AND WOMEN Innovate . 11 11,000 RESEARCHERS SERvING INNOvation Manufacture . 12 A PROductivITy 20 % HIGHER THAN THE EUROPEAN Average ENHANCING YOUR COMPETITIVENESS Take advantage . 15 OF SMART CORPORATE TAXATION Benefit . 16 FROM FINANCIAL INCENTIvES ANd ACCESS TO CAPITAL A TRADITION OF OPENNESS Export . 19 WALLONIA, A REGION NATURALLy OPEN TO THE WORLd Communicate . 20 Know each other to better innovate Relax . 22 NATURE, CULTURE, LEISURE, FUN, etc 2 Wallonia10 WELcOmE to Wallonia, REGION Of Belgium Wallonia10 “to the 10th” is a welcoming and successful region that has taken its future in its own hands and is opening its arms to you . Wallonia is located in the backyard of the capital of Europe, at the heart of a gigantic market favourable to businesses . An area of innovation and competitiveness where men and women appreciate work and effort . An attractive and competitive region offering smart taxation and a customized financial assistance system . A quality area open to the world, where the authorities promote creativity and initiative; a welcoming land of culture and traditions . The Wallonia Export and Investment Agency now makes it easier to set up your business. Brussels 3 A LAND OF GROWTH With a territory of 17,000 km2 and over 3,400,000 mainly in the following sectors: economy, external inhabitants, Wallonia is one of the three regions trade and employment, but also in the areas of of federal Belgium: the French speaking region applied scientific research, new technologies, close to Brussels, with autonomy and powers transport, energy and regional development . 4 Create WHERE THE HEART Of EuROPE BEATS Wallonia is in the immediate vicinity of Brussels and Western Europe’s major cities . The area is home to the main offices of the largest international institutions and the headquarters of many multinationals . Brussels with the European Commission, European Parliament, NATO, Eurocontrol, The World Customs Organisation, the SHAPE, 1,500 Guy LEBEAu Company Group Chairman, international organisations, 220 representative offices of cities and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics, regions, 160 embassies, and most European professional associations and Europe, Middle East and Africa federations . “The effort made by the Wal- lonia region, in conjunction Brussels also hosts the largest journalist centres in the world, over 60 with its central location in foreign banks, 1,700 international corporations, more than 300 international Europe, the presence of the law firms or consulting businesses, and 21 international schools . airport and transportation infrastructure, and the pos- sibility of teaming up with With Paris, Strasbourg, London, Amsterdam, The Hague, Luxembourg, CEvA Logistics were the key Cologne, Frankfurt, or even Munich and Geneva within a few hours, factors in making this invest- Wallonia is directly connected to all decision making centres in Europe . ment decision ”. BAXTER BuRGO ARDENNES Baxter has been in Wallonia for over 50 years and A subsidiary of Burgo Marchi Group, a Southern employs close to 2,400 people in its production fac- Europe leader in coated paper, Burgo Ardennes tory, its European logistics complex and its R & D holds a strategic place in Europe and is the 2nd centre . largest industrial employer in the Belgian Luxem- © BAXTER © BURGO ARDENNES bourg Province . 5 Three international airports The densest road network A rail system geared towards With Liege and Charleroi, Wallonia has two in the world Europe and exceptionally dense airports handling 500,000 tons of freight Wallonia has a modern communication Not just several High speed train lines and more than 4 million passengers each network to suit the needs of interna- (Thalys, ICE, Eurostar), but also cargo year . And of course, Brussels-National Air- tional companies, with close to 900 km links connected to the main European port is not very far, with more than 18 mil- of free flowing motorways interconnect- rail centres . lion passengers and over 700,000 tons of ed to the European network . freight annually . Reach 65 % Of THE EuROPEAN mARKET IN A fEW HOuRS! The geographic location of Wallonia By road, you can cover an area that is beyond compare: the vast majority includes 20 of the largest European of the European market is directly cities and 400 million consumers, in accessible within a radius of 500 km! just one day . A market within reach thanks to an Being located in Wallonia increases impressive transport system and top your efficiency and allows you to quality infrastructures . deliver your products in record times . cATERPILLAR cOcA-cOLA cOmPANy Prime world manufacturer of construction and With Coca-Cola Enterprises and Coca-Cola Ser- mining equipment, engines and turbines . The Gos- vices, Coca-Cola has made Belgium a hub for its selies factory near Charleroi is the largest of its research and development . Coca-Cola has a pro- subsidiaries outside the United States . duction site in Wallonia (Sources Chaudfontaine) © CATERPILLAR © COCA-COLA COMPANY and two distribution centres (Gosselies and Sources Chaudfontaine) . 6 Stockholm Glasgow Copenhagen Malmö Dublin Hamburg London Southampton Amsterdam Anvers Bruxelles Köln Lille Frankfurt Paris Strasbourg Lyon Genoa Bilbao Porto Marseille Lisbon Barcelona Stockholm Naples Valencia Stockholm Stockholm Glasgow Glasgow Malmö Copenhagen Malmö Copenhagen Dublin Dublin Hamburg Hamburg London London Southampton Amsterdam Southampton Amsterdam Anvers Anvers Bruxelles Bruxelles Köln Köln Glasgow Lille Frankfurt Lille Frankfürt Paris Paris Strasbourg Strasbourg Lyon Lyon Genoa Genoa Bilbao Bilbao Porto Porto Marseille Marseille Malmö Lisbon Barcelona Lisbon Barcelona Naples Naples Copenhagen Valencia Valencia Dublin At the very heart of the largest network 21st century logistics where of waterways in Europe intermodal does marvels The four river ports including Liege, third inland port in Eu- Transport, warehousing, distribution and logistic services with rope, handle 45 million tons each year . WalloniaStockholm has a key po- high added value: with its six intermodal platforms spread sition in the Scheldt-Meuse-RhineGlasgow network . across the entire region, Wallonia logistics has upgraded from Copenhagen Malmö Dublin “Third Party Logistics” to a vital player on the European scene . Hamburg London Southampton Amsterdam Anvers Bruxelles Köln Lille Frankfürt Paris Strasbourg Lyon Genoa Bilbao Porto Marseille Lisbon Barcelona Naples Valencia Amsterdam The Hague mARIANNE NERINcKX H&M Spokesperson in Rotterdam Belgium “Wallonia constitutes the ideal geographical base for London service to Europe . It com- Antwerp prises major road, railway, waterway and air infra- Maastricht Brussels Cologne structures and the chosen location operates perfectly Bonn as an extended gateway for Liege the Zeebrugge, Antwerp and Lille Mons Rotterdam ports ”. Namur Charleroi Frankurt Luxembourg Paris Waterways High speed train lines /TGV Ports EuROGENTEc EVS BROADcAST EQuIPmENT A spin off from the University of Liege has become A Wallonia high tech company: 80 % of the world’s one of the biggest suppliers for genome and pro- market in idling hard disk televised systems . teomics research . © A . STEVENS © EVS BROADCAST EQUIPMENT 7 Lyon Genoa Bilbao Porto Marseille Lisbon Barcelona Naples Valencia Rent (Euro/m2): Belgium Wallonia 38 - 42 Hungary 54 - 60 Belgium Brussels 57 - 60 Belgium Antwerp 45 - 50 The Netherlands 55 - 70 Italy 57 - 92 France 46 - 55 United Kingdom 56 - 128 Czech Republic 58 - 62 Source: DTZ Grow 130 state Of THE ART Business parks Property costs in Wallonia are among the lowest in Europe In Wallonia, entrepreneurship is sec- • 6 Science Parks, directly connected to ond nature . No wonder that everything research centres, laboratories, uni- is done to welcome and help compa- versities, business centres and incu- nies develop by offering them the low- bators are vital partners in the tech- est property prices on the market: nology sectors . • 130 fully equipped Business Parks • More than 4,000 acres (1,700 ha) are now hosting close to 5,000 com- fully equipped and available at the panies and are creating more than lowest prices in Europe 150,000 jobs . EXXONmOBIL cHEmIcAL fERRERO fILmS EuROPE, INc One of the world leaders in the chocolate and Set up in the Belgian Luxembourg province, 500 confectionery sector: Arlon is one of the company’s people make oriented polypropylene film for wrap- largest production units in the world . ping food and non-food products . Over 95 % of the production is exported . © EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL FILMS EUROPE, INC © FERRERO 8 Infrastructure and efficiency Power and competitiveness Wallonia Business Parks are strategi- Over a total area of close to 600 ha, the cally located over the entire territory “Wallonia Science Parks” are directly and managed locally . They are perfectly connected to 7 R&D centres and labora- equipped and benefit from a direct ac- tories, 4 incubators, 7 business centres cess to all European communication and are linked to 9 university centres . and transport networks . Almost every- They can host companies following sim- where in Wallonia, huge areas are still ple and rapid procedures . The services available at very competitive prices . offered cover infrastructure, consulting, information and networking . Amsterdam AmsterdamAmsterdam