10 good reasons to invest in wallonia

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Wallonia 10 10 GOOD REASONS TO INVEST IN WALLONIA

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Discover the 10 good reasons to set up your company in Wallonia-Belgium

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Wallonia10

10 GOOD REASONSTO INVEST IN WALLONIA

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A LAND OF GROWTH Create . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 WHERETHEHEARTOFEUROPEBEATS

Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 65%OFTHEEUROPEANMARKETINAFEWHOURS

Grow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 130STATEOFTHEARTBUSINESSPARKS

MEN AND WOMEN Innovate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 11,000RESEARCHERSSERvINGINNOvATION

Manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 APROdUCTIvITy20%HIGHERTHANTHEEUROPEANAvERAGE

ENHANCING YOUR COMPETITIVENESS Takeadvantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 OFSMARTCORPORATETAXATION

Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 FROMFINANCIALINCENTIvESANdACCESSTOCAPITAL

A TRADITION OF OPENNESS Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 WALLONIA,AREGIONNATURALLyOPENTOTHEWORLd

Communicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 KNOWEACHOTHERTOBETTERINNOvATE

Relax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 NATURE,CULTURE,LEISURE,FUN,ETC

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Wallonia10“tothe10th”isawelcomingandsuccessfulregionthathastakenitsfutureinitsownhandsandisopeningitsarmstoyou .

WalloniaislocatedinthebackyardofthecapitalofEurope,attheheartofagiganticmarketfavourabletobusinesses .

Anareaofinnovationandcompetitivenesswheremenandwomenappreciateworkandeffort .

Anattractiveandcompetitiveregionofferingsmarttaxationandacustomizedfinancialassistancesystem .

Aqualityareaopentotheworld,wheretheauthoritiespromotecreativityandinitiative;awelcominglandofcultureandtraditions .

The Wallonia Export and Investment Agency now makes it easier to set up your business.

Wallonia10

WELcOmE TO WALLONIA, REGION Of BELGIum

Brussels

4

A LAND OF GROWTHWithaterritoryof17,000km2andover3,400,000inhabitants,WalloniaisoneofthethreeregionsoffederalBelgium:theFrenchspeakingregionclose to Brussels, with autonomy and powers

mainlyinthefollowingsectors:economy,externaltradeandemployment,butalsointheareasofapplied scientific research, new technologies,transport,energyandregionaldevelopment .

5

© BURGO ARDENNES© BAXTER

WalloniaisintheimmediatevicinityofBrusselsandWesternEurope’smajor cities . The area is home to the main offices of the largestinternationalinstitutionsandtheheadquartersofmanymultinationals .

Brussels with the European Commission, European Parliament, NATO,Eurocontrol, The World Customs Organisation, the SHAPE, 1,500international organisations, 220 representative offices of cities andregions,160embassies,andmostEuropeanprofessionalassociationsandfederations .

Brussels also hosts the largest journalist centres in the world, over 60foreignbanks,1,700internationalcorporations,morethan300internationallawfirmsorconsultingbusinesses,and21internationalschools .

WithParis,Strasbourg,London,Amsterdam,TheHague,Luxembourg,Cologne, Frankfurt, or even Munich and Geneva within a few hours,WalloniaisdirectlyconnectedtoalldecisionmakingcentresinEurope .

CreateWHERE THE HEART Of EuROPE BEATS

BAXTERBaxterhasbeeninWalloniaforover50yearsandemployscloseto2,400peopleinitsproductionfac-tory,itsEuropeanlogisticscomplexanditsR&dcentre .

BuRGO ARDENNESA subsidiary of Burgo Marchi Group, a SouthernEurope leader in coated paper, Burgo Ardennesholds a strategic place in Europe and is the 2ndlargestindustrialemployerintheBelgianLuxem-bourgProvince .

Guy LEBEAu

Company Group Chairman, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics, Europe, Middle East and Africa

“TheeffortmadebytheWal-

lonia region, in conjunction

with its central location in

Europe, the presence of the

airport and transportation

infrastructure, and the pos-

sibility of teaming up with

CEvALogisticswerethekey

factorsinmakingthisinvest-

mentdecision .”

6

© COCA-COLA COMPANY© CATERPILLAR

Reach65 % Of THE EuROPEAN mARKET IN A fEW HOuRS!

The geographic location of Walloniaisbeyondcompare:thevastmajorityof the European market is directlyaccessiblewithinaradiusof500km!

A market within reach thanks to animpressivetransportsystemandtopqualityinfrastructures .

By road, youcancoveranarea thatincludes20of the largestEuropeancitiesand400millionconsumers,injustoneday .

Being located in Wallonia increasesyour efficiency and allows you todeliveryourproductsinrecordtimes .

A rail system geared towards Europe and exceptionally dense Not just several High speed train lines (Thalys, ICE, Eurostar), but also cargo links connected to the main European rail centres .

Three international airports With Liege and Charleroi, Wallonia has two airports handling 500,000 tons of freight and more than 4 million passengers each year . And of course, Brussels-National Air-port is not very far, with more than 18 mil-lion passengers and over 700,000 tons of freight annually .

The densest road network in the world Wallonia has a modern communication network to suit the needs of interna-tional companies, with close to 900 km of free flowing motorways interconnect-ed to the European network .

cATERPILLAR Prime world manufacturer of construction andminingequipment,enginesandturbines .TheGos-selies factory near Charleroi is the largest of itssubsidiariesoutsidetheUnitedStates .

cOcA-cOLA cOmPANy With Coca-Cola Enterprises and Coca-Cola Ser-vices, Coca-Cola has made Belgium a hub for itsresearch and development . Coca-Cola has a pro-duction site in Wallonia (Sources Chaudfontaine)andtwodistributioncentres(GosseliesandSourcesChaudfontaine) .

7

© EVS BROADCAST EQUIPMENT© A . STEVENS

Bruxelles

Lille

Strasbourg

FrankfurtKöln

AmsterdamLondon

Lyon

Paris

Dublin

Glasgow

Southampton

Hamburg

MalmöCopenhagen

Stockholm

BilbaoPorto

Lisbon

Valencia

Barcelona

Marseille

Genoa

Naples

Anvers

Bruxelles

Lille

Strasbourg

FrankfürtKöln

AmsterdamLondon

Lyon

Paris

Dublin

Glasgow

Southampton

Hamburg

MalmöCopenhagen

Stockholm

BilbaoPorto

Lisbon

Valencia

Barcelona

Marseille

Genoa

Naples

Anvers

Bruxelles

Lille

Strasbourg

FrankfurtKöln

AmsterdamLondon

Lyon

Paris

Dublin

Glasgow

Southampton

Hamburg

MalmöCopenhagen

Stockholm

BilbaoPorto

Lisbon

Valencia

Barcelona

Marseille

Genoa

Naples

Anvers

Bruxelles

Lille

Strasbourg

FrankfürtKöln

AmsterdamLondon

Lyon

Paris

Dublin

Glasgow

Southampton

Hamburg

MalmöCopenhagen

Stockholm

BilbaoPorto

Lisbon

Valencia

Barcelona

Marseille

Genoa

Naples

Anvers

At the very heart of the largest network of waterways in EuropeThe four river ports including Liege, third inland port in Eu-rope, handle 45 million tons each year . Wallonia has a key po-sition in the Scheldt-Meuse-Rhine network .

21st century logistics where intermodal does marvelsTransport, warehousing, distribution and logistic services with high added value: with its six intermodal platforms spread across the entire region, Wallonia logistics has upgraded from “Third Party Logistics” to a vital player on the European scene .

EuROGENTEc AspinofffromtheUniversityofLiegehasbecomeoneofthebiggestsuppliersforgenomeandpro-teomicsresearch .

EVS BROADcAST EQuIPmENT AWalloniahightechcompany:80%oftheworld’smarketinidlingharddisktelevisedsystems .

Brussels

Lille

Frankurt

Cologne

Amsterdam

London

Lyon

Paris

Dublin

GlasgowMalmöCopenhagen

Stockholm

BilbaoPorto

Lisbon

Valencia

Barcelona

Marseille

Genoa

Naples

Bonn

The Hague

Rotterdam

Maastricht

Antwerp

Liege

Charleroi Namur

Luxembourg

Ports

High speed train lines /TGV

Waterways

Mons

mARIANNE NERINcKX

H&M Spokesperson in Belgium

“Wallonia constitutes the

ideal geographical base for

service to Europe . It com-

prises major road, railway,

waterway and air infra-

structures and the chosen

location operates perfectly

as an extended gateway for

theZeebrugge,Antwerpand

Rotterdamports .”

8

© FERRERO© EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL FILMS EUROPE, INC

EXXONmOBIL cHEmIcAL fILmS EuROPE, INcSet up in the Belgian Luxembourg province, 500peoplemakeorientedpolypropylenefilmforwrap-pingfoodandnon-foodproducts .Over95%oftheproductionisexported .

fERRERO One of the world leaders in the chocolate andconfectionerysector:Arlonisoneofthecompany’slargestproductionunitsintheworld .

Grow130 STATE Of THE ART BuSINESS PARKS

In Wallonia, entrepreneurship is sec-ondnature .Nowonderthateverythingis done to welcome and help compa-niesdevelopbyofferingthemthelow-estpropertypricesonthemarket:• 130 fully equipped Business Parks

arenowhostingcloseto5,000 com-panies and are creating more than150,000 jobs .

• 6 Science Parks,directlyconnectedtoresearch centres, laboratories, uni-versities,businesscentresandincu-batorsarevitalpartnersinthetech-nologysectors .

• More than 4,000 acres (1,700 ha)fully equipped and available at thelowestpricesinEurope

Property costs in Wallonia are among the lowest in Europe

Belgium Wallonia 38 - 42Belgium Antwerp 45 - 50France 46 - 55Source: DTZ

Rent(Euro/m2):

Hungary 54 - 60The Netherlands 55 - 70United Kingdom 56 - 128

Belgium Brussels 57 - 60Italy 57 - 92Czech Republic 58 - 62

9

© A . STEVENS

TGV

Train

Autoroutes

Voies d’eau

Paris

FrancfortBruxelles

Amsterdam

Lille

Londres

Strépy-Thieu

Wavre

Plateformes logistiques

Universités

Zones industrielles et de services

Parcs scientifiques

TGV

Train

Autoroutes

Voies d’eau

Paris

FrancfortBruxelles

Amsterdam

Lille

Londres

Strépy-Thieu

Wavre

Plateformes logistiques

Universités

Zones industrielles et de services

Parcs scientifiques

TGV

Train

Autoroutes

Voies d’eau

Paris

Amsterdam

Lille

Strépy-Thieu

Wavre

FrankfurtBrussels

London

Logistics Platforms

Universities

Industrial and services Zones

Science Parks

GLAXOSmITHKLINE BIOLOGIcALS Oneofthemainvaccineproducersanddesignerofdrugs in theworld;employsaround6,200peopleworldwide,includingmorethan4,000intheWallo-niaBrabantprovince .

IBA This spin off from the University of Louvain-la-Neuvedesignsandproducescyclotronsproducersofradioisotopesforbrachytherapy,protontherapyandindustrialsterilization .

JEff VAN DOORSLAER

Head of Semi-Industrial & Logistics Agency Cushman & Wakefield Belgium

According to the COMPARI-SON OF PRIME LOCATIONSFOR EUROPEAN dISTRIBU-TION ANd LOGISTICS 2009study carried out by Cush-man&Wakefield,Walloniaisthenumber1logisticsregioninEurope .

“Wallonia’s geographic loca-tion,near to themajorportsandgoodlevelofaccessibilityto the major European mar-ketsexplainitspositionatthetopoftheranking .Lowcosts(taxes, warehouse or labourcosts), clearly lower thanthose of the Netherlands orGermany, also constitute anonnegligible asset . Moreo-ver, Wallonia benefits fromhighly productive and evenmultilinguallabour,qualifiedin employment in the sectorofdistributionchains .”

Infrastructure and efficiencyWallonia Business Parks are strategi-cally located over the entire territory and managed locally . They are perfectly equipped and benefit from a direct ac-cess to all European communication and transport networks . Almost every-where in Wallonia, huge areas are still available at very competitive prices .

Power and competitivenessOver a total area of close to 600 ha, the “Wallonia Science Parks” are directly connected to 7 R&D centres and labora-tories, 4 incubators, 7 business centres and are linked to 9 university centres . They can host companies following sim-ple and rapid procedures . The services offered cover infrastructure, consulting, information and networking .

© IBA, Siège Social de Louvain la Neuve (©photo: Globalview)

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Wallonia has developed an extended, highlyperforming educational network of colleges,universitiesandgraduateschools .Thetrainingmeets market requirements since the largemajority of graduates from higher or univer-

sityeducationgetajobassoonastheyfinishtheirstudies .Businessesbenefitfromaqual-ityworkforce:productivityis20%higherthantheEuropeanaverage…

MEN AND WOMEN

11

© L’Oréal© KRAFT FOODS

JEAN STéPHENNE

CEO and Chairman of GSK Biologicals

“The four large universities

are playing a part in the in-

dustrial redeployment . The

vice-chancellorsnowconsid-

ertheyhaveaparttoplayin

economicdevelopment .Con-

sequently, the universities

areclosertomarketrequire-

ments and current indus-

trialdevelopments .Theysee

change positively, and like

theSMEs,wanttocontribute

toit” .Thesuccessofcentres

ofcompetitivenesswillnotbe

able tomaterializewithouta

closesynergybetweenallthe

players .”

Innovate11,000 RESEARcHERS SERVING INNOVATION

300 public and private centres of research and more

than 11,000 researchers

20 centres of excellence serving the competitiveness

of companies

9 university centres open to the world and close

to 200 spin-offs created

Basicresearch,appliedresearch,publicorprivatelaboratories,highleveluniversitytrainingandcentresofexcellence:Walloniahashugeresourcesservingbusinessperformance .

6 competitiveness centres (Aeronautics and Space, Agro-industry, Life Sciences, Transport and Logistics, Mechanical Engineering and environmental tech-nologies) take part in the new growth dynamics initiated by the Government and position Wallonia at the heart of the Knowledge Communities . Innova-tive projects arising from public and private initiatives (companies, university research centres, training centres) are also supported in order to create the technology of tomorrow .

Moreover, numerous companies have formed networks in order to develop their business and increase their com-petitiveness . 14 sectors are currently involved: autoMobility, solid waste, eco-construction, space, nutrition, clinical research, ICT, transport and logistics, construction, micro-technologies, plas-tics innovation, sustainable energy, im-age, sound and text technologies and photonics . . The companies extend their international contacts and prove to be more innovative .

competitiveness centres and corporate networks

This offensive strategy places Wallonia among the most successful regions of Europe

KRAfT fOODSThe second largest food group in the world hasasoftcheeseandsnacksfactory inNamurandacoffeeroastingfactoryinLiege .Over90%ofpro-ductsmanufacturedinNamurandinLiegeareforexport .

L’OREAL Oneoftheworldleadersincosmetics:thefactoryintheBelgianLuxembourgprovinceisthecompa-ny’s largest manufacturing unit globally . Nivelleshosts l’OrealLuxuryProducts’distributioncentrefornorthernEurope .

12

© MATERNE-CONFILUX© LYRECO

(* Statistics Eurostat 2003 - as a percentage of GDP)

LyREcO TheofficesuppliesandITconsumablesdistributorhasofficesin27countriesandismarketleaderinBelgium .distributioncentreinLiege .

mATERNE-cONfILuX OneofthebiggestEuropeanproducersofjamsandpreservesexportsover60%oftheproductionfromitsfactoryinNamurprovince .

ManufactureA PRODucTIVITy 20 % HIGHER THAN THE EuROPEAN AVERAGE

Many international studies showthat Wallonia is a region of Europewhereworkefficiency isamajoras-set, whether in terms of motivation,productivity or skills . According toEuropeanstatistics,Belgiumisoneofthecountriesthatspendsthemostineducation*andintraining .

Thistalentforperformanceislinkednotonlytothediversityofcompaniesandtoacultureopentotheworld,butalsotoaneducationandprofessionaltrain-ing system in which many resourceshavealwaysbeen invested .Therefore,itisnotsurprisingthatmanyWalloniaandforeignentrepreneurssaythattheyare highly satisfied with the quality oftheworkforceavailable .

13

© A . STEVENS© MÖLNLYCKE

IR JPN USA BE FR NL UK IT LU NL USA BE FR NL UK IT DE ES JPN

mÖLNLycKE European leader specialized in the manufactureand distribution of single use surgical consu-mables .TheWaremmesiterunsaproductionandsterilization factory, a customer service sectionand a distribution centre serving clients acrossEurope .

NOmAcORc Presentin35countries,Nomacorcrepresentsover30%ofthesyntheticstoppersmarket .Itsstoppermanufacturing and finishing factory is located inWallonia,inthevicinityofLiege .

JAN WILLEm DEKKER

Executive Vice President Carlson Wagonlit Travel Benelux

“We want to be where our

customers are . We have

decided to set up in the very

centreofWalloniainorderto

meettheneedsoftheWalloon

people .Louvain-la-Neuvewon

thewagerforitsaccessibility

andforits“favourablelabour

pool”, receptive to travelling

andlanguages .Moreover,we

find ourselves within a

universityenvironmentanda

growingeconomicarea” .

It is easy to have a skilled workforce in Belgium Corporate managers rank Belgium highly, almost on a par with Japan and France .

Productivity in Belgium is much higher than the European average.This is explained by a motivation of workers that is among the highest in the world (survey- IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009) . It is a major advantage of the Belgian work-force .

muLTIcuLTuRAL AND muLTILINGuAL, THE WORKfORcE IN WALLONIA IS A REAL RIcHNESS

PRODUCTIVITY TRANSLATED INTO GDP CREATED PER WORKING PERSON (2008)(EU27 = 100) / Source: Eurostat - (f) = forecast

AVAILABILITY OF A SKILLED WORKFORCESource: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009

Wallonia has always benefited frommany external influences . This natu-ralopenness to theworldcanbeex-plainedbyseveralfactors:proximityofmajor European countries, presenceof international institutions, an im-portant industrial history, an attrac-

tiveeducationalsystemandtheflowofworkforce . In Wallonia, multicultura-lismstandsout:thisculturalrichnessgoes hand in hand with a knowledgeof foreignlanguagesthat isproventobeamongthehighestintheworld(ac-cordingtotheOECd) .

5.265.60

4.36

7.90

6.496.06

7.246.67

5.96

4.47100104.5107.6111 108.3

115.5121.1124.8

144.8 (f)

14

ENHANCING YOUR COMPETITIVENESS

AmONG THE mOST ATTRAcTIVE IN EuROPERecentstepstakenby theWalloniaGovern-ment aimed at reducing any anti-econom-ic taxation to a minimum (in particular thesuppressionoftaxonpower,thetaxexemp-tionofinvestmentsinvolvingequipmentandtools) make Wallonia the least taxed regionofEuropeandofBelgium .Government authorities have made BelgianandWalloniataxationoneof themostcom-

petitiveofcountriesintheEuroarea,bothforcompaniesandforexpatriates .Thispoliticalwillisaccompaniedbyconsid-erable financial assistance at all stages ofthe company development: set up, equip-ment, R&d, employment, training, exports,etc .AnentirerangeofregionalandEurope-anaidsthatmakeWalloniaoneof themostattractiveregionsofEurope .

15

© SCA HP© A . STEVENS

SAINT-GOBAIN The world leader in glass crafts business hasbased its Benelux head office in Namur provinceandhasanetworkofover50subsidiaries .Saint-GobainSekuritBenelux,AutoverdistributionandSaint-GobainPerformancePlasticshave fourdif-ferentsitesinWallonia .

ScA HP Europeanleader in themanufactureofpaperhy-giene products, packaging products and paperfornewspapers,producesmainly in thesurroun-dingsofverviers,a toiletpaperunique inEuropeamongstwhich90%isforexport .

Take advantageOf SmART cORPORATE TAXATION

Expatriates: a fair and favourable regulation A special tax regulation can apply to non-residents, foreign executives and scientists temporarily in Belgium .

First advantage: business expenses are tax exempt for some ac-tual additional expenses: moving costs, certain trips to the home country, education fees for children, “tax equalization”, etc .

In addition, they are only taxed on revenues from work in Bel-gium, and not on professional activities abroad, including busi-ness trips .

A competitive nominal tax rate The nominal corporate tax is highly competitive compared with the other countries of Western Europe . In addition, simple and profitable tax arrangements can make this nominal rate even lower . For example, small and medium size companies with a small taxable income can benefit from a reduced rate of taxation .

Taxes are drastically reduced. A system unique in Europe! Another example: with the concept of “notional interest deduc-tion”, financing based on equity is processed in the same way as financing based on loan . As a result, companies can deduct a fictional interest each year, based on their equity . This particular system, which is unique in Europe, brings the corporate tax rate back to an actual rate of approximately 26 % on average .

Advance Tax Ruling: the tax authority becomes your partner! The tax authorities can analyze and calculate tax consequences based on a specific situation or transaction . This is fundamen-tal in assisting businesses in their choices and in determining the future impact of decisions in terms of direct and indirect taxes .

This procedure guarantees legal certainty for investors in com-pliance with international laws .

There are also particularly favourable tax regulations for differ-ent types of businesses . These regulations - which make use of the “cost plus” or “resale minus” systems - apply to service centres (shared service centres, call centres, etc) and distribu-tion centres .

corporate tax in 2009 (* average effective rate after deduction for notional interest)

Ireland 12 .5 %Austria 25 %Denmark 25 %Greece 25 %Portugal 25 %

Source: KPMG’s corporate and indirect tax rate survey 2009

The Netherlands 25 .5 %Belgium * 26 %Finland 26 %Sweden 26 .3 %United Kingdom 28 %

Luxembourg 28 .59 %Germany 29 .44 %Spain 30 %Italy 31 .4 %France 33 .33 %

16

© SIEMENS© SHANKS

BenefitfROm fINANcIAL INcENTIVES AND AccESS TO cAPITAL

Acompletesystemoffinancial incen-tiveshasbeenimplementedtomakeiteasiertosetupabusinessinWallonia .

These incentivesnotonlyareasignifi-cant contribution to the cost of set-tingupabusiness (upto20%), theyalso lower taxandsocialcosts,pro-motehiringandstafftraining,makeiteasiertopayforconsulting,helpwithexportplansandpromotetheuseofrenewable energy and environmentinitiatives .

Inaddition,severalveryusefulEuro-pean financial assistance programsarealsoavailable .

Moreover,accesstoventurecapitalismadeeasythankstoalargenumberof private or public funds, readilyavailabletoparticipateincreatingorexpanding successful businesses . InWallonia,morethanelsewhere,busi-nesses have the reputation of offer-ingahighreturnoninvestmentinthemediumrange .

SHANKS One of the biggest European independent com-panies inwastemanagement, industrial cleaningandsoilrehabilitationisinSeraing,inMont-Saint-GuibertandinHainautprovincewhereitalsopro-duceselectricityfromgasfromdisposalcentres .

SIEmENS One of the leaders in technological solutions incommunication,energy,lighting,transport,securityandhealthforbusinessesandconsumers .Operatesin Wallonia mainly in development, maintenance,installation,consultingbusinesses .

17

© SKECHERS © SIOEN FABRICS

DIRK cOLLIER

Corporate secretary of Janssen Pharmaceutica (J&J Group)

“Choosing La Louvière and

Wallonia in general for set-

ting up our new distribution

centrewasmadeeasyby its

location at the every heart

of several major markets,

and by a favourable network

of road, railway and airport

transportsystems .Moreover,

Belgian scientific know-how

inthepharmaceuticalsector,

inaddition toa “highlycom-

petitivetaxclimatewerealso

decisivefactors .”

Pharmaceutica distribution center(pharmaceutical division of a big international company)

Investment of € 49,000,000

135 jobs created

Government support: - Subsidies of 22 .4 % for set up costs: € 11,000,000- Employment aid for recruitment and selection

Silicon R&D center

Investment of € 36,000,000 to increase production capacity and delivery of new products . Energy improvement and environmental efficiency of the production unit were also upgraded . 75 jobs created

Government support: - Subsidies of 21% or € 7,500,000

EXAmPLES Of ASSISTANcE AND fINANcIALS INcENTIVES

SIOEN fABRIcS Aleaderincoatingoffabricsforprotectiveclothingandformattressprotection,airbagsandlorrytar-paulins,thecompanyhastwositesinWallonia .

SKEcHERS AUSgiant inthemanufactureanddistributionofshoesformen,womenandchildren .Belgiandis-tributioncentreinthevicinityofLiegeLogistics .

Van der Valk - Verviers

Investment of € 11,000,000 32 jobs created in an economic development area

Government support: - Subsidies of 18 % under its set up costs: € 1,980,000- Exemption for 5 years from property tax

18

A TRADITION OF OPENNESS Wallonia’sknow-how,qualityofproductsandnaturalresourceshavebeenhighlysuccessfulallovertheworldforaverylongtimeandmany‘Wallonians’ have become famous worldwideforcenturies .

Thepoliticalwilltosupporttheexportcapaci-tiesofWalloniabusinessesisgeneratingspec-tacularresults .Thevolumeofexportsisrisingeachyearinallsectorsandismakingthere-giononethelargestexporterspercapita .

Over time, Wallonia has proven to be a wel-coming place for international businesses,whoseactivitiesoccupyanimportantplaceintheeconomy .

ThatiswhytheWalloniagovernmenthascreat-edanagencythatisauniquepartnerforforeigncompanieswishingtosetupabusinessinWal-lonia .Themaingoalofthisagencyistoprovideinformation,assistance,contactsandsolutionssuitedtoprospectiveforeigninvestors .

19

© SONACA © SOLVAY

21

18

4 43 3

13

10

16

14

3 33

5

2 2 2 223

UK FR DE NLBE PL IT HU SE CZ

An economic tradition based on trade Wallonia is a region that has always based its development on trade with adjacent countries but also with distant countries . The ideal geographic location and the high quality of transport facilities have also heightened this natural predisposition of Wallonia businesses to explore foreign markets .

ExportWALLONIA, A REGION NATuRALLy OPEN TO THE WORLD

Investments confirm the attraction of Wallonia Belgium ranks 4th among the 20 most attractive European coun-tries in terms of investments, and attracts 6 % of all foreign in-vestment projects in Europe . The survey carried out with inter-national corporate managers confirms the benefits of its central location in Europe, its sound logistics infrastructure and its tar-geted financial incentives (Ernst & Young Research 2010) .

A real exporting power

Walloniaexportingpoweralsoshowsupinthefigures .Foraroundadecade,exportshavecontinuedtogrowconsiderably(closeto10%peryearonaverage),whichiswayaheadoftheEuropeanaverageand most of the neighbouring countries . A genuinely impressiveperformance, especially when we know that over half its GdPcomesfromexports,inawiderangeofsectorsclearlyillustratingthediversityoftheproductionperformancefromourbusinesses .

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN WESTERN, CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE Source: Ernst & Young annual barometer on Belgian attractiveness 2010

MARKET SHARE 2007 2008 (AS A %)

% OF SALES MADE ON EXPORT AND ON IMPORT Source: Awex

% EXPORT SALES % IMPORT SALES

SOLVAyThis Belgian crown jewel stands out in the fieldsofchemicals,pharmaceuticalsandplasticsandispresent in 50 countries and employs over 30,000people .ItsChemicalsandPlasticssiteislocatedintheprovinceofHainaut .

SONAcA Based in the province of Hainaut, SONACA is aworldleaderinthedesignandmanufactureoflea-ding edges for plane bodies for Airbus, EmbraeranddassaultAviation .

BE NL DE FR USA JP

The Wallonia Export and foreign Investments Agency: a passport for growth

Thanks to its experience and missions for promotion, information, training and consulting about Wallonia, the Wallonia Export and Foreign Investment Agency is a genuinely efficient partner to all businesses . One hundred and five offices worldwide can assist you in analyzing, explor-ing, and developing your international markets . Many experts in all sectors will inform and assist you in projects canvassing foreign clients . Financial assistance can also be granted for cer-tain purposes .

Breakdown of export sectors (% of total)

Chemistry 26,7 %Metallurgy 17 %Machines and equipment 11,6 %Plastics 8,9 %Agrofood 6 %

Mineral 4,5 %Stone, cement, ceramics and glass 4,1 %Transport 3,9 %Animals 3,6 %Optics and precision 3,3 %

Source: AWEX - evolution of Wallonia Export - 2009

22.00 21.40

70.00 65.00

52.0046.10

23.00 21.2011.00 13.50 9.00 7.50

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© SWIFT© SÜDZUCKER

BE DK FR NL IT FI SE UK DE IR AU PL GR ES LU FR BE NL IT AL UK ES JP PLPT

CommunicateKNOW EAcH OTHER TO BETTER INNOVATE

Settingupanddoingbusiness inWal-lonia cannot happen without contactswith authorities and policy makers .Therefore,itisvitalthatthesecontactsbe quick and efficient, and that for-malitiesbereducedtoaminimum .ThegreatproximityofWalloniaauthorities(government, administration, etc) andthe administrative simplification pro-motethisefficiency .

For many years, Wallonia has entereda logic system of administrative sim-plification and “e-government” aimedatmakingformalitieseasier,moreeffi-cient,andlighter:suppressionofcertainconstraints thathavebecomeunneces-sary,electronichandlingofprocedures,simplification of documents, traceabil-ityoffiles,smart interactive forms,etc .Walloniaauthoritiesareactivelyparticipat-ingintheeconomicgrowthoftheregion .

Start ups: European champion!The efforts to promote economic development are bearing fruit . It is now possible to start up a business in only 3 days, which makes Belgium (and Wallonia), the most successful country in this field .

A fair weather social climate Productivity and work motivation are vital components for de-veloping a business and a region . For several years, the Wal-lonia authorities and the unions have been recognizing and supporting a particularly serene social climate enabling busi-nesses to stay competitive and successful .

NUMBER OF DAYS NEEDED TO CREATE A BUSINESS IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES / Source: Belgian Government

PRODUCTIVITY - GDP PER PERSON EMPLOYED PER HOUR (US$)Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2009

SÜDZucKER The German sugar giant Südzucker is present intwolargeproductionsiteslocatedinWallonia .

SWIfT Based in Wallonia Brabant province, a few kilo-metres fromBrussels,Swift suppliessecureandstandardized messaging services and interfacesoftwaretoover7,800financialinstitutionsinmorethan200countries .

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© TECHSPACE Aéro © A . STEVENS

The power to decide quickly Government officials and authorities in Wallonia have the ad-vantage of a great proximity, not only physically, but also cul-turally . An application can rapidly cross the various levels of responsibility and lead to a quick decision . Meeting a minister or a top official is much simpler than in many other countries . Moreover, useful information and advice are readily available thanks to the presence of local administrative branches . In Wallonia, economic development is a priority in which all levels of power participate .

foreign businesses in Wallonia and very happy to be there!The authorities’ strategic choice to promote foreign investment has proven to be highly effective . Some foreign businesses have already set up in Wallonia . For example, from 2000 to 2009, for-eign firms have invested in total more than 6 billion Euros in Wal-lonia, which lead to the creation of close to 18,000 direct jobs . Qualitatively, these businesses state that they are extremely sat-isfied with the hospitality and assistance granted to them in the framework of their setting up and development . [INRA]

PATRIcK LONcOL

Administrative and Finance Manager, L’Oréal Luxury Products Belgilux

“With help of the Wallonia

authorities, we were directly

involvedinaneconomicBusi-

ness Park close to Brussels

thatofferedinterestingcom-

petitive advantages in the

eyesofthegroupandaprox-

imityofsuppliersandclients .

It is easy to understand that

wefoundthebestconditions

there for running our busi-

nessinahealthysetting” .

A cOmmITmENT TO GROWTH

The government policy has propelled Wallonia in an era ofgrowthanddevelopment .Prioritieshavebeensetforth:tofo-cusoncertainsectors tobecomeEuropean leader (thesearetheso-calledCompetitivenessCenters),topromotescientificresearchandcollaborationbetweenresearch,trainingcentresandbusinesses,tostrengthenassistancetobusinessstart-upsandtoreducetaxpressureoncompaniesincertainregions .Ad-ditionallythegovernmenthassteppedupeffortstotrainyoungpeople, in particular in learning foreign languages . A total of1 .5billionEuroshavebeeninvestedovera4year-period .With such a program, Wallonia has become one of the mostcompetitiveregionsinEurope!

TEcHSPAcE AERO AWalloniacompanyoriginally,andpartoftheSA-FRAN Group since 1989, a specialist in modules,equipment,servicesandtestbenchesforaeronau-ticalandspaceengines .

TOTAL PETROcHEmIcALS - fELuyThegreatestproduction’splantofpolymersplasticsoftheTotalgroup .Eachyear,1,200,000tonsofgranulatedofpolypropylene,polyethyleneandpolystyrenearepro-ducedinFeluy .Linkedtotheplant,theresearchcenterofthegroupcombinestechnologicalinnovation,devel-opmentofnewproductsandcustomers’helpdesk .

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© UCB© TNT EXPRESS

RelaxNATuRE, cuLTuRE, LEISuRE, fuN, ETc

Wallonia is not short on strongpointsorattractions .Harmoniouslyalternating rural and urban areas,citiesandvillages,Walloniaisalandfullofcharminmanyaspects:hos-pitality,loveofagoodtime,ageoldtraditions, itsarchitecturalmaster-piecesrecognizedasUnescoWorldHeritage, a legendary gastronomy,warm-heartedwelcome,relaxation,andmore .

But beyond its evident charms thatdraw hundreds of thousands of tour-istseachyear,Walloniaisalsoaqualityareawherethefollowingareeasytofind: spacious accommodation, ac-cessible schools, and a remarkablehealth and social protection system .Internationalstudiesproveit .

ucB ABelgianbiopharmaceuticalcompany,aworldlea-der in areas such as central nervous system, theimmunesystem,allergies,respiratoryillnessesandoncology .Inparticular,UCBhassetupitsmainR&dandproductioncentreinWalloniaBrabantprovince .

TNT AIRWAyS With a large ground and air transport networkforexpressfreightinEurope,TNTAirwayssetupits European sorting centre in Liege Airport andconnectsdailytomorethan200countriesworld-wide .

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Acting as an interface with European, federal and regional governments and local entities, the OFI will help you find a global solution to set up your business and will take care of your needs in terms of land and property (search for buildings and land), finance and tax (tax optimization), recruitment and training .

To find out more about what Wallonia has to offer to businesses in your sector or to get specific information for your company, if you have any question, wish to receive information or documentation, please do not hesitate to . . .

CONTACT US

WALLONIA EXPORT & INVESTmENT OfI - Office for foreign Investorswww.investinwallonia.bePhone:+32/81332850Fax:+32/81332869welcome@investinwallonia .be

Chicago(USA): +13123576349Tokyo(Japan): +81335561061Shanghaï(China): +862164379489

Withover40officesworldwide

Photo credits:Bruno Balsama (cover, 10) - Generis (2) - Getty (4, 14, 172, 18, 222/3, 23) - NATO (51) - Jacky Collot (52, 221) - Alamy (53) - ORW (54) - André Stevens (cover, 61, 111/2/3, 162, 171) -

Dreamtime T . Hajek (62), R . Milert (63), Jolin (82), M . Frolow (161) - TNT (64) - Thalys international (65) - Port de Liège (66) - Serge Brison (81) - IDELUX (91) - Codic (92) - MRW Dircom Jean-Louis Carpentier (121, 211/2/3) - Electrabel

(122) - Centre Spatial de Liège ULG (123) • Architect: Philippe Samyn (cover) - M . Boucquillon (52) - R . Bastin (111, 171) - Somville, Presciutti & Partners (81) - P . van der Straeten & Sigma 3 (162) - P . Hebbelinck (221)

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