10 good reasons to invest in wallonia
DESCRIPTION
Discover the 10 good reasons to set up your company in Wallonia-BelgiumTRANSCRIPT
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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
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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 .
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© 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 .”
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© 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) .
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© 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 .”
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© 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
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© 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
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© 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 .
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© 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 .
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© 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)
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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 .
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© 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 %
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© 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 .
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© 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
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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 .
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© SONACA © SOLVAY
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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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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 .
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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