seize the business opportunities in flanders/belgium

SEIZE THE BUSINESSOPPORTUNITIES IN

FLANDERS / BELGIUM

FIT_Landenflyer_Algemeen_v6.indd 1 03-07-2013 09:36

2

MAkE yOUR MOvE TO THE HEART OF EUROPE

The largest industrial and consumer

areas in Europe, such as the regions

around Paris or London, the Ruhr

area, and the Amsterdam-Randstad

area, are but a stone’s throw away

from Flanders. What’s more, over

60% of Europe’s purchasing power is

situated within a tight 500 kilometer

radius around Flanders. This means

customers can be reached and served

very rapidly; and that, from Flanders’

capital Brussels, you can travel to any

major European city in no time.

BULGARIA

UKRAINE

NETHERLANDS

PORTUGAL

FRANCE

BELGIUM

GERMANY

POLAND

FINLAND

SWEDEN

ROMANIA

TURKEY

ITALY

GREECE

SPAIN

DENMARK

LITHUANIAUNITED

KINGDOM

IRELAND

NORWAY

SLOVAKIA

SWITZERLAND

SERBIA

CROATIA

HUNGARY

CZECHREPUBLIC

AUSTRIA

SLOVENIA

SEIZE THE BUSINESSOPPORTUNITIES AvAILABLE

IN FLANDERSIf you are looking for a strategic location for a new business project, in whatever shape or form, Flanders – the northern region of Belgium – offers you a unique blend of advantages. Thousands of foreign companies are already deriving great benefit from these assets. In other words, setting up or expanding a business in Flanders can be summed up by two adjectives: smooth and easy.


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THE INS AND OUTS OF FLANDERSAccording to the World Trade Report, Belgium – and consequently Flanders – is one of the top 10 exporting countries

in the world, and its per capita export figure is among the highest worldwide. Its position as a European hub makes

Belgium (Flanders) one of the top importers as well. What’s more, Flanders as a region takes up the lion’s share of export

a well as import in Belgium – more than 80%. The region’s most successful export products are minerals, vehicles,

pharmaceuticals, organic chemical products and mechanical machinery. Germany, France and the Netherlands are

the main recipients.

DID yOU kNOw? Ever since the 16th century,

the City of Antwerp in Flanders

has been world-renowned for

its diamond district. More than

50% of the world consumption

of rough, polished and

industrial diamonds passes

through Antwerp. In 2011,

the Antwerp diamond trade

grew by 47%. 0 10 20 30 40 50

Textiles

Food and Drinks

Diamonds

Base metals

Plastics

Pharmaceuticals

Vehicles

Machines andEquipment

Mineral products

Chemicals 14.6%

12.3%

10.7%

10.4%

9.0%

8.5%

7.3%

4.7%

6.2%

3.1%

TOP 10 Flemish exPOrT PrOducTs in 2012 (in EUR billion and as % of total)

SOURCE: National Accounts Institute (National Bank of Belgium), community concept

BULGARIA

UKRAINE

NETHERLANDS

PORTUGAL

FRANCE

BELGIUM

GERMANY

POLAND

FINLAND

SWEDEN

ROMANIA

TURKEY

ITALY

GREECE

SPAIN

DENMARK

LITHUANIAUNITED

KINGDOM

IRELAND

NORWAY

SLOVAKIA

SWITZERLAND

SERBIA

CROATIA

HUNGARY

CZECHREPUBLIC

AUSTRIA

SLOVENIA


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eFFecTive eu cOrPOraTe Tax raTes (in %)

SOURCE: The Institute of International and European Affairs

United Kingdom 23.2

Germany 22.9

Italy 22.8

Netherlands 20.9

Spain 20.9

Poland 17.7

Hungary 16.7

Sweden 16.4

Finland 15.9

Austria 15.7

Portugal 14.9

Slovenia 14.8

Greece 13.9

Ireland 11.9

Romania 10.4

Cyprus 9.4

France 8.2

Estonia 8.0

Czech Republic 7.4

Denmark 7.4

Slovakia 7.0

Latvia 6.5

Belgium 4.8

Bulgaria 4.6

Luxembourg 4.1

ADvANTAGEOUS TAx ENvIRONMENT

The main reason for our

presence in Flanders is the

presence of specialist financial

expertise.”

Alex Bongaerts, Finance Director, Atlas Copco, Sweden

‘Favorable’ and ‘fiscal’: two words that go together wonderfully in Flanders.

That might be a coincidence, but the fact is that the region offers a wide range

of tax benefits and financial grants, from tax exemptions to beneficial tax

regimes for R&D and pension funds.

The notional interest deduction (NID) is a good example. Thanks to this unique

measure, companies using their own capital to finance their activities can

lower their effective corporate tax rate to an average of 26.3%.

But the notional interest deduction isn’t the only tax grant in Flanders.

The region also offers tax exemptions, beneficial tax regimes for r&d and

pension funds. In addition, a special ruling commission guides foreign investors

through the fiscal aspects of their investment project in Flanders even further.

The sum of all these tax incentives leads to one of the lowest effective

corporate tax rates in the European Union. According to a study, conducted

by the Institute of International and European Affairs, effective tax rates in

Belgium, and Flanders as a region, can be limited to a mere 4.8% if certain

conditions are met.

Belgium Netherlands Germany France Italy UK USA Japan0

10

20

30

40

50

eFFecTive (average) cOrPOraTe Tax raTe (ecTr) 2012

SOURCE: ZEW, Centre for European Economic Research, Mannheim. Effective Tax Levels – Final Report 2012

NCTR (Nominal Corporate Tax Rate) ECTR (Effective Corporate Tax Rate)

P & l account Before nid With nid

Profit before tax 4,000 4,000

NID (3%) / -3,000

Taxable 4,000 1000

Corporate tax (33.99%)

1,360 340

Effective tax rate 33.99% 8.5%

assets liabilitiesGroup financing Share capital100,000 100,000

* SOURCE: Federal Public Service Finance

examPle nid*The balance sheet of the Belgian entity shows that the share capital has been used for group financing. With the application of an intra-group interest rate of 4%, the profit before taxes is 4,000. Before the introduction of the NID, the corporate tax would have been 1,360 (or 33.99%). Thanks to the NID, the effective corporate tax rate to be paid is 340 (or 8.5%) only.


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A glimpse into imec’s 300mm cleanroom (2012)©im

ec

THE FUTURE STARTS IN FLANDERSWhen it comes to research and innovation across a wide range of disciplines and a variety of sectors, Flanders is

consistently at the forefront. No less than four Strategic Research Centers are constantly developing cutting-edge

technologies and processes that will shape tomorrow’s society.

DID yOU kNOw? • Many European investors consider Flanders to be a unique place to

invest in biotech opportunities. To encourage this, the government is

limiting the risks for investors by providing far-reaching support to the

industry. Companies seizing these opportunities today already include

Biocartis, Galapagos, ThromboGenics, Ablynx, Pronota and many more.

• Belgium – and Flanders as a region – is on the verge of becoming

the european leader in the biopharmaceutical sector, according to

an analysis conducted by the Health, Science and Technology (HST)

Group and advisory firm Deloitte. The main reasons for this are the

many tax incentives and the strong partnership between government

and industry, which recently resulted in a large number of new

pharmaceutical investments.

• imec is Europe’s leading research

center on nanoelectronics and

nanotechnology.

www.imec.be

• viB is a world-class center for life

sciences expertise.

www.vib.be

• viTO is committed to technological

research and consulting for

product innovation and improved

levels of business.

www.vito.be

• iminds is Flanders’ research

institute for tomorrow’s ICT.

www.iminds.be


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ANTwERP: THE LARGEST cHEMIcAL cLUSTER IN EUROPE

After considering different options, Antwerp emerged as the perfect location. The positive investment conditions

and the strong industrial policy of the government of Flanders were certainly decisive. Furthermore, we quickly

learned about the advantages of Antwerp as the second largest chemical cluster in the world, and its assets as a

major European port.”

Mark Lebel, CEO, FRX Polymers, USA

Belgium – and Flanders

as a region – is a world

champion for chemicals and

plastics. On a sales per capita

basis, it is the number one

chemical country in the world.”

Koen Wilms, Managing Director France, 3M, USA

Centrally located and easily accessible, the Port of Antwerp plays a key role in

Flanders’ renowned chemical industry. Antwerp houses, among other facilities,

five oil refineries and four steam crackers. With a portfolio of 300 different

chemicals – the most diverse in the world – and over 500 chemical companies,

Antwerp is the largest chemical cluster in Europe (the second largest worldwide).

Companies located in the port area enjoy the immediate advantages of the cluster

configuration by, for example, integrating their activities with those of other

companies – particularly suppliers – in a stable business environment.

A state-of-the-art pipeline network in the port area facilitates product interchange.


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ExTENSIvE kNOw-HOw IN IcTNanotechnology, banking solutions,

telematics and geo-ICT, telecoms

and network equipment, digital

audio/video and printing solutions,

and software products: they

hold no secrets for Flanders.

Apart from its enviable reputation

in nanoelectronics, nanotechnology

and microelectronics, the region

is also a pioneer in financial

security solutions and smart

card technology. Furthermore,

your company can draw on

leading technology expertise in

telematics, GPS, cartography,

location-based services, geo-

ICT, and in telecommunication

and network equipment. Digital

audio/video and printing solutions,

and a wide range of software

products – from industrial design

to gaming – complete the picture.

On top of that, according to a report

by US-based service provider

Akamai, Flanders has the tenth

fastest broadband connection

worldwide.

FLANDERS PUTS ITS SHOULDER TO THE wHEEL

This place simply breathes

cars. Vilvoorde made us feel at

home immediately, because of

the nearby presence of many

renowned car manufacturers.”

Tej Soni, President & Founder, izmocars, India

After visiting Flanders with Flanders Investment & Trade,

we decided Zeebrugge was the perfect setting for the expansion of our

European Distribution Center. We are confident that this location will be

a powerful instrument for our company to establish itself strongly in the

European market.”

V. Krishnaram, CEO and Joint Managing Director, Emrald Resilient Tyre Manufacturers, India

If cars – or any motor vehicles for

that matter – are your business,

Flanders is without a doubt the

place to be. The region serves as the

European gateway for automotive

companies the world over. in the Port

of Zeebrugge, more than 3 million

cars are handled each year. Thanks

to the abundance of know-how and

expertise in the construction of

vehicles, components and related

services, big car manufacturers

like Audi, Volvo, Toyota, Mazda and

Honda are all present in the region,

either with assembly plants, R&D

and engineering centers, or regional

headquarters.

Furthermore, did you know

that some of the world’s most

prominent car designers,

including Dirk van Braeckel,

Lowie Vermeersch and Pierre

Leclercq come from Flanders?

They are responsible for some of

the top-notch designs for brands

like Alfa Romeo, BMW, Volkswagen,

Lamborghini, SEAT, Ferrari,

Maserati, Skoda and Bentley.


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FLANDERS SUPPORTS yOUR R&D PROjEcTS

enterprises with innovation activity (% of all enterprises)

Germany 79.3

Luxembourg 68.1

Belgium 60.9

Portugal 60.3

Sweden 59.6

Ireland 59.5

Estonia 56.8

Netherlands 56.7

Austria 56.5

Italy 56.3

innOvaTiOn acTiviTy and cO-OPeraTiOn during 2008-2010: TOP 10 eu cOunTries

SOURCE: EUROSTAT 2010 Community Innovation Survey

The government of Flanders awards generous grants and subsidies (up to a rate

of 75%) for the R&D of innovative products and processes. In fact, according

to US-based professional services firm Deloitte, Flanders offers the best

R&D related incentives in Europe. This leads to much reduced employment

costs, which gives Flanders-based companies a major advantage over their

competitors in neighboring countries when it comes to attracting talent.

With IWT, the region’s government agency for Innovation by Science and

Technology, Flanders has a one-stop-shop for non-refundable grants in

direct support of r&d programs. Private investors as well as well-capitalized

venture capital funds are keen to invest in the many promising life sciences

projects in the region. In addition, companies investing in Flanders can take

advantage of a number of helpful tax incentives for R&D staff.

As a result of this support – and the presence of many world-renowned

research institutes – Flanders ranks among the most innovative regions in

europe according to the 2012 Regional Innovation Scoreboard, issued by the

European Commission. In this scoreboard, the innovative performances of

190 EU regions are studied based on key aspects such as the research system,

intellectual assets and financial support.

THE wORLD’S MOST ExcITING cLEANTEcH REGIONAlways at the forefront when it comes

to sustainable energy, Flanders boasts

a wide range of innovative cleantech

initiatives with a focus on knowledge

acquisition and sharing. Three of the

major clusters and incubators are:

• Greenbridge Science Park in Ostend,

which specializes in renewable

energy. www.greenbridge.be

• Ghent Bio-Energy Valley in Ghent,

Europe’s first open innovation and

education center for a bio-based

economy. www.gbev.org

• Energyville in Genk, with its

expertise in renewable energy,

smart grids and sustainable cities.

www.energyville.be

Some of the highlights of

sustainable energy projects in

Flanders include:

• The off-shore wind and wave

energy projects, which are set to

produce 42GW by 2020;

• The sustainable chemistry and

valorization of solid waste and

waste gasses in Antwerp;

• Testing of 600 electrical vehicles

by eight research centers and

51 companies, making Flanders

a living lab for sustainable

mobility.

© C-Power


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Flanders’ mulTimOdal TransPOrT neTWOrk and lOgisTics hOTsPOTs

The logistics knowledge

accumulated in Flanders plays a crucial

role in Nike’s worldwide success.”

Luc Hooybergs, General Manager, Nike ELC Laakdal, USA

THE LOGISTIcS HUB OF EUROPEWith nearly 800 European Distribution Centers (EDCs) and an average

of over five EDCs per 100 km2, Flanders boasts the highest edc density

in europe. Furthermore, the region is among the world’s best when it

comes to the density of road, railroad and inland waterway networks.

It is, in short, a paradise for any logistics operation.

Many multinationals already serve

Europe from Flanders: Bose,

Duracell, Honda, Mazda, Nike, Pfizer,

Procter & Gamble, Samsonite,

Sara Lee, SKF, Stanley Black &

Decker, Toyota, Volvo, etc. So, it

is no coincidence that Flanders

ranks 7th in the World Bank’s

logistics Performance index 2012,

beating major economies like

Japan, the United States and the

United Kingdom.


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TOP-NOTcH EDUcATION The investment in a state-of-the-art European Development Center

in the city of Ostend proves Daikin Industries’ confidence in the capability,

know-how and experience of our employees in Flanders.”

Frans Hoorelbeke, Chairman of Daikin Europe N.V. and member of the Board of parent company Daikin Industries, Ltd. in Japan, Daikin Europe N.V.

Belgium, and Flanders as a region,

ranks among the world’s top 10

where education systems are

concerned. In the World Economic

Forum’s Global Competitiveness

Report 2012-2013, for instance,

the region’s educational system

ranks 5th. For math and science

education in particular, the region

takes the 3rd position worldwide.

When it comes to higher education,

Flanders has a lot to offer as well.

No less than three universities in

the region – Louvain, Ghent and

Antwerp – feature in the world

top 200 ranking of universities,

published by UK newspaper

The Times. Louvain even ranks

58th worldwide, while Ghent takes

up the 93rd place.

The region also boasts a multitude

of renowned international schools,

including four European schools

in Brussels and one in the town of

Mol. In the Antwerp and Brussels

area, there are several Chinese

schools. In 2012, the city of Ghent,

together with the university of

Ghent, has opened an international

school. Furthermore, the city of

Prices in €/m²/year

Flanders/antwerp 57.46

Lille 72.98

Rotterdam 74.52

Hamburg 79.84

Warsaw 83.06

London 266.54

LOTS OF AFFORDABLE LOGISTIcS SPAcE Although Flanders has a long logistical history, there is still availability here

and spare capacity for logistic units. The seaports of Antwerp, Zeebrugge,

Ghent and Ostend have no congestion. On average, half a million m2 are rented

out yearly, mainly storage facilities of 5,000 m2 or more. In 2012, prime logistics

space in Flanders traded at less than EUR 60/m2, according to fDi Intelligence

– a major economic driver of globalization through FDI. The prime rent in

Belgium, of which Flanders is the northern region, is one of the lowest in

Western Europe, thanks to its low property and building costs. SOURCE: fDi Intelligence

WarehOuse renTing Prices Q1 2012

Louvain, KU Leuven University and

imec research institute recently

announced their intention to

establish an international private

primary school that offers courses

in English.


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DID yOU kNOw? • Belgium – and Flanders as a region – ranks 16th in the

global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) conducted by

civil society organization Transparency International,

which makes it one of the least corruptive countries

in the world.

•According to the 2012 KOF Index of Globalization,

Belgium – and Flanders as a region – has the

most open economy in the world, outclassing

Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria and Singapore

in the top 5.

A PLAcE THAT SPEAkS yOUR LANGUAGEBecause the region is located right on

a nodal point where Europe’s three

major cultural and language groups

meet, most people in Flanders are

multilingual. Dutch, French and

German, the three official languages

in Belgium – of which Flanders is

the northern region – are spoken

fluently by many. Furthermore,

most people in Flanders possess

an excellent knowledge of English.

In fact, (British) English is as widely

used as French in the education

system in Flanders. The fact that

foreign television programs and

movies are subtitled rather than

dubbed certainly plays a role in

developing the language skills of

the region.

The multilingualism of

the local workforce constitutes

yet another major asset for the

European headquarters.”

Etienne Plas, Spokesman, Toyota Motor Europe, Japan

HIGHLy PRODUcTIvE wORkFORcEAccording to a survey conducted

by US-based research institute

The Conference Board, Belgium

– and Flanders as a region –

is the fourth most productive

country in the world. Compared

to neighboring countries, Belgium

offers the highest ‘GDP per person

employed’ ratio.

In Flanders, the 2012 labour

productivity is estimated at

€ 72,600 purchasing power parity

(PPS). That is 25% higher than the

EU27 average.

Flanders’ neighbours

France (€ 67,300 PPS),

the Netherlands (€ 64,400 PPS)

and Germany (€ 61,800 PPS) all

have lower productivity scores.

Employees in Flanders

are able to work independently.

When you present them with a

business strategy, they almost

immediately put the ideas

into action.”

Celso Armando, Manager/Director, JBS-Toledo, Brazil


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BRUSSELS: THE cENTER OF EUROPEBrussels, the capital of Flanders (Belgium), can easily be considered

Europe’s lobbying capital: more than 3,800 diplomats are active

in Brussels. The only city in the world where you will find more is

New York City. Measured by the number of events, it is the world’s

second international conference center. It is, after Washington DC (USA),

the world’s largest center for advocacy and the place with the most

foreign journalists.

Brussels houses:

• over 10,000 lobbyists

• 700 professional associations

• 400 organized interest groups

• 150 international

consulting firms

• 150 law firms specializing

in European law

• 30 chambers of commerce

• over 1,000 accredited journalists

• a permanent representation of over

220 regions and federal entities

• 1,300 European Headquarters

or sales subsidiaries of foreign

companies

SET UP OFFIcE IN A FLASHTrue the region’s no-nonsense

culture, setting up a subsidiary

in Flanders requires only few

formalities:

• notarial deed and a one-stop

registration process;

• no government approvals are

required;

• up and running in less than 10 days

(except for certain registration

and publication formalities,

which may take 2 to 4 weeks

after incorporation);

• no public register of share

ownership;

• no formalities regarding share

transfers, other than registration

of the transfer in the company’s

share register.

All the necessary permits

to set up a state-of-the-art

factory in Flanders were

granted quickly. And this, of

course, is very important in

the decision process of any

investment project.”

Erika Wouters, General Manager of Chillfis – subsidiary of Struik Foods Europe, Struik, the Netherlands

LOw cOST OF LIvINGAccording to Mercer’s ‘2011 Cost of Living Survey’, Brussels is an inexpensive city to live in for expatriates. The city

ranks only 62nd in Mercer’s list of the world’s highest priced cities for expats. This is mainly due to the relatively low

cost of living in Brussels. The average rental price for a nice apartment is EUR 1,500 a month on average, which is

much less in comparison to London (EUR 3,300) or Paris (EUR 2,300).


13

HIGH qUALITy OF LIFEBelgium, and Flanders as a region, ranks 12th in the ‘2011 Quality of Life Index’

by the OECD, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The social fiber in Flanders is strong and people are open-minded.

The region offers an exceptionally high standard of living for expatriates

and their families, including:

• favorable taxation measures;

• first-class healthcare standards;

• high quality housing at affordable prices;

• one of the best education systems worldwide, including many

international schools;

• a rich cultural heritage, e.g. the medieval centers of cities like Bruges,

Ghent and Antwerp;

• a strong and diversified culinary tradition with numerous gourmet and

ethnic restaurants.

It thus comes as no surprise that people in Flanders (Belgium) are more

pleased with their general quality of life compared to other citizens of OECD

member countries.

The social fiber in Flanders

is great, the number of cultural

events is impressive, and

there are a lot of very good

restaurants. The people in

Flanders are very friendly and

very kind.”

Celso Armando, Managing Director of JBS-Toledo, the world’s largest protein producer and exporter, Brazil

DID yOU kNOw? • If you like French fries,

you should know that this

delicious food actually

originated in Flanders.

The adjective ‘French’

was probably added by

American soldiers who

arrived in Belgium during

World War I, as French

was the official language

of the Belgian Army at

that time. In the south of

the Netherlands, however,

they have always been

called Vlaamse Frieten or

Flemish fries.

•Speaking of delicacies,

Flanders (Belgium) is also

the place to be for quality

beers, chocolate and waffles.

But you probably already

knew that, didn’t you?

• According to figures

published by Eurostat, the

people of Belgium – including

Flanders – are the richest in

Europe, with total household

assets amounting to

EUR 981 billion.


14

IF IT wORkS IN FLANDERS… All this makes Flanders

(Belgium) an ideal test market

for innovations. If it works in

Belgium, we’re pretty sure that

it’ll also work elsewhere.”

Hessel De Jong, General Manager Benelux Operation at the Coca-Cola Company

The political commitment to

support Genzyme’s expansion project

in Geel in Flanders was obvious and, at

the same time, an essential argument

to convince the board in the US of the

advantages Flanders has in store.”

Piet Houwen, Vice President, Genzyme, USA Until recently, Chinese

companies were hesitant to

venture outside China. I am

confident that this will change

in the future. Within Europe, we

consider Belgium to be the best

place to invest in.”

Feng Jun, President and Chairman of Aigo Digital Technology, Founder of the Aigo Entrepreneurs Alliance, China

Flanders

simply exudes trust.

It may be a small

region, but great

dreams come out

of it.”

Richard Trackx, Director Sales & Marketing, Fujifilm Europe, Fujifilm, Japan

FORwARD wITH FLANDERS

BEcOME A FAN OF FLANDERSRecently, VRT, the public broadcaster of Flanders, launched a new project called

“Fans of Flanders”. It consists of a website and a TV show in which expats can learn

more about Flanders and its many offerings. Through the program, expats also get

the opportunity to give their own views on the region. www.fansofflanders.be

And that’s not all. Flanders also has a wide variety of expat communities and organizations

for people from the four corners of the world residing in the region. For example, there

is a thriving Chinese community of approximately 40,000 people living in Antwerp – in

the officially recognized China Town, including a Buddhist temple, multiple restaurants,

supermarkets and hairdressers – and Louvain. The most important organization to help you

get in touch with your community in Flanders (Belgium) is Expatica: www.expatica.com.

By 2020, Flanders aims to be the 5th most important region in Europe

by putting into practice the guidelines set out in its ‘Nieuw Industrieel

Beleid’ (NIB – New Industrial Policy). Key aspects in this policy are the

rapid modernization of the industry, related services and the social

fabric by means of value creation, productivity and flexibility.

One of the first concrete decisions in this respect was the establishment of

the industrial transformation fund TINA (Transformation, Innovation and

Acceleration). Other actions include the promotion of a cluster policy, the

speeding up of government decisions concerning industry and economics and

a continued focus on sustainability and infrastructure. Foreign investors can

count on a pro-active approach from various industrial clusters in Flanders

and a customized package of all the assets Flanders has in store for them.

Many companies and organizations consider Flanders to be the ideal test

market for innovations and new products. Not only does the region have the

highest purchasing power in Belgium, it is also situated at the crossroads of

three major cultures: Germanic, Roman and Anglo-Saxon. This makes the

people of Flanders very open and receptive to all sorts of influences from

abroad: cultural, culinary, social and professional. In addition, international

business cities, such as Antwerp or Brussels, have a thriving culture of expat

communities from all four corners of the world.


15

CanberraBuenos Aires

São Paulo

Santiago de Chile

Beijing

Guangzhou

ShanghaiCairo

Montreal

Seoul

Johannesburg

New York

Los Angeles

Chicago

Atlanta

HanoiAbu Dhabi

Dubai

Istanbul

Bangkok

Taipei

Singapore

Riyadh

Saint PetersburgNizhny Novgorod

Moscow

Mexico City

Casablanca TripoliTokyo

Tel AvivTehran

Jakarta

New Delhi

Mumbai

Bangalore

Hong Kong

Copenhagen

Berlin

Cologne

StuttgartZurich

Stockholm

London

Edinburgh

Prague

MadridBarcelona

LjubljanaBucharest

Lisbon

WarsawPoznan

Oslo

The Hague

Rome

Milan

Dublin

Budapest

Athens

Lille Paris

LyonBordeaux

Helsinki

Vienna

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

IN SETTING UPFlanders Investment & trade provIdes potentIal Investors wIth assIstance and InFormatIon regardIng:• site selection

• overview of all tax benefits, financial grants and incentives

• Introduction to the country’s decision-makers

Gaucheretstraat 90BE-1030 Brussels | Belgium

T +32 2 504 88 71 [email protected]

Visit our website for

more information:

www.investinflanders.com

and follow us on Twitter:

twitter.com/InvestFlanders!

Flanders Investment & Trade has more than 70 regional

offices worldwide to assist you wherever you are,

free of charge. For foreign investors interested in

establishing commercial operations in Flanders

(Belgium), initial contact can be made through our

experienced staff close to you:

• legal aspects of setting up locally

• Identify business opportunities

• Integration into local community life


16

Gaucheretstraat 90 | BE-1030 Brussels | BelgiumT +32 2 504 88 71 | F +32 2 504 88 [email protected] | www.investinflanders.com

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seize the business opportunities in flanders/belgium

Business

belgium flanders

tax exemptions

tax grant

tax incentives

effective tax rates

flanders belgium fit

beneficial tax regimes

advantageous tax environment