Presentatie 2013 en

JOINING FORCES, IT

WORKS

SINCE 1802.

Get to know our Chamber of Commerce and Industry

THE REGION

Facts & figures

• Supported by strong infrastructure

• Excellent workforce bilingual capacity

• Where businesses take pride in quality

• Directly surrounded by the largest EU markets

FLANDERS: GATEWAY TO EUROPE

Distance Antwerp

Amsterdam 161 km London 337 km Paris 340 km

Berlin 723 km

FLANDERS AND ANTWERP

TRAVELING TIMES TO/FROM

KEY FIGURES FOR FLANDERS

Flanders80 %

Wallonia18 %

Brussels 2 %

Flemish Share of Belgian exports

• Population: 6.1 million (58 %)

• Companies: 480,433 (66 %)

• Employment:

2,000,000 salaried 400,000 self-employed

• Exports: €247 billion (80 %)

UNIQUE LOCATION AT EUROPEAN

CROSSROADS

• 60% European buying power within 500 km radius

• In the middle of Europe’s most important industrial &

consumers centers

• Proximity to European institutions

• High density of knowledge clusters

IMPORTANCE OF FOREIGN TRADE FLANDERS

• Export ratio GDP 101 %

• No. 9 export region in the world

• Accounts for 3.11 % of world exports

• 8,1 % of export to BRIC - countries

THE ANTWERP-WAASLAND REGION =

KEY DRIVER OF THE FLEMISH ECONOMY

Seaport

Wholesales

center

diamonds

Petrochemical

hub

MAJOR ECONOMIC ENGINE

• Antwerp GDP = about 60 € BILLION / about 17 % of Belgian

total

• GDP / capita = 34 % higher than EU average

• 1/8th of jobs in Flanders are located in Antwerp (total jobs

Flanders 2010: over 2.600.000 )

• Several universities, colleges and knowledge centers contribute to

Antwerp’s innovative business angle and talent base.

• Highly favorable economic climate for businesses from every

sector of the market.


THREE PILLARS OF COMPETITIVENESS

• 2nd largest in Europe/ 3rd European

container Port • Largest European petrochemical

cluster, 2nd worldwide after Houston, USA

• 5,6 million m² covered warehouses (+ 2 x capacity of Rotterdam, +4 x capacity of Hamburg)

• 184 million tons maritime cargo in 2012

• More than 145 000 employees (direct and indirect)

• More than 19 billion € value added

Port of Antwerp



• 80 % of the world trade in rough diamonds

• 1500 HQ of diamond companies

• Industry’s primary business centre

• World’s 2 largest diamond banks

• Represents nearly 15 % of Flemish foreign trade (exports & imports)

• Diversification: jewellery confection & trade

Diamonds



• Largest cluster in Europe / second largest in the world

• Smart logistics • All pipelines lead to Antwerp • Chemical Masters and bachelors • Process innovation leading to energy

efficiency • Sustainable development

• More than 300 different chemicals • 22 % share of foreign trade in the region • Employment (direct & indirect) =

66.000 jobs • Increasing importance: + 4,4 % growth

per year

Petrochemical industry

THE ANTWERP REGION

Quality of life

• Antwerp was ranked nr 1 fashion shopping hotspot 2011 by the NY Times • Everyone’s favorite sweet: Belgian chocolate • Gastronomy in Antwerp is a way of life • Antwerp offers visitors a rich cultural experience: landmark ‘MAS’ and other interesting musea

CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE AND

INDUSTRY

Antwerp & Waasland

CHARACTERISTICS

• A private institution, not funded by the government

• Membership is not compulsory but based on > competitiveness and added value services > high cost-awareness and full transparency

• Our network consists of more than 3,000

corporate members

MISSION STATEMENT

• Defending their interests on a political level

• Offering a professional and unique network

• Promoting innovation and knowledge economy

Helping our entrepreneurs

• Promotion on a national and international level

• Increasing the general prosperity

• Lubricating the economic engine of Flanders

Advancing our region

2

WE HELP COMPANIES GROW SINCE 1802

Our Chamber today:

3.000 members

50 employees

7 million Euro TO/ year

1802 2013

offices

2002 merger with

Waasland

2004 Alliance

with Voka

3.000

STRONG LOCAL NETWORK

Corporate

members

30 Municipalities from Antwerp

1 Chamber

2 Registered

offices

From Waasland 7

14.000

BROAD INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

Chambers of

Commerce

worldwide

Million members 40 over

2.000 Chambers of Commerce

in Europe

• 95 % are SMEs

• Geographic area: administrative districts of Antwerp and Waasland

• Sectorial composition reflects the economic profile of the Antwerp-Waasland Region: Distribution, Finance, Industry, Port, Services, Trade and Commerce

WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS ?

3 STRATEGIC PILLARS

1. Lobbying

2. Networking

3. Services

1. LOBBYING

• Political consultations on local, Flemish, federal and

European level.

• Defending the interests of all our companies

• Routeplan 2020

= large study about future potential of region

• Pro- actively envolved in organisations, commissions,

projects… (FIT, Gecoro, SERR, RESOC,…)

Listen - inform – communicate - lobby

2. NETWORKING

• Receptions, lunches, forums, lectures, trade missions,

company visits etc

• Garden Party

• End of Year’s Reception

• Galery of Prominent People

• Youth Chamber for young entrepreneurs and high potentials

• Magazine ONDERNEMERS.

Local – regional – national - international

3. SERVICES

• Bryo

• Export documents

• PLATO, Hermes

• Chamber Academy

• Business clubs : geographical or thematical

• Employment initiatives and competence development

Start – grow – innovate – internationalise

A PROACTIVE

STRATEGIC VISION

FOR THE REGION

Road Map 2020

ROAD MAP 2020

ANTWERP

HEADQUARTERS

A unique partnership to facilitate your business launch in Belgium’s prime business location

ANTWERP HEADQUARTERS

• Investment promotion

• Location management

• Tax, legal & HR support

• Networking

• Expat- welcome desk

• Offered via one-stop-shopping in close partnership with our structural and ad-hoc partners

Free of charge, objective & tailor made service

FLEMISH NETWORK

OF ENTREPRENEURS

Voka

18.000

STRONG FLEMISH NETWORK

members

8 Alliance of

Flemish CCI’s

& VEV

65 % of private

employment

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

‘If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable’ - Seneca -

MORE INFORMATION?

Call the Chamber of Commerce 00 32 3 232 22 19 or mail [email protected]

Office Antwerp

Markgravestraat 12

2000 Antwerpen

Office Waasland

Kleine Laan 28

9100 Sint-Niklaas