Best of Belgium 3

International Group Publisher Sven Boermeester

Publisher and Editor Frank Boermeester

Commercial Director Koen Christiaens

Media Consultants Maarten Roofthooft, Joris De Wilder

Editorial Contributors Peter Farlam

Printing Antilope Printing

Creative Direction Peter Batistich, Graham Cooper

Photography Douglas Moors, Compagnie Gagarine

Tervuursesteenweg 133/23001 LeuvenBelgiumTel: +32 16 223669Fax: +3216 292095Emailfboermeester@thefifthconference.comkchristiaens@thefifthconference.com

Website

www.thefifthconference.comwww.gvpedia.com

Published by

The Fifth Conference bvba

ISBN # 9789079056002

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in the Best of Belgium vol.2 publication.

Neither Best of Belgium nor The Fifth Conference bvba take any responsibility for errors or omissions.

All rights reserved:

No part of this publication shall be reproduced, copied, transmitted, adapted or modified in any form or by any means.

This publication shall not be stored in whole or in part in any form in any retrieval system.

Regional Head Offices

Bangalore • Bangkok • Brussels • Cairo • Copenhagen • Dubai Johannesburg • London • Singapore • Sydney • Washington DC

Welcome to the second volume of ‘Best of Belgium,’ in which we showcase this nation’s

contemporary achievement, from the arts and fashion to business and innovation. This

publication is built on a number of key elements. Firstly, there are the stories about Belgium’s

best—the companies and organization profiled in this book are true leaders in their field. Also,

these are the organizations that made this book possible and are helping to spread it around the

world. Secondly, as editor, we wrote a number of articles—placed throughout the publication—

that discuss some of the key Belgian achievements from the past year or two. Third, we invited

a number of influential Belgians to contribute a personal vision statement—for example, see the

contributions by Thomas Leysen from the Federation of Belgian Enterprises and Guy Quaden,

chairman of the National Bank of Belgium.

As publishers we express our gratitude to a number of organizations for their support

in distributing this publication around the world. In particular these include this country’s

Chambers of Commerce, the federal chamber, the regional chambers and the many international

chambers that promote business links with our main trade partners. Also we thank Brussels

Export, Flanders Investment & Trade, AWEX (Walloon Export Agency), the Federal Agency for

Foreign Trade (organizer of the royal trade missions) and the Federal Public Service of Foreign

Affairs for distributing the book to all corners of the world. ‘Best of Belgium’ will also go out to

our colleagues in the Global Village Partnerships network, from Dubai and India to Australia and

South Africa. Have a look at gvpedia.com to see how our network is growing.

In the years ahead, ‘Best of Belgium’ will continue to document Belgian achievement, relying

on the fact that Belgium is representative of a dynamic, creative Europe, a beacon of liberal

democracy and social justice, where individuals have the space and inspiration to create that

which makes our world a better place, be it in the realm of business, art or ideas.

For Volume III expect deeper and sharper analysis, more vision articles by leading Belgians,

and great photography.

Showcasing Belgian Achievement…

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CELEBRATE SUCCESS

Brand Image

Branding a Nation, a City and its People

GVP brands and builds the image of the world’s most exciting economic

regions to affect a change in the perception of a nation, a city and its

people by the rest of the world. This then promotes the region in terms

of its investment opportunities, key industries, innovations, people,

culture, tourism potential and international objectives.

Product - The Books

Celebrate your success

The 'Best of…' publishing series produces annual maxi format book

publications in over 30 territories, from Bangalore to Belgium. These

detail success stories of people and companies making positive inroads

into the commercial fibre of both mature and emerging markets.

The books showcase entrepreneurial spirit; establishing powerful

global networks and the creation of individual brand awareness by

bridging cultures. The result is the ultimate interactive corporate gift and

P.R. marketing tool for governments, companies, hotels and business

people providing leading products and services for their region.

Product - The Folders

Fast track to the world

Market Essentials works closely with Foreign Embassies, High

Commissions, International Chambers of Commerce and Trade

Associations worldwide to produce high quality trade folders. Each

folder is designed to offer support and advice to companies interested

in trading with or investing in overseas markets.

Product - www.gvpedia.com

Connecting the world's most interesting people and organisations

The portal provides GVP customers an interactive Public

Relations Box managed by a user friendly 'Enterprise Content

Management System' that allows clients to upload their press

releases, photos, videos and management profiles. The latest

networking add-ons and social media applications are

integrated within the site providing maximum reach and feedback.

The value proposition for subscribers to gvpedia.com

essentially covers four elements: exposure, expertise, exclusivity

and networking.

REGIONAL HEAD OFFICES

Bangalore Brussels Cairo Casablanca Copenhagen Dubai

With its mission to serve as the premier platform for showcasing and networking the world's top brands and companiesin business, tourism and lifestyle, Global Village Partnerships (GVP) is building an atlas of success, sustainability and

culture. This is carried out through the 'Best of' book series, the Global Village online information portal and thedevelopment of an ever expanding business network of international partners and clients.

Turnover 2008 Employees & Partners Circulation International Head offices Management

US$ 8 000 000 100 500 000 London, Brussels Sven Boermeester

Dubai, Cairo Lisa Durante

Bangalore, Singapore Charles Neil

Washington DC, Santiago Leon Swartz

Sydney, Johannesburg Warren Haley

Market

Promote and network the 'red apples" within

each economy

GVP’s market sectors embrace publishing,

public relations, corporate gifting, online

community building and networking. Its

target market covers large, medium and

small entrepreneurial organisations

enjoying growth, success and sustainability.

GVP explores every geographic region to

pick the 'red apples' in business, exports,

innovation, design, fashion, retail,

hospitality, specialty foods, the arts

and more.

Unique Selling Point (USP)

New markets create new business

opportunities

GVP publications promote, showcase and

network successful economies, organisations

and individuals from across the globe. The

organisation celebrates success and provides

recognition amongst its ever expanding

international network of influential clients. Its

online portal, www.gvpedia.com, provides a

platform for clients and readers to network,

share best practice and grow new markets,

creating exciting new business connections

and opportunities.

Corporate Social Responsibility

There is no success without ethics and

sustainability

The best of world business, travel and

lifestyle within the Global Village is dependent

on more than monetary profit. There is no

success without core values such as

sustainability, integrity and Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR). GVP’s

exclusive client base is selected by

invitation only based on these criteria,

with the added focus of dedicated

chapters covering CSR, sustainability,

green innovation and giving back to

the community.

Growth and Opportunity

Exchanging knowledge, skills and economies

of scale in media

With regional head offices in 5 continents,

the organisation is currently involved in

more than 30 territories where the

'Best of' series is published. GVP has a

5-year growth plan to develop a further

150 economic territories organically,

through each continent’s regional head

office, and through partnerships with

companies and individuals that have

the expertise to showcase their city, state

or country.

Dubai Johannesburg London Santiago Singapore Sydney Washington DC

Sven Boermeester, Chairman with Lisa Durante, Managing Partner, GVP

www.gvpedia.com

Best of Belgium6

Best of Belgium Distribution Partners

Federal Government and Regional Export Organisations

Belgian Chambers of Commerce

Belgian Chambers of Commerce abroad

Hotels

Vlaamsnetwerk vanondernemingen

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Best of Belgium 7

BrusselsYou thought you knew it...

Foreword from the Brussels-Capital Region

Brussels will never cease to surprise you.

A national and European capital, it is

now giving itself the means to achieve its

ambitions and entering fully into the modern

world with an ambitious International

Development Plan.

Brussels is a major city on a human

scale, officially bilingual but in reality

polyglot. The Capital of Europe is a

crossroads of nationalities, a model of

welcome and diversity, and a byword for

dynamism and quality.

Its open socio-economic environment,

the high skill levels of its population, the

quality of its infrastructures, the wide range of

properties available, its quality of life and its

cultural richness have made Brussels one of

the most pleasant cities to live and work in.

Brussels is changing to meet the challenges

of a globalised city.

Brussels has just set itself an

International Development Plan, which

timetables the numerous actions to allow

Brussels to better satisfy the desires of its

inhabitants and visitors.

Alongside the creation of new housing,

businesses and offices, the International

Development Plan provides for the creation

of major infrastructures to help increase

the appeal of Brussels still further: a huge

conference centre, an expansive shopping

centre, a large concert hall (15,000 seats),

a multi-function stadium with 60,000 seats,

etc. Strategic locations such as the European

Quarter, the Heysel Plateau and the area

around Gare du Midi, the gateway to the

city, will be renovated in order to make them

highly attractive poles of development.

The International Development Plan

involves a major drive based around City

Marketing, in order to strengthen the

promotion of Brussels abroad so that the

world is aware of all the resources that

Brussels has to offer.

So, come and feel the pulse of tomorrow’s

Europe for yourself.

You will discover a warm city offering open

arms to the world, a city of creativity where

culture is found as much on the streets as in

prestigious museums.

A global city where everyone is at home.

Best of Belgium8

Foreword by Minister-PresidentKris Peeters, Flemish Government

Dear reader,

Flanders is the number two region in Europe

for foreign direct investment. This ranking was

reported in early 2008 by the Financial Times’

magazine-report on foreign direct investment.

No doubt this ranking is the result of a clear

vision on Flanders’ socio-economic future

and its commitment to take firm action. And

Flanders continues to create an increasing

number of opportunities for foreign investors.

Flanders is a prosperous region. Compared

to other nations worldwide, our education

system, health and welfare facilities, cultural

agenda and mobility and communication

infrastructure are of the highest quality. We

work hard to keep Flanders’ prosperity at

this high level in our rapidly changing world.

Flanders in Action - safeguarding the future

To cope adequately with future challenges, we

have launched ‘Flanders in Action’, a number

of coordinated socio-economic initiatives

that optimize Flanders’ key strengths. Within

this framework, we strive to maximize the

full potential of our already highly reputed

workforce. Its creative, innovative and

entrepreneurial mindset is essential to

Flanders’ future. We also look inward and

continue to upgrade the services that our

government administration has to offer. And

as an open-minded region, we stay on top

of new trends and new ideas from every

corner of our globalized world. Sustainability

is a focal point in all of our initiatives. This is

especially so for the further development of

our central, geographical position in Europe

and, more specifically, for our transport

connections with the European hinterland.

Flanders Port Area - streamlining

our gateways

Flanders is world-famous for its role as

a major gateway to Europe. Our region

holds no less than four seaports: Antwerp,

Zeebrugge, Ghent and Ostend. Each

of them plays a world-leading role in its

own specialist niche, from the chemical

industry to the transshipment of new cars,

the import of citrus fruit juices and much,

much more. Under the umbrella ‘Flanders

Port Area’, these ports have formed a

unique strategic alliance to cooperate. By

streamlining their operations, they increase

the efficiency of the services that are relied

upon by the many multinationals based in or

around these prime gateways to Europe.

Creating a business-friendly environment

Flanders aspires to create a business-

friendly environment for companies from

all industries and from all over the world.

Have a look at what Flanders’ knowledge-

based, innovation-driven economy has to

offer today. I’m confident you’ll be amazed

at how many different market segments

can be found in such a small territory.

Yours truly,

Kris Peeters

Minister-president of Flanders

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Best of Belgium 9

Foreword by Rudy Demotte, Minister-President of the Walloon GovernmentWallonia, a region to invest in!

In institutional terms, Wallonia is a federated

entity with very extensive powers and

autonomy, offering investors a remarkable

degree of proximity to its political

leaders, who are very acutely aware of

the importance of creating sustainable

businesses and business partners.

On top of all this, the people of Wallonia

are open and welcoming, living in a region

full of history, tradition and fine cuisine

where the preserved spaces are testament

to a living spirit of real warmth. Come and

(re)discover it for yourself!

Did you know that the number 1 in digital

cinema equipment is a Walloon company?

That the most amazing James Bond or

Harry Potter scenes were filmed using

flying cameras made in Liège? That the

voice technology used in the BMW Series

5 or the Mercedes Class S is produced

by a company in Mons? Perhaps you’re

unaware that 90% of the world market in

radioisotopes, used in medical diagnostics,

derives from a spin-off in Louvain-la-Neuve,

or that every second 35 doses of vaccines

are produced in Genval and distributed all

over the world. But perhaps you may have

heard that 95% of the slow-motion replays

at the Beijing Olympics will be provided by

a Walloon technology. We mention all of

these examples simply to let you know that

Wallonia is a region of success stories.

Wallonia is also a region that is very

open to the rest of the world, and one

whose appeal is internationally recognised.

Thus, an analysis conducted in March

2008 by the Economist Intelligence Unit

ranked Belgium in 5th place worldwide

for flows of direct foreign investment,

and in 2nd place in Europe. It concluded

that within Belgium, it is Wallonia that

offers foreign investors “the greatest

growth potential of the three regions”.

The foreign investment statistics speak

for themselves in this regard. And behind

the numbers, recent months have been

marked by some famous names: Baxter,

Johnson & Johnson, Google and Microsoft.

This popularity has not come about by

chance. Wallonia enjoys an exceptional

location, at the very heart of Europe

and on the intersection between its

three capitals: Brussels, Strasbourg and

Luxembourg. 65% of the European market

is within immediate reach, with 400 million

consumers capable of being reached in a

day. Against this background, Wallonia has

plenty of space to offer – 13,500 hectares

of new land currently being readied for

business and research – at prices that defy

competition (between 10 and 50 /m²).

All this territory is served by the densest

road networks in the world, along with

an expanding waterways system and

two thriving regional airports in Liège and

Charleroi (500,000 tonnes of freight and

more than 2.5 million passengers) with

exceptionally good accessibility.

Wallonia is also a very favourable

environment for business. In addition to the

fiscal measures taken at Belgian level, the

Walloon government has implemented an

intelligent tax system by doing away with all

regional, provincial and local taxes hindering

economic growth. There have also been

important measures to reduce inheritance

and gift taxes. The strength of our region

also lies in its citizens, who are well-trained

and deliver productivity above the European

average. There is a strong emphasis on

innovation, with 9 universities, 300 research

centres and some 11,000 researchers.

This research activity is closely linked with

business, as witnessed in particular by our

5 competitiveness clusters which provide

active networking in the domains where

we can stand out as a European or even a

world leader: life sciences, agro-industry,

mechanical engineering, transport/logistics,

and aeronautics and space technology.

Best of Belgium10

the city’s landmark 1958 World Fair

which launched Belgium’s capital onto

the world stage as a modern, highly

successful city and the capital of Europe.

The city celebrated in 2008 with year-

long events, exhibitions and festivities

which recalled an era of optimism,

scientific progress and peace.

Antwerp, Europe’s second-largest

port and a vital cog in Belgium’s highly

integrated transportation infrastructure,

grew by an impressive 10% in 2007,

processing 182 million tonnes of freight

from almost 17,000 cargo ships. The

city is also the world’s diamond capital,

handling more than 50% of the world’s

rough and cut diamonds. The Antwerp

diamond sector had an annual turnover

of $39 billion in 2007 and diamond sales

accounted for 8% of Belgian exports.

In Liège, the economic and cultural

centre of Wallonia, the new railway

station designed by architect Santiago

Calatrava, is nearing completion.

This monumental piece of modern

architecture is made of steel, glass and

white concrete and is characterised by a

huge flowing vault 200 meters long and

35 meters high.

Politically the period 2007 to 2008 has

been one of uncertainty at the federal

level following the June 2007 elections

while Belgium’s three regions — the

Brussels Capital Region, Flanders and

Wallonia — continue to prosper in an

environment of regional stability and

autonomy. Current prime-minister Yves

Leterme’s government has the difficult

task of negotiating constitutional reforms

to devolve more powers to Belgium’s

regions.

In the Arts, acclaimed Belgian visual

artist Jan De Cock showcased his work

at New York’s Museum of Modern Art

(MoMA) in 2008 while Luc Tuymans

continues his influence as one of the

most significant painters working today.

A number of Arts festivals in Flanders,

Wallonie and Brussels showcased

world-class performers in classical and

contemporary music, dance and theatre.

Belgium’s internationally sought-after

dance companies such as Rosas, the

Royal Ballet of Flanders and Charleroi /

Danses impressed audiences with their

quality, originality and creative genius.

The International Film Festival Ghent, the

Brussels-based Kunstenfestivaldesarts

and off course the Queen Elizabeth

Competition for Music were notable

highlights of the Arts calendar. And

Belgium has a vibrant, stable and

diversified economy with growth rates

consistently above the European

average, strong corporate investment

and vigorous export performance

despite the recent global economic

slowdown. In 2007 the country posted

GDP growth of 2.8% in comparison

to the Euro zone average of 2.6%.

Corporate investment increased by

5% and exports rose 3.8% annually

to 236 billion. The leading export

sector was chemicals while iron and

steel exports, machinery, automobiles,

diamonds and specialty foods, notably

chocolate and beer, performed strongly.

Unemployment dropped by 9.5% in

2007 as the economy created 74,000

new jobs, thanks largely to the country’s

burgeoning small and medium-sized

enterprises (SMEs).

Belgium’s top companies continued

to set the standard in 2008. Europe’s

premier brewer InBev announced that

it and U.S. brewery giant Anheuser-

Busch have agreed to merge, which

will form the world’s largest brewer

by volume with the world’s leading

beer brands such as Budweiser, Stella

Artois and Beck’s. Chemicals, plastics

and pharmaceuticals leader Solvay

posted record company results for the

fourth year running while Bekaert, a

global leader in steel cord manufacture,

expanded its steel investments in

China. Belgium’s top construction

company has nearly finished building

the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Dubai,

while Belgian dredging companies are

involved in building whole islands in

the Middle East. Belgium’s numerous

niche companies are applying advanced

technology in cooperation with local

universities and research institutes.

Companies like LMS International,

ICOS Vision Systems and EVS have

become absolute leaders in their fields.

In biotech, the Flanders Institute of

Biotechnology is powering ahead—

especially in agro biotech, Belgian

scientists and companies are world

leaders.

Brussels, Europe’s capital and

the headquarters of all the main EU

institutions as well the European base

of hundreds of multinational companies,

was rated the most productive

metropolitan region in Europe with the

2nd highest GDP per capita (behind

Luxembourg). This year Brussels also

celebrated the 50th anniversary of

Taking a closer look at the best of Belgian achievementsBelgian achievements in 2007 and 2008 in a range of different areas —

the economy, the arts, industry, fashion, hospitality, specialty foods, science and

technology and more — provide examples of best practice from the heart of Europe.

at the international theatre festival in

Avignon, Belgian performers were the

talk of the town.

In Sport, Belgian tennis champion

Justine Henin became the first reigning

World No 1 to retire from professional

tennis while holding the world’s top

ranking. In football, Belgium has

expressed interest in a joint bid to

host the 2018 Fifa World Cup with the

Netherlands.

Welcome to Belgium!

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Best of Belgium16

Fast Facts Belgium©

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Capital city

Brussels

Area

30,528 sq km

Government

Federal constitutional monarchy and

bicameral parliamentary democracy

Population

10,5 million

Time Zone

CET (Central European Time)

Current GDP growth

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Best of Belgium 17

Exchange Rate

One US$ = 1.58 (July 17th 2008)

Country Dialing Code

+32

Internet domain

.be

Geography

Belgium has three main geographical regions:

the coastal plain in the north-west (polders at

or below sea level), the central plateau (fertile

smooth valleys), and the Ardennes uplands

(forested plateau) in the south-east. Belgium

shares borders with France, Germany,

Luxembourg, and Netherlands.

Climate

The climate is maritime temperate, with

significant precipitation in all seasons

Banks and foreign exchange

Belgium’s financial institutions are world-

class, with no shortage of banks, bureaux de

change and automatic tellers.

Credit cards and cash

All major credit cards can be used in

Belgium, with American Express and

Diners Club enjoying less universal

acceptance than MasterCard and

Visa. Smaller retailers, restaurants and

bars typically accept cash only.

Telecommunications

Belgium has a highly developed,

technologically advanced communications

infrastructure. The main fixed-line operators

have made rapid progress building their ‘Next

Generation’ networks (i.e. high-bandwidth

IP network for voice, data, video, TV). There

are three mobile phone service providers

with national coverage. Broadband internet

penetration is close to 20% of households.

International Institutions and Embassies

Brussels is home to the European

Commission, NATO and a range of other

international organizations. As such, Brussels

is a major diplomatic center, with most major

countries not only being represented by

embassies but also by diplomatic missions to

the EU.

Medical facilities

Belgium is recognized for its world-class

medical expertise and facilities.

Inflation

3,64% (est. 02/2008)

Official languages

Dutch (approx. 60% of the population)

French (approx. 40% of the population)

German (<1% of the population)

Religion

Traditionally the vast majority of the Belgian

population is Roman Catholic but less than

8% practice. Close to 30% of the population

consider themselves agnostic. Islam is an

important religion (approx. 4%). Also there

are small minorities of Protestants and Jews.

Currency

EURO

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