2016 a cracking investment year for Flanders

In 2016 we were able to record 198 new investment projects in Flanders for investments amounting to 1.87 billion euros. At the same time, with the creation of 4,260 new jobs, employment stayed was on par with the high levels of 2013, 2014 and 2015. “The last of these was an exceptionally good one,” said Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “However, 2016 is still doing better than 2013 and 2014, themselves robust years.”

“The March 22 attacks have undeniably had an impact on the number of investments in the first half of last year,” Geert Bourgeois remarks. “That fall is above all due to the decrease in American investments. However, in the second half of the year you once again see an acceleration in investment projects. As a result we can look back on quite a sizeable investment year, despite the unfavourable geopolitical developments and a socially and economically turbulent first semester.” In the last ten years Flanders has attracted a total of 1,867 projects, good for an investment amount of some 22.07 billion euros and 40,787 new jobs.

Top priority: internationalisation

Also in Davos, Minister-President Geert Bourgeois continues to defend our open economy: “The internationalisation of the Flemish economy is a top priority for this government. We live off international trade and investments: one in six jobs in Flanders depends on export. I also note during international liaisons here that potential investors are interested in the business-friendly measures of both the Flemish and the federal governments, such as the reduction of labour costs. However, people are also well aware of the advantages that Flanders has to offer: not only our central location, but also our well-trained and motivated labour force, our superb research institutes and the top level of our education.”