Flemish Industry Forum aims to make Flanders into a leading European industrial region

On Friday 18 September 2020, the first meeting of the Flemish Industry Forum took place in the offices of Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon. Besides Jan Jambon, who presided over the meeting, and co-chair Minister Hilde Crevits, Ministers Bart Somers, Ben Weyts and Zuhal Demir as well as representatives of the four most important industry federations (Agoria, essenscia, Fedustria and Fevia) also took part. The launch meeting had been scheduled to take place back on 13 March 2020 but was cancelled at the last minute due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.

Encourage interaction

The aim of the brand-new Flemish Industry Forum is to encourage interaction between the Flemish Government and the industry federations to give Flemish industry every opportunity for the future. The creation of this Industry Forum, which will from now on meet twice a year, was already included in the Flemish coalition agreement.

Flanders at the forefront

“This initiative therefore goes much further and deeper and is more structural than the acute approach to the COVID crisis, although a structural recovery will of course be and continue to be an important theme after the COVID crisis,” said Minister-President Jan Jambon. “Flanders sets the bar high, both economically and socially, and we aim to be among the best in Europe. The industrial sector is particularly important for our Flemish prosperity and is a powerful driving force for the growth of our economy.”