Belgium has made the most of its geographical advantage and has become one of the world’s major logistics hubs, thanks to a dense motorway, rail, river and airport network. A key hub of Belgium’s intermodal logistics connection system is the port of Antwerp, ranked 2nd, after Rotterdam, in Europe.
In addition to traditional sectors (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, heavy industry and automotive), logistics, ICT, biotechnology and renewable energies are driving Belgium into the globalised economy of the 21st century.
The country is among the most attractive, globalised and fiscally attractive in the Eurozone, thanks to legislative measures that favour entrepreneurship and taxation for companies, such as deductions and exemptions for R&D investments.
Numerous science parks – often in close proximity to major university centres – are open to high-tech companies, including foreign ones, whose activities focus on R&D.
For further information on Belgium’s economy and doing business in the country, resources such as:
- Italy’s Economic Observatory – page on Belgium, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (providing statistical data on trade and foreign direct investment)
- infoMercatiEsteri – page on Belgium, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (offering economic and political outlook, market opportunities, potential partnerships with local or Italian companies, promotional initiatives, trade barriers, investment challenges and risks, access to credit, and an overview of Italian presence and bilateral relations)
- Belgium.be – page on the economy, by the Belgian Federal Government