Wallonia | Business environment | Industrial potential
a rich intellectual heritage
When it comes to asserting itself on the global market for industrial skills and innovation, Wallonia has long relied on the wealth of its intellectual heritage. Drawing on several centuries of education, the region now provides 130 higher level institutions and 9 university centres.
The region has a worldwide reputation for its capacity to innovate and for the quality of its research, often rewarded by scientific Nobel Prizes (Jules Bordet, Albert Claude and Christian de Duve). Strengthened by a rich fabric of diverse industries, which comprises 65,000 SMEs in numerous traditional and technology-based sectors with a strong international focus, Wallonia is very favourably positioned at the very heart of the larger European market for industries and services.
industrial potential focused on the future
As the birthplace of the industrial revolution on continental Europe, Wallonia has experienced intense industrial activity for as long as one can remember. Over the years, Wallonia's industries were led by inventive industrial geniuses who have left their name to major industrial concerns such as Cockerill and de Geer (steelworks), Solvay (chemistry), Gramme (electricity), Jadot, Empain, and Nagelmackers (rail networks). The region's knowledge and expertise has always found its way to the four corners of the industrial world.
Clearly pursuing the same path today, Wallonia now plays a leading role in the major cutting-edge technology sectors.
65,000 innovative, flexible and creative SMEs all contribute to this ongoing challenge.
Modern and efficient traditional sectors
The economic centres of gravity of Wallonia, Liège, Charleroi and Wavre all testify to this longstanding industrial heritage. Steelworks, structural steelworks, cutting-edge electro mechanics, chemicals and glassware are the foundation stones of Wallonia’s prosperity. Equipped with modern, high-performance tools, these sectors have greatly diversified their product range, and a number of these sectors are now global leaders in their category.
University-business links - a fruitful cooperation
The wealth of expertise available within Wallonia's universities offers companies located within the region exceptional potential in terms of high-quality research and development. Liège and Namur are particularly specialised in telecoms, IT and software development, as well as in new composite materials and aeronautics. The Liège Space Centre, which started out on the Sart-Tilman university campus (Liège university) is actively involved in the European space project Ariane, and is a partner of NASA.
AMOS - located within the Sart Tilman science park - has developed globally-recognised expertise in optical instruments, where it equips the largest international astronomical observatories, and in on-board spatial instruments.
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Through its contributions to the various Airbus programmes, Charleroi has played an active role in the development of the European aeronautics industry. It is also achieved international standing for both its graphics industry, thanks to the famous cartoon characters Spirou and Largo Winch, and for the role it plays in the petrochemicals industry (Atofina-Felui). Recently, it has experienced sharp growth in the biotechnology and multimedia sectors, while Mons and its university specialise in neo-ceramics and digital imaging.
The Louvain-la-Neuve science park and university (UCL) have completely transformed the Brabant Wallon region into a globally recognised business incubator. Major, international pharmaceutical companies - such as GlaxoSmithKline, Elli Lilly and Pfizer - have chosen to base their research centres in the area. Ion Beam Application, a global leader in the development of cyclotrons for cancer treatments, is also based in the area.
Crealys science park, which is linked to the University of Namur and the Agricultural science faculty of the University of Gembloux, groups together a whole raft of companies specialising in plant biotechnology and agribusiness. At the crossroads between Germany, France and Luxemburg,
southern Wallonia also hosts many international companies specialising in the pulping industry (Brugo Ardennes), colour masterbatches (Ampacet), petrochemical research (Mobile Plastics), and the food industry (Ferrero).
centres of excellence right across wallonia
- Namur and its expertise in the IT and telecom sector
- Gembloux and its agronomic and cutting-edge agribusiness technologies
- Liège and its space centre
- Charleroi, specialising in aeronautics, graphic arts and life sciences
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Mons, leading the field of information technologies and new materials
- Seneffe and the Feluy triangle for its expertise in petrochemistry
- Louvain-La-Neuve and its advances in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors
- Arlon and Bastogne, environmental areas of excellence.
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