Flanders is a smart student for investments

In the media you always hear a cloud burst of negative news about the Flemish economy. A lot of employees lost their job, enterprises went bankrupt, but there is also good news.

Every year fDi Magazine publish a list of the best 25 European cities and regions of the future. The lists are based on an independent data collection with more than 200 cities en 140 regions. FDi take into account next categories: economic potential, cost effectiveness, infrastructure, human resources, quality of life, business friendliness and FDI promotion strategy.

The most attractive regions for foreign investors are Southeast England, Ile-de-France and Nordrhein-Westfalen. Flanders was in 2008 on the second place, but tumbled to the seventh place in 2009. The Brussels Capital Region is on the 16th place and Wallonia is even not in the top-25.

There is also good news, of all European regions, Flanders is using the best strategy while recruiting foreign investors.
The Belgian regions are really doing well, because Brussels is second in this category and Wallonia 6th.
For this category fDi has taken into account the promotion and escort of investors, incentives or infrastructure projects.

I think that it is a good sign that the Belgian regions are doing well in the category of the best strategy. It shows that Belgium is really interested to attract foreign investors and take care of the future.

But it is also disappointing that in the general list Flanders is dropped from the second to the 7th place. At my opinion the financial crises is a very important factor, together with the political problems and the high tax pressure.

But after rain comes sunshine, the economy will resume and when Belgium keeps using their effective promotion strategy, they will once again become very attractive for foreign investors.

Benny De Meyer, 2FV4

Sources:

Metro Monday 22 February 2010

http://www.fdimagazine.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/3234/European_Cities___Regions_of_the_Future_2010_11.html