The green economy

Mindful of the issues associated with global warming, the green economy is both an environmental and an economic priority for Belgium.

Accordingly, the country’s various public authorities are awarding various types of aid to companies, including allowances, subsidies and tax breaks, for investments and R&D that are designed to ease the burden on the environment. In addition to such aid, Belgium’s three Regions have reoriented their economies towards sustainable development.

Over the past 10 years, the number of companies active in the environmental industry in Belgium has increased by 44%. At the same time, the turnover of this sector has risen by 22%, and the number of jobs has soared by 40%. In 2005, there were 77,000 people employed in this sector.

A new centre of competitiveness for Wallonia

The Walloon government decided to devote a new ‘centre of competitiveness’ to new environmental technologies. Wallonia is deploying all its economic tools to seize this opportunity, focussing in particular on starts-ups, spin-offs, very small enterprises (VSEs) and SMEs in industries in the environmental sector and also on training in professions within these areas of activity. In addition, green clusters (Eco Construction, Cap 2020, Tweed and Waste) are already active in Wallonia.

Brussels too

The Brussels-Capital Region also has an environmental technology centre, which provides Brussels-based companies with assistance on all aspects of environmental protection, ranging from air, water and soil purification to biotechnology and training.

BrusselsGreenTech

Flanders

Flanders has also been endeavouring to green its economy. Back in 2005 it launched a competence centre, dubbed the Environmental and Energy Technology Innovation Platform (MIP), devoted to environmental and energy technology.

MIP (in Dutch)