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'Belgium, world champion for chemicals and plastics'.

Several stakeholders, including the government and interested companies, launched a campaign to promote the Belgian chemical and plastics processing cluster among foreign investors. The project is called "Belgium, a world champion for chemicals and plastics today and tomorrow". The creation of working groups, aiming at enhancing the investment climate in the chemistry sector, forms part of it. The campaign will be clarified during trade missions, the World Economic Forum in Davos and the World Expo in Shanghai.

Forming part of a globalized sector, the Belgian chemical industry has also been deeply affected by the worldwide economic crisis since the end of last year. In the first half of 2009, the turnover of this sector in Belgium decreased by 25% compared to the same period in 2008. The crisis seems to have reached the bottom and there are signs of a mild economic recovery. However, a quick return to a ‘business as usual' scenario is ruled out in the short term. Moreover, worldwide competition in the sector gets tougher, especially for commodities from the Middle East. 

The parties involved are nevertheless convinced of a future with strong chemical clusters in Europe, and Belgium holds an attractive position in that respect with the second largest cluster after Houston. With a view to a sustainable establishment of the chemical industry in Belgium, however, a number of difficulties have to be resolved. Five thematic working groups will be working on that in the coming six months. They will focus on 1) innovation and simplification, 2) energy and climate, 3) logistics, 4) fiscal matters and 5) labour market. On the basis of concrete subjects, the working groups will be looking for solutions to reinforce the investment climate and competitiveness in the sector, which should favour employment. At the end of June, these solutions will be collected into a plan of action which will include the strategy and measures for its realization. For more information, click here

December 2009