Press release 7 Jun 2021 Diegem, BE Belgium holds on to its position in the top 5 of European countries that attract the most foreign investments Press contact Christophe Ballegeer email phone LinkedIn Related topics Attractiveness Global trade Digital Cleantech & industrial hightech seen as engine for Belgian economy Despite the turbulence caused by the pandemic, Belgium maintained its fifth position in the ranking of European countries for foreign direct investment (FDI). That is the main conclusion of the Belgian Attractiveness Survey, an annual study conducted by EY that gauges the attractiveness of Belgium as a location for investment. There is cause for vigilance, though, as Belgium lags the average European prospects for recovery. There are green shoots in the sector of cleantech and industrial high-tech, while targeted efforts to increase its digital skills can further elevate the attractiveness of our country as investment location. It is no surprise that the corona crisis had an impact on the number of investment projects in Belgium in 2020. With a drop of 15%, our country performed only slightly weaker than the European average of a 13% drop. All in all, Belgium recorded 227 projects, which generated 5,098 jobs in 2020. Zooming in on the regions, Flanders showed the biggest resilience, while Wallonia fell back from the record numbers it posted in 2019. COVID-19 will also claim a major role in 2021, but more likely in a positive sense. It appears that investment plans were merely delayed and not cancelled last year. This is reflected by the fact that 66% of respondents replied positively when asked if they had plans to establish or expand operations in Belgium in the coming year, compared to 10% last year. The UK, in a post-Brexit reality, maintained its level of investment projects in Belgium. Because other big investors like the USA and France drastically scaled back the number of projects, the country became Belgium’s most important investor. China, meanwhile, almost doubled its investment projects in our country. Belgium needs to be mindful of its future potential for investors. While our country still has a number of important advantages, countries like Spain and Italy are rapidly on the rise in our attractiveness study. The main risk for our country is now the level and complexity of the taxation system, which overtook the cost of labor as the main concern for investors. That labor force, though still considered an asset for Belgium, has one particular field where there is room for improvement: invest further in specific digital skills. There lies both a threat and an opportunity in this, as those same investors highlighted the digital economy as a growth engine for Belgium. But to give that engine the fuel it needs, improvements need to be made in the fields of AI, robotics, big data and analytics and cybersecurity. But no sector is more important for Belgium’s future growth than cleantech & industrial high-tech. This trend became apparent last year, when a third of respondents highlighted these industries as a major growth prospect. In this year’s study, it simply tops the list of important sectors to drive FDI in Belgium. Obviously the EU Green Deal plays a big part in this, but the general quest for carbon neutral and otherwise sustainable technologies and business models has become an unstoppable force. This does not mean, however, that this is the only sector with an investment dynamic. Last year, pharmaceuticals rose considerably in the ranking of sectors that drove investments, in large part for obvious, corona-related reasons. And logistics remains an important sector for our country: it claimed the top position last year in terms of job creation. “Belgium still holds many assets that are appreciated by foreign investors”, comments Tristan Dhondt, partner at EY Belgium. “But the last thing we need is complacency. Belgium has to defend its reputation as a trade hub, which should be able to attract more investments.” “If we take the lessons from this report and use them right, we can create the opportunities for future growth”, adds Patrick Rottiers, CEO of EY Belgium. “The fact that investors emphasize the importance of skills in the field of AI and robotics, while at the same time pointing to digital economy as one of the top sectors to drive future Belgian growth, is just one example of signals that shouldn’t be ignored.” With all this in mind, EY has the following recommendations for all relevant stakeholders: Focus on investors that are already present We must keep giving attention to companies that already established activities in Belgium, that are confronted with political and regulatory instability and diminishing mobility. An important step is, without a doubt, a simplification of all procedures and the creation of a stable social climate and a robust legal and fiscal investment framework. Lowering the corporate tax rate to 20% Though the first tax shift already lowered the corporate tax rate to a more acceptable 25%, the global tax rate remains an important obstacle for drawing in new investments. Our advice is to lower the corporate tax rate to 20%. Investing in digital skills Digital skills have long been on the list of priorities for countries that wish to attract foreign investments. The new role technology has acquired as a result of COVID-19 – digital customer experiences, ‘phygital’ work environments and more automated production lines and back offices – makes this an absolute necessity. Focus on cleantech and industrial hightech Belgium has a real chance to become a major player in the cleantech industry. This can be achieved by focusing on a dynamic ecosystem of technology and cleantech companies, by simplifying tax measures and by incentivizing the adoption of new technologies. The detailed recommendations can be found in the full report: www.ey.com/be/attractiveness -End of press release- About the Belgian Attractiveness Survey The EY attractiveness surveys analyses the attractiveness of a particular region or country as an investment destination. The surveys are designed to help businesses make investment decisions and governments remove barriers to growth. A two-step methodology analyses both the reality and perception of FDI in the country or region. The evaluation of the reality of FDI in Europe is based on the EY European Investment Monitor (EIM), the proprietary EY database, produced in collaboration with OCO. The field research was conducted by EuroMoney in March of 2021 through online interviews, based on a representative panel of 206 international decision-makers, both inside (69%) and outside (31%) of Belgium. Read full the full report on www.ey.com/be/attractiveness About EY EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. 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