Wallonia | Business opportunities| Transport and logistics

logistics hub

For many years, Wallonia has served as a gateway to Europe thanks to its exceptional geographical position and its central location right at the heart of continental Europe. Extending over an area of 16,844 km2, Wallonia shares its borders with four European countries: Germany, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and is also close to the United Kingdom.

For companies, this has specific consequences in terms of the market. More than 60% of the purchasing power of the European union (which amounts to almost 420 million consumers) is concentrated within a radius of 500 kilometres of Brussels.

Cities such as Paris, Frankfurt, London and Amsterdam can all be accessed within a 300 kilometre radius. This results in shorter delivery times, reduced transport costs, and optimised logistics management!

quality transport infrastructure

Belgium is renowned for the geographic density of its transport networks. In terms of the density of its rail network, it is the leading country in Europe (with 111.7 km/1000 km²), ahead of Germany and Luxembourg and well ahead of the European union average (47.5km/1000 km²). There are 134 private rail connections in Wallonia and 150 km of high-speed track.

With a motorway density of 55.1 km/1000 km², Wallonia is ranked second in Europe just behind the Netherlands and ahead of Luxembourg and Germany. Toll-free and lit up at night for security reasons, the motorway network has continued to expand over the last ten years and now extends to almost 900 kilometres. Seven different motorways criss-cross Wallonia linking up its big cities with Brussels, Flanders and neighbouring countries.

There is also an impressive network of navigable inland waterways. This dense network spans 1,529 km and connects up with major European river basins (the Rhine, Meuse, Rhône and Escaut). The network extends to just over 450 km and directly links the region with the major European ports (Anvers, Hamburg, Le Havre, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge).

The opening of barge lifts at Strépy-Thieu in September 2002, the largest structure of this type in the world, added a new link to Wallonia's inland waterway network. Capable of carrying vessels of up to 1,350 tonnes, this addition has opened up access to Dunkerque, the ninth largest port in Europe. In terms of air travel, there are a number of airports in Wallonia, most of which are served by international companies.

Liège airport is located at the centre of the Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt triangle. Accessible 24/7, Liège is the first airport in Europe to have focused its development strategy on the transport of commercial goods. Over the past number of years, the tonnage handled by the airport has seen a sharp increase and it is now ranked eighth in Europe.

Located within the airport technology park at Gosselies and extending over 200 hectares, Charleroi airport focuses on commercial passenger travel and regular flights such as charters. The airport is also used as a base for trials carried out by aeronautic companies located in the area. In anticipation of the growth expected over the coming years, the Société Wallonne des Aéroports (Wallonia airport company) have laid the foundations for a new terminal that will be capable of receiving 3 million passengers per year from 2007.

Wallonia also offers six multimodal logistics platforms, making it easier to connect up with your chosen mode of transport: Dry port of Mouscron-Lille, Garocentre (Mons), Charleroi, Liège, Athus and Centre-Ardennes.

workforce and training

Another key advantage: Wallonia offers a highly qualified, available workforce (highly productive and experienced in foreign languages). Thanks to numerous training bodies, be it schools or universities, the level of education in Wallonia is second to none. There is an abundance of transport and logistics training courses available in the Wallonia region.

Alongside university and interuniversity study programmes, higher vocational courses, improvement courses and private initiatives, the advantage of the approach taken by the centres of excellence associated with the Forem Formation Logistique (logistics training forum) is that it is entirely dedicated to occupations in the logistics sector. There are two centres of this type in the region: Liège and La Louvière.

Availability of commercial SITES and buildings at competitive rates

In terms of infrastructure, there is an extensive range of commercial sites and premises available to industrialists. Thanks to its reduced rental charges, Belgium, and specifically Wallonia, is very competitive when its comes to logistics properties.

area of competitiveness - transport and logistics

Because of the inherent advantages enjoyed by the Wallonia region in the transport and logistics sector, the Wallonia government has identified transport and logistics as a new area of competitiveness.

This new area of competitiveness was officially announced in February 2006. The ambitious objectives of the Transport and Logistics (T&L) area of competitiveness form part of the wider objective set by Wallonia to become a leading region in the value-added high quality logistics industry, that is recognised and valued by Belgian companies and international companies for its services, multimodal infrastructures, expertise, business environment and legal and fiscal context.

CASE STUDIES

"A number of years ago, Farnell InOne set up business at the site of Liège Logistics at Bierset. Today, Farnell InOne's European distribution centre dispatches almost three thousand orders every day (mechanical parts, electric components, electronic components etc.) to Germany, France, Austria, the Benelux countries, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. The decision to locate the operation at Liège was therefore a strategic one based on its proximity to the motorway network and to France, Germany and the Netherlands. Today, the company employs 130 people . " Patrick Bellestero (Distribution centre manager).

"The efforts deployed by the Wallonia Region, its central location in Europe, its proximity to airports and other transport infrastructures as well as the possibility of a partnership with TNT Logistics were all critical factors in determining the outcome of this important investment decision. We will continue to expand our presence in Europe over the coming years, and this European distribution centre will certainly play an important role in this expansion", Dr Guy Lebeau, Group Chairman de Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics.