Flanders

Chemical Region
Flanders

The chemical industry in Flanders

With more than 60,000 employees, a quarter of the turnover, a third of exports and a third of added value, the chemical and life sciences are one of the most important branches of industry in Flanders. Moreover, the sector accounts for around half of all industrial spending on research and development (R&D) and 30% of industrial investments.
Employees

62.000 direct jobs
Companies

450
Turnover

47.8 billion euro
23.4% of the manufactoring industry in Flanders
Added value

14.4 billion euro
35% of the manufacturing industry in Flanders
Export

103.5 billion euro
31.5% of total Flemish export
Investments

1.5 billion euro
30% of industrial investments in Flanders
R&D

2billion euro
half of industrial spending on R&D

Chemicals, plastics and life sciences companies (pharmaceuticals and biotech) are present in all Flemish provinces. The port of Antwerp accommodates the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe and one of the largest in the world. Twelve of the fifteen largest chemical companies in the world have a production site there. Other chemical companies are mainly located in the Ghent canal zone and along the Albert Canal.

The provinces of West Flanders and Limburg have a strong concentration of plastics processing companies. In addition to a large number of SMEs, an important number of international headquarters and R&D centres are located in Brussels and Flemish Brabant. The pharmaceutical sector is particularly strongly represented in the province of Antwerp, both in the Kempen and in the Puurs region, while the biotech is concentrated in the Ghent, Leuven and Mechelen triangle.

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