Flanders is one of the three independently governed regions of Belgium, which consistently ranks as one the world’s most globalized economies according to the KOF Index of Globalization. The capital of both Belgium and Flanders is Brussels, home to NATO, the EU and other major public and private international decision-making centers.
The majority of Europe’s purchasing power is located within a 500-kilometer radius of Flanders. This means that Europe’s main markets can be reached in less than 24 hours.
Flanders is centrally located within this megalopolis – stretching from Greater London to the Netherlands, Belgium, and parts of Germany and France. As such, the region ensures smooth access to one of the world’s highest concentrations of people, money and industries.
To top it all off, Flanders is a great place for setting up logistics activities, essential to tap into this vast market potential. To put this into perspective: despite its small area of 13,522 km², Flanders has over 650 European distribution centers (EDCs) according to competitive analysis published by Flanders’ Mobility Department in 2017.
The central location of Flanders is a key performance indicator for its competitiveness. As such, the region is situated in the middle of the European market for our products.
Not only does Flanders boast 4 international seaports and 3 international airports, it also has the world’s densest road network and extremely well-connected railroad and inland waterway networks. The highways of Flanders link to those of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and those of the UK via ferry links or the Channel Tunnel. As a result, logistics companies and distribution centers are able to transport goods from Flanders to most major European markets within 24 hours by road.
Flanders’ ports are among the best in the world. They score particularly high on accessibility and low on traffic congestion, with short lead times between the port and the customer.
| Ranking | Country | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Singapore | 90.8 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 90.8 |
| 3 | Finland | 89.6 |
| 4 | Hong Kong | 87.9 |
| 5 | Japan | 80.1 |
| 6 | Denmark | 79.4 |
| 79 | Panama | 78.3 |
| 8 | Estonia | 76.1 |
| 9 | Belgium (Flanders) | 76.0 |
| 10 | USA | 75.9 |
Source: World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report, 2019
In short, this is why you should invest near a port of Flanders:
Being roughly the same size as the county of Yorkshire, Flanders is not only an easy place to travel around by car or public transport. The small region also boasts four international airports, easily connecting your business to the rest of the world in no time.
