Belgium’s state of Flanders saw a nearly 23 percent increase in inward investment in 2019, with the US being the largest investor, Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) and Flemish press reported today.
The surge of $5.2 billion Euros ($5.74 billion) came from 258 different projects and created 5,384 jobs in the region. Flanders is a state of about 6.6 million people in the northern portion of Belgium, which has a population of 11.4 million.
The biggest surge came in the chemical industry, and nearly 56% of all projects were greenfield projects, FIT said.
The US lead investors with 45 projects, followed by The Netherlands with 40 and the UK with 28.
“These figures indicate that, despite the worldwide slowdown in economic growth and increasing trade tensions, Flanders remains a highly attractive destination for international investors,” said FIT CEO Claire Tillekaerts.
For more information, see FIT’s press release here.