WWW.WALLONIA-INTERNATIONAL.BE

1. Wallonia Foreign Trade and Investment Agency Structure, missions and results Philippe Suinen, CEO AWEX May 2011 WWW.WALLONIA-INTERNATIONAL.BE

2. CONTENTS • Wallonia’s institutional context • AWEX : key figures and structure • Economic and Commercial Attachés • The partnership approach • Support for exports • Attracting foreign investments • Recent activities and results

3. 1. Wallonia’s institutional context • Belgium : A federal state with 3 regions holding significant competencies • Walloon Region • Population : 3.4 millions (32% of country) • Capital : Namur • Main cities : Liège, Charleroi, Mons, Nivelles, Tournai, Arlon, Wavre, Verviers • Flemish Region (58% of the Belgian population : 6.1 million inhabitants) • Brussels-Capital Region (10% of the Belgian population : 1.0 million inhabitants)

4. WALLONIA : A REGION IN THE VERY HEART OF EUROPE 300 million consumers in a radius of 1.000 km(60% of the European market)

5. 2. AWEX : key figures and structure • Agency of the Walloon Region of Belgium in charge of promoting foreign trade and attracting foreign investment (created in 1998) • Headquarters in Brussels (foreign trade) and Namur (foreign investment) • 7 regional centres in Wallonia • Worldwide network of 107 economic and commercial representatives • 450 employees (210 of which abroad) • Budget 2011 : € 80 million • Certified ISO 9001 since 2002

6. A structure based on 3 pillars • Central services (Brussels and Namur) • GENERAL MANAGEMENT • EVALUATION AND STRATEGY • GEOGRAPHICAL DEPARTMENTS • PROMOTION OF THE AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY • EU LOBBYING (MEWE) • FINANCIAL INCENTIVES • COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES • DOCUMENTATION CENTRE

7. A structure based on 3 pillars • Regional centres (7) • Local advisory branches for Walloon firms : • Contact points for information demands • Help with the introduction of requests and the follow-up of financial incentive demands • Interface between the central services and the international network of economic and commercial attachés • Organisation of Business Days : individual meetings in Wallonia between firms and economic and commercial attachés • Updating of the database on Walloon exporters • After-sales and follow-up services with exporters and foreign investors

8. A structure based on 3 pillars • International network of 107 Economic and Commercial Attachés in partnership with Flanders Investment & Trade and Bruxelles Export • 81 run by AWEX (of which 34 are shared with FIT and Bruxelles Export) • 12 in partnership with FIT • 14 in partnership with Bruxelles Export • 3 ‘foreign investment’ prospectors (Tokyo, Shanghai, Chicago)

10. 3. Economic and Commercial Attachés • Missions and functions : • Representation within the local business environment of the economic and commercial interests of Wallonia • Promotion of the Walloon export potential (companies, products and know-how) • Market exploration and commercial assistance • Dissemination of information to Walloon companies • Attraction of foreign investors to the Walloon region (priority for 45 posts)

11. Economic and Commercial Attachés • Budget : € 18 millions • 1 euro invested in the international network generates 2.200 euros of exports • Synthesis of activities in 2010 • Total number of dossiers treated : 16.152 • Walloon firms concerned : 10.923 • Business Days in Wallonia : 379 • Walloon firms concerned : 2.245

12. Belgian Regions (Flanders and Brussels) Federal public services (foreign affairs, economy finance) Wallonia Brussels International Intermunicipal development agencies Private sector consultants Regional public services (economy, research, employment) Federations and trade associations Competitiveness clusters Banks Foreign Chambers of Commerce Real estate agencies Regional investment agencies (SRIW, SOWALFIN) Charter of Walloon operators Local investment agencies (Invests) Embassies and Consulates Universities Science parcs 4. THE “PARTNERSHIP” APPROACH

13. 5. SUPPORT FOR EXPORTS • INFORM • PROMOTE AND EXPLORE • TRAIN • FINANCE

14. INFORM • General and commercial information on foreign markets • Market studies tailored to specific demands • Seminars on commercial and cultural approaches to specific markets • Communication of business opportunities, international tenders and information on projects financed by international organisations

15. PROMOTE AND EXPLORE • Wide-ranging annual export action plan • On average : 170 international commercial actions and 2,000 participating firms per year • International trade fairs, economic missions, sector-based contact days abroad, invitations of foreign prospects and buyers in Belgium • Aim : to offer Walloon companies of all sizes and from all sectors a wide range of international actions

16. TRAIN • Business executives : improvement of international trade techniques, language skills and cultural approaches to foreign negotiations • Students and young graduates :EXPLORT programme • Provides youth with intensive training in international trade • Offers a first professional experience abroad through market exploration assignments performed for exporting companies • Focuses on the development of intercultural dimensions and language skills

17. FINANCE • Various financial incentive mechanisms designed to help companies at all stages of their export process (4,367 granted in 2010) • Development of export strategies • Training and recruitment of personnel • Marketing and communication material • Market exploration (trade fairs, missions, buyers invitations, market studies, etc.) • Training of clients • Establishment of commercial offices abroad • Development of international partnerships • Risk coverage, financing and insurance of exports (SOFINEX)

18. FINANCE • SOFINEX : Walloon society for financing exports and the internationalisation of businesses (115 beneficiaries in 2010) • Trust Funds with international organisations for technical assistance and feasibility studies regarding private-sector projects in developing and emerging countries • Financial tools for export promotion : bilateral credit lines, funds for economic development projects in emerging countries • Direct participation in financing requirements of international ventures (exports or investments) :banking counter-guarantees, granting of credits,equity participations

19. Evolution of Walloon exports • Strong increase of 14.8% in 2010 • Since the mid-1990s (1996 to 2010), the average annual growth of Walloon exports (+7.1%) is higher than that of our neighbouring regions which are our usual reference basket : • Netherlands (+6.9%) • Germany (+6.9%) • Flanders (+6.0%) • EU15 (+5.6%) • France (+4.4%) www.wallonia- international.be WALLONIA : YOUR PARTNER REGION IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

20. The top 10 sectors of Walloon exports(% of total) www.wallonia- international.be WALLONIA : YOUR PARTNER REGION IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

21. Foreign investments in Wallonia(2010) Value of investments by sector (€ million) € 222 million invested in 2010 www.wallonia- international.be WALLONIA : YOUR PARTNER REGION IN THE HEART OF EUROPE

22. Success stories 2000-2010 : 1,333 opened files, 515 files successfully concluded

23. AWEX initiatives in Macedonia • - A two days multi-sectorial trade mission in October 2008 • In collaboration with the Economic Chamber of Macedonia; 11 Belgian companies joined the mission and more than 60 appointments with Macedonian companies were organized • - A seminar on attractivity of Macedonia in Brussels in 2009 in Awex office • - Financial incentive for a private company to open a rep office in Skopje in 2010 • - A business forum will be organized in 2012, bringing Belgian companies to Macedonia.

24. Thank you for your attention Eric Santkin, Awex office in Sofia sofia@awex.bgwww.awex.bg www.awex.be WALLONIA : YOUR PARTNER REGION IN THE HEART OF EUROPE