Wallonia | Strategic location | Decision-making heartland

Wallonia is located close to Brussels, Europe's decision-making heartland. This proximity to Brussels makes Wallonia the ideal region for influencing decisions or establishing direct contact with European institutions. With the political influence of the European Union increasing on a daily basis, to the detriment of national member states, it is essential that companies mindful of this reality locate themselves as close to this powerhouse as possible.

The European Commission, the Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the Committee of Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee are all located in Brussels.

The headquarters of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) are also based in Brussels, and SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) chose Mons as the location for its general headquarters.

Apart from these powerful institutions, Brussels also hosts the headquarters of several international organisations.

As the third largest conference and symposium centre in Europe, there is a very clear wealth of opportunities for companies seeking to innovate and expand here. The high density of international companies is also explained by the quality of the region's infrastructure, transport system, multilingual population and high level of training.

The biotechnology sector is an excellent example of this. Located near the Commission, the Wallonia Biotech centre is particularly well positioned to benefit from the mass of information and strategic contacts available in respect to the European research programmes and their associated subsidies.

Wallonia’s proximity to the capital makes it one of the premier locations for establishing business contacts and engaging in lobbying activities.