Economy:
The Antwerp region is the country's prime industrial centre and has become one of the most prosperous parts of Belgium. It is responsible for producing over one third of Belgian exports and accounts for approximately one fifth of the country's GDP.

A large part of the city's economy is centred around its port. Major exports include manufactured products such as machinery and textiles, while major imports include grain and unrefined metals. The port is also the biggest petrochemical port in Europe and only second in the world after Houston in the USA. As a result the region plays host to a number of companies in this sector and 50 per cent of the world's top 20 chemical producers are located in Antwerp.

Antwerp is also an important centre for the diamond trade and, according to Belgium's Diamond High Council, handles 85 per cent of the world supply in rough diamonds, half of the world supply of polished diamonds and about 40 per cent of the world supply of natural industrial diamonds. Furthermore, about 7 per cent of all Belgian exports are made up of the region's diamond exports.

The city is also home to a number of other important industries ranging from food processing, to telecommunications and the automotive industry. Some of the major companies operating in these sectors include Alcatel Telecom, DAF trucks, Opel Belgium, New Holland Tractor, Siemens and Van Hool.

Local Infrastructure:
Antwerp benefits from an excellent transport infrastructure and ideal location. It is just 45 kilometres from Brussels, while Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Luxembourg, London, Strasbourg, and Paris are all under 500 kilometres away.

The city is within easy reach of numerous motorways via which it is connected to the rest of Europe. One motorway heads south-east towards Luxembourg, Metz, and Switzerland, while a further two go southward to the north of France and Paris. There are also two that go to the Netherlands and another two that head east towards the Ruhr area and Saar Rhine Land.

There are two main train stations in Antwerp, both of which have services to and from international destinations. The TGV can be taken to Paris and Amsterdam and Brussels can be reached in approximately half an hour.

The Port of Antwerp is the second largest and most inland seaport in Europe. It has regular departures to more than 800 destinations around the world and, in 2002, handled over 131.5 million tonnes of cargo. The port has invested in numerous specialist equipment and has excellent facilities for dealing with a variety of cargo such as cars, dangerous goods, forest products, fruit, iron and steel and sugar. Antwerp is also connected to the European inland waterway system and has regular departures for France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Antwerp International Airport is located about 15 minutes outside the city centre and caters for flights to and from numerous destinations throughout Europe, including London, Milan and Barcelona. In 2001, the airport handled over 273,000 passengers and nearly 6,700 tons of cargo. More international flights are available at Zaventem airport near Brussels, which can be reached by road from Antwerp in about half an hour.

Local Workforce:
One of the greatest strengths of the local workforce is its language skills. According to Antwerp Chamber of Commerce, most of the city's workers speak English, French, German and Dutch. The province also has an excellent education system which benefits from extensive government support, and some 11,000 students graduate from the 6 universities in Flanders every year.

Standard of Living:
Antwerp is a great city in which to live and boasts a long and interesting history, evident in the wealth of medieval and Renaissance architecture. The city also has a rich cultural heritage and was home to numerous artist such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Brueghel and Jordaens. Antwerp is packed with over 3,000 restaurants and bars and some 35 museums, 6 concert halls and 29 theatres.

Business Costs:
Belgium has one of the highest minimum wages in the European Union, after Luxembourg and the Netherlands, at approximately EUR 7 per hour in 2002.