Innovative Wallonia
WALLONIA'S INNOVATION HUB: Empowering Startups
Wallonia (Southern region of Belgium) places a high priority on innovation and creativity establishing various stakeholders and initiatives specifically designed to support companies in their pursuit of innovation.
Wallonia is home to several industries at the forefront of advanced technologies, including biopharmaceuticals and aerospace. Its rate of business investment in R&D relative to GDP exceeds the EU27 average by a significant margin.
Walloon Invests in the creation (e.g. spin-offs), innovation, growth, transmission or export plans of the companies. Since 2006 to end 2019, the region have made 1,255 investments for a total funding of €449 million.
SOFT LANDING AND INCUBATION SERVICES: Gateway to Growth
Foreign companies receive support from both AWEx and our local partners within the startup community, ensuring supervision and guidance throughout the entire process. To accomplish this, we've developed the Soft Landing platform.
The Soft Landing platform targets technology companies that have already successfully sold a solution (product or service) outside of Europe. Its aim is to assist these companies in entering the European market efficiently by establishing their economic activities in a vibrant and dynamic environment from a central region.
Thanks to a streamlined process that facilitates swift establishment of a legal entity and assesses critical factors such as market conditions and intellectual property, the Soft Landing platform provides assistance and services to tailor products and services to meet European standards and certifications.
Has your technology company achieved successful sales of its solution (product or service) outside of Europe, and are you now targeting Europe as your next market? Wallonia is definitely looking for welcoming you !
COMPETITIVENESS CLUSTERS : Empowering Companies for Success
The competitiveness clusters focuses on innovation and aims to promote partnerships between research centres and the business world through six fields of activity in which Wallonia has a critical mass and can excel: Biowin (life sciences), Logistics in Wallonia (logistics transport), Mecatech (mechanical engineering), Skywin (aerospace), Wagralim (agro-industries) and Greenwin (chemistry and sustainable materials).
The competitiveness clusters facilitate the advancement of collaborative R&D projects, chosen through calls and reviewed by an expert committee (international jury). From their inception in 2005 to 2019, more than 400 projects (encompassing research, training, and investments) have been supported, mobilizing public funding of nearly €750 million.
• Do you operate within any of these industries represented by the competitiveness clusters? If so, we invite you to apply by clicking this link !
https://clusters.wallonie.be/federateur-en/
ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK AND WALLONIA : Accelerating growth
EEN is the world's largest support network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with international ambitions.
Active in more than 60 countries, it helps companies to innovate and expand internationally.
EEN brings together 3,000 experts from more than 600 member organisations, all of them recognised for their excellence in business support.
The Network's teams of experts in each member organisation offer personalised services to businesses.
By leveraging both local expertise and insights from the EEN network, these free information and support services assist enterprises in accessing new markets abroad, fostering innovation, and enhancing their position in the national market or accessing European funding. All major economic sectors are encompassed, ranging from health and agri-food to smart energy, fashion, and textiles.
WBI AND THE R&D PLATFORM: Unleashing the Potential for R&D Startups
Wallonia-Brussels International (WBI) is the sister agency of Wallonia Export & Investment Agency and it is responsible for international relations for Wallonia-Brussels region. As part of agreements with 70 countries and regions, WBI supports creators and entrepreneurs from Wallonia-Brussels. Become a part of the community to take advantage of these services. If you choose to join us, you will also gain access to the Research and Innovation Platform.
The Research and Innovation Platform, a part of WBI, plays a crucial role in fostering international cooperation in scientific and technological fields. By uniting key stakeholders from universities, competitiveness clusters, science parks, incubators, research centers, agencies, and ministries responsible for research funding and promotion, the Platform serves as a collaborative space. Here, major geographical and sectoral priorities are established to facilitate internationalization synergies and coordinate joint activities effectively.
