a bright space to do business
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www.locateinlimburg.com
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INVEST IN
THE HEART
OF EUROPE
LIMBURG
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a bright space to do business
Open economy and a healthy investment climate
60% of European purchasing power is within a radius of 500 km
Close to European decision centres
Key sectors: Automotive, Logistics, Cleantech & Energy,
Life Sciences and ICT & Media
10 a bright space to innovate
Centrally located in an intensely linked network of universities and
research centres
Presence of internationally recognized centres of competence
Creative workforce
Availability of R&D incentives
12 a bright space to invest
Unique range of sustainable industrial estates and venture capital
Tax optimization opportunities
Flexible and productive, multilingual workforce
16 a bright space to live
At the crossroads of economy and ecology
Wide range of leisure opportunities
A pleasant environment with hospitable and welcoming residents
Professional and accessible healthcare
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a bright space to do business
60% of European spending power within a radius of 500 km
Location
Accessibility
Continent: Europe
Limburg, the gateway to Europe, is characterized by a
good road, rail and waterway network.
Country: Belgium
Province: Limburg
Surface area: 2,422 km2
The beating heart of Europe as a central business area
with an open economy.
60% of the European purchasing power is within a
radius of 500 km.
Limburg is surrounded by the Netherlands (north),
Germany (east), the United Kingdom (west) and France
(south).
Close to European decision centres. Distance to:
Maastricht (NL) 15 km; Brussels (NATO, EU) (BE) 90
km; Amsterdam (NL) 220 km; Frankfurt (GE) 300 km;
London (UK) 390 km and Paris (FR) 350 km.
Finally, Limburg is situated between 20m and 150m
above sea level.
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Sustainable multimodal modes of transport: A vast
network of motorways (E313, E314) with minimal congestion, a direct connection to the international port of
Antwerp, and an excellent rail network with direct connections to London (UK), Paris (FR) and Cologne (GE).
Limburg is directly linked to international ports of
Antwerp (160 million tons/year) and Rotterdam (400
million tons/year).
Important international airports in the area: Brussels
Airport (BE), Düsseldorf Airport (GE), Frankfurt Airport
(GE), Charles de Gaulle Paris (FR) and London
Heathrow (UK).
Several regional airports, such as Maastricht Airport
(NL), Liège Airport (BE), Charleroi Airport (BE), Eindhoven Airport (NL) and Antwerp Airport (BE).
Copenhagen
Amsterdam
London
Berlin
THE
HEART
OF EUROPE
Brussels
Paris
500 km
Rome
Barcelona
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a bright space to do business
Entrepreneurship
Limburg is characterized by a unique, healthy investment climate.
Flanders Enterprise is a unique information desk for all
businesses, helping entrepreneurs in making appeals to
or getting in touch with the government.
Businesses from more than 25 countries have already
invested in Limburg. This gives Limburg a unique network of both local and international entrepreneurs.
Finally, Flanders Investment & Trade is also offering
support to foreign investors in Limburg.
Sectors
Most important sectors: Automotive, Logistics,
Cleantech, Life Sciences and ICT & Media.
Automotive
The economy of Limburg has a strong automotive
tradition. The presence of multinationals such as the
American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company, the
Japanese company Nitto Denko (European headquarters) and the American firm Tenneco are good examples.
The international competence pool Flanders Drive helps
create a knowledge-driven specialized automotive sector
in Limburg. Important is the continuous link between
R&D and assembly activities.
Lommel Proving Ground, with a diverse road network
of 80km, has been one of the most important European
test tracks for years.
The automotive industry in Limburg also tries to find
answers for any future needs in the mobility sector.
Punch Powertrain is already taking a first step into the
future with its hybrid powertrain.
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Logistics
The Logistics Hotspot Limburg, situated in the heart of
the major European consumption and production area,
can be seen as a strategic connection with both seaports
Antwerp (about 80kms) and Rotterdam (about 175
kms), (which are respectively ranked number 3 and 1 in
Europe from a volume perspective).
Especially for mainport Antwerp, Limburg performs the
role of ‘gateway to Europe’, characterized by a trimodal
connectivity (road, rail, water), the availability of costefficient supporting services (transportation, customs,
ICT) and the availability of sustainable business parks
and specialized labour.
A large number of leading multinational companies
have already decided to invest in the Province of
Limburg by establishing their own Global, European
or Regional Distribution Centre in this region (e.g.
SKF, Scania, Atlas copco and Terumo) or by outsourcing their entire European distribution to world-class
logistics providers, located in the same Province (e.g.
DuPont de Nemours. Ansell Healthcare).
In combination with the proximity of a number of large
European hubs of integrators like TNT (Liège) and UPS
(Cologne), all the above brings Cushman & Wakefield
to putting Limburg on top of their list of Logistics
Hotspots in Europe and this up to at least 2019.
The Logistiek Platform Limburg (LPL) is your one-stopshop contact for all questions regarding Transport and
Logistics in Limburg.
www.locateinlimburg.com
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a bright space to do business
Cleantech & Energy
Limburg: at the crossroads of economy and ecology.
Limburg invests heavily in Cleantech, e.g. by implementing its own climate plan. With this plan, Limburg,
LRM and its partners are engaging to create a CO2neutral province by 2020.
Important players in the Cleantech & Energy sectors are
Punch Powertrain (CVT, hybrid drive systems), Group
Machiels (waste-to-material) and Hansen Transmissions
(wind turbine gearboxes).
Cleantechplatform.be promotes the transfer of knowledge and combining of expertise on Cleantech. It forms
an extensive network with the most important Cleantech parties, businesses, knowledge centres, investors
and governmental agencies.
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Energyville (Genk) is a place where all energy-based and
business research and development is taking place.
Energyville is seen as the European capital of sustainable energy, research and development, and is a colocation ‘Knowledge and Innovation Community- KIC’
Sustainable Energy within the European Institute of
Innovation and Technology.
Cleantech Campus Houthalen, Limburg Environmental
and Technology park offers a unique business park,
focused on companies involved in Cleantech.
Several future state-of-the-art projects have also been
initiated. These are centred around alternative methods
of energy generation. Examples are methane gas extraction (ECBM) and the European MetaPV project.
Life Sciences
ICT & Media
Limburg is resolutely behind the Life Sciences sector,
and also encompasses medical technology, pharmaceutical and biotechnology.
As a cross-sectoral player, ICT & Media enables all types
of synergies. Examples are e-health and Smart Grids.
Some successful businesses in the Life Sciences sector
active in Limburg are the British firm Apitope (e.g. diagnostics for multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis),
Helvoet Pharma (pharmaceutical packaging), Amakem
(drugs development) and the Dutch firm Mubio (development of diagnostics kits).
Not only does the area offer many local financing
channels, businesses can also appeal to the academic
research expertise present and have access to industry
and hospitals via, for example, LifeTechLimburg.be, a
helping hand for the expansion of Life Sciences in the
region.
Important players in ICT & Media are Cegeka (end-toend ICT solutions), one of the biggest players in the
BeNeLux area, and the media group Concentra.
The Expertisecentrum Digitale Media (EDM, Expertise
Centre for Digital Media) has three areas of expertise:
Computer Graphics, Human-Computer Interaction and
Communication Technology.
Research Campus Hasselt and C-mine Genk (Gaming)
offer a custom-made ICT infrastructure.
Besides these opportunities, Limburg also has a specialized infrastructure (including GMP and clean room
facilities) and offers services to young start-ups and
more advanced biotech companies, through its own bioincubator BioVille.
www.locateinlimburg.com
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a bright space to innovate
centrally located in an intensely linked network of universities
and research centres
Innovation Network
Centres of Competence
Limburg is located in the heart of the knowledge triangle ELAt (Eindhoven, Leuven, Aachen): An intensely
linked network of universities and research centres.
Different research centres, such as the Institute for
Materials Research (IMO-IMOMEC), the Biomedical
Research Institute (BIOMED), the Institute for Mobility (IMOB), the Flemish Institute for Mobility (VIM)
and the Centre of Expertise for Digital Media (EDM)
work at the forefront of the high-tech sector. The recent
breakthrough in the field of printable plastic electronics
is a good example of the many possibilities.
Three colleges (KHLIM, XIOS College Limburg and
the Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg), the University
of Hasselt (UHasselt) and close co-operation with the
universities of Leuven (K.U. Leuven), Aachen and
Maastricht (UM) make Limburg a very solid knowledge
region. Other universities in the area are the Technical
University of Eindhoven (TUe), the Technical University
of Delft (TUDelft) and the University of Liège (Ulg).
A international school, the ISM, for children of expats,
is situated in Maastricht (15 km).
TechTransfer UHasselt bridges the gap between the
academic and the business world.
Sector-related centres of competence include, among
others, Flanders Drive (Automotive) and the Cleantech
platform (Cleantech).
The Innovatiecentrum (Innovation Centre) is your partner in innovation. It offers a specialized network, helps
firms in all possible areas and offers support in subsidy
applications.
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Labour market
Incentives
The workforce in Limburg is extremely flexible and
productive. Their continuous intrinsic motivation is
expressed in terms of low absenteeism and high loyalty.
There are a number of grants and subsidies available,
which are intended to promote research and development, especially in the field of ecology (Agentschap
voor Innovatie door Wetenschap en Technologie, IWT).
Organizations often qualify for financial IWT support
for basic industrial research, prototype or development
activities, or a combination of these areas.
With their strong analytical insight (mathematics and
science) they are extremely engaged workers and more
than one in four has a college degree. All of this makes
Limburg, also as a result of the continuous interaction
between the academic and business world (TechTransfer), a breeding ground for a creative workforce.
Finally, their excellent language skills – Dutch, French,
English and German – represent a real bonus.
Another initiative is a one-time tax exemption for companies hiring additional research or quality assurance
personnel.
Finally, there is the patent income deduction (PID).
This deduction allows Belgian companies and Belgian
branches of foreign companies to deduct 80% of their
gross patent income from their tax base, which leads
to a maximum effective tax rate of 6,8% on the gross
patent income.
www.locateinlimburg.com
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a bright space to invest
a combined range of well-equipped and available business parks,
with competitive conditions and venture capital, makes Limburg a
unique place.
Business parks
Well-equipped and sustainable business parks, with decentralized energy generation via wind and solar power,
as well as biomass, are the norm.
More than 800 ha greenfield business parks are now being developed or already prepared for sustainable use.
Business parks with free plots are, among others:
• Kristalpark Lommel (300ha);
• Genk-Zuid - Bilzen;
• Kanaal-Noord - Bree.
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As part of the Economic Network Albertkanaal (ENA),
several business parks are being developed, with focus
on transport, distribution and logistics.
• ENA, Beringen- Ravenshout- Noord (25ha);
• ENA, Ham- Zwartenhoek (89ha);
• ENA, Tessenderlo- Genebos (34ha).
Specific buildings with the emphasis on high-tech:
• High-tech business park Waterschei-EnergyVille
There are also several buildings offering custom-made
solutions:
• Mobility Center Genk-Zuid;
• EnergyVille, KIC sustainable energy;
• GreenVille Houthalen (LET);
• BioVille, the Life Sciences Incubator;
• C-mine Genk, creative economy and Gaming industrie;
• Research Campus Hasselt (RCH).
www.locateinlimburg.com
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a bright space to invest
Venture capital
Limburg has its own investment company, LRM. This
investment company is a 100% government subsidiary.
Fictitious example (Tax year 2011, i.e. accounting year ending on 31 December 2010)
LRM offers a unique blend of venture capital and business parks to companies and projects. It creates room to
grow for businesses that want to develop activities and
projects in Limburg.
The balance sheet of the Belgian entity shows that the
share capital has been used for group financing. With
the application of intragroup interest rate of 5%, the
profit before taxes amounts 500. Before the introduction of the notional interest deduction, corporate tax
would have been 169,95 (or 33,99%). Thanks to the
notional interest deduction, the effective corporate tax to
be paid is 40,788 (or 8, 1576%) only.
Oxygen for growth!
Taxes
The corporation tax rate is 33.99%. There are several
incentives which can be applied to effectively lower this
percentage. The most important example is the
notional interest deduction (NID, notionele interestaftrek): a deduction of the taxable income by applying
a notional interest rate, based on the firm’s capital.
The principle is very simple. The amount that can be
deducted from the taxable base equals the fictitious interest cost on the adjust equity capital, N.I.D. = Notional
interest rate * adjusted equity.
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On the other hand there is a special deduction for
income from patents (Patent Income Deduction). This
allowance offers firms which are active in the field of
patent development a tax deduction of 80% of the tax-
Labour Market
able income from patents. The Belgian tax shelter, an
incentive to promote audiovisual work and films, can
also be an interesting tax optimization vehicle.
The labour force in Limburg is extremely flexible and
productive. Their continuous intrinsic motivation is
expressed in low absenteeism and high loyalty.
Finally, the rulings and tax treaties (e.g. Hong KongBelgium) can result in further tax optimization on a
case by case basis.
Their excellent language skills, Dutch, English, French
and German, and their strong analytical insight
(mathematics and science) make them extremely good
workers.
Balance Sheet
Assets
Liabilities
Group Financing
Share Capital
10,000
10,000
Finally, there is a special expat regime: Expats are only
taxed based on their Belgian income and not based on
the number of days worked abroad.
Calculation
P&L account
Profit before tax
Notional Interest Deduction (3,425%)
Before Notional Interest Deduction
With Notional Interest Deduction
500
500
/
342
500
158
Corporate Tax (33,99%)
169,95
53,70
Effective tax rate (%)
33,99%
10,74%
Taxable
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a bright space to live
at the crossroads of economy and ecology
Nature
Leisure
Limburg is famous for its nature and beautiful landscape, which are a driving force for further economic
development: A place where ecology and economy come
together.
A well-maintained, over 2,000 km long and relatively
car-free bicycle network runs through the entire province of Limburg. Every year, on average 2.2 million
people use this bicycle network.
The Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland, with
5,750 ha of flora and fauna, is a unique natural treasure.
This ‘green lung’ is one of the cornerstones of the ambition to be CO2 neutral in 2020.
The area offers an extensive cultural program, with e.g.
the Gallo-Roman Museum, the Domein Bokrijk and
diverse dance and theatre performances in the Ethias
Arena.
The largest authentic Japanese garden in Europe,
confirming the bonds with the Japanese city of Itami, is
also a ‘must see’.
Well-known artists are Piet Stockmans and Koen Vanmechelen. There is also plenty to do for sports fans:
football (KRC Genk and STVV), car racing (Circuit
Zolder), cyclo-cross, golf (Flanders Nippon Golf,
Spiegelven, Millenniumgolf and the Golfforum) and
pigeon racing will make your stay in Limburg even
more enjoyable. And Kim Clijsters, who has had some
remarkable results on the tennis courts has helped to
make tennis into an extremely popular sport.
Stylish stores and shopping malls can be found in
Hasselt and Maastricht (15 km). And fashion lovers can
really enjoy the Modemuseum Hasselt (MMH, Fashion
Museum) and Maasmechelen Village Outlet Shopping.
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Hospitality
Healthcare
Limburg is renowned throughout the world for its
charming hospitality and openness.
A professional and customer-oriented healthcare system
is accessible to everyone.
Its multicultural character gives this hospitality an extra
dimension. The excellent business relationship between
Bree and the Chinese city of Yangzhou (Province of
Jiangsu) is an example hereof.
Health care institutes in Limburg are frontrunners in
the fields of IVF and oncology.
Important hospitals are the ZOL Limburg and the Jessa
Hospital.
Famous hospitable Limburgers include Kim Clijsters,
Adrien de Gerlache, Frank De Winne.
Our hosts will be welcoming you with open arms!
Gastronomy
Young and old alike are attracted by the excellent gastronomic skills and typical Limburg social life.
The gastronomic landscape of Limburg is characterized by a huge range of brasseries and grand cafés. Not
only is Limburg known for its great Belgian cuisine and
local dishes, but it is also known for the multicultural
character of its cuisine.
The beer landscape in Limburg is dominated by the
favourites Martens and Cristal.
There are also several top restaurants in Limburg which
attract an international clientele, such as De Slagmolen
(2 Michelin stars).
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limburg.com
If you have any questions on investment opportunities in Limburg, please contact
T + 32 11 24 68 19 (08h00-18h00, CET)
E-mail: [email protected]
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INVEST IN THE HEART OF EUROPE
www.locateinlimburg
limburg.com
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