INFORMATION SESSION BELGIAN ECONOMIC MISSIONS Fabienne L’HOOST Deputy Director General Friday, February 7 th 2014
SUMMARY 1. Belgian Foreign Trade Agency 2. Overview of the economic missions 2009- 2013 3. Action plan 2014 4. Organization of an economic mission 5. www.belgianeconomicmission.be 6. Conclusion
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY • The Belgian Foreign Trade Agency (BFTA) was set up by the Cooperation Agreement of May 24 th 2002 between the Belgian Federal government and the Regions. • The Honorary Chairman of the Board is His Majesty the King.
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY Board of Directors 16 members appointed by the Regions and the federal government with equal representation from the public and private sectors • Chairman : Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck Minister of State Member of the European Parliament • Vice-Chairman : Pierre Rion President of Cercle de Wallonie Business Angel
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY Board of Directors • 12 out of 16 members coming from the Regions 4 representatives from the Federal Government 4 representatives from the Brussels-Capital Region 4 representatives from Flanders 4 representatives from the Walloon Region • Every Region has a government commissioner with a right of veto 6 th state reform provides for strenghtening the role of the Regions within the • Agency
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY Subventions 2014 € % 30,40 % Federal government 2.730.000 51,38 Flanders 1.615.000 30,40 51,38 % Walloon Region 734.000 13,82 13,82 % Brussels-Capital Region 233.784 4,40 4,40 %
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY Mission Statement: • Organization of trade missions on the request of the Region(s) or the Federal Government • Information centre : Economic and sector studies Market regulations National and international trade statistics Selective Distribution of Information (SDI) Exporters database Business proposals, international projects, tenders • Welcoming foreign VIP delegations
1. BELGIAN FOREIGN TRADE AGENCY • The economic missions are co-organized by : Belgian Foreign Trade Agency and the three regional export promotion organizations AWEX Brussels Invest & Export Flanders Investment & Trade • The political aspects of the programme are coordinated by Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Development Cooperation
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS (2009-2013) Participation of the private sector 1200 1081 1100 1008 1000 901 900 800 706 659 700 690 600 636 500 542 480 431 400 300 200 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total businessmen Total companies 4355 businessmen and 2779 companies participated in the cumulated economic missions
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS (2009-2013) Number of businessmen per region NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS PER REGION 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Awex Brussels Invest & Export FIT
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS (2009-2013) SME PARTICIPATION IN % OF THE TOTAL PARTICIPATING NUMBER OF SME’S COMPANIES 450 65% 422 61,16% 400 60% 350 55% 51,29% 278 315 300 50% 49,50% 250 199 45% 200 155 41,46% 40% 150 35,96% 35% 100 50 30% 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS (2009-2013) LARGE COMPANIES FREQUENCE OF PARTICIPATION COMPANY (Total : 20 economic missions) BNP PARIBAS 19 JAN DE NUL 16 WATERLEAU 14 13 DEME 12 IBA, PORT AUTHORITY ZEEBRUGGE, PORT OF GHENT 11 UCB 9 BESIX, TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING, GSK, OTN SYSTEMS 8 SCK CEN, BARCO, DELOITTE, ING BELGIUM, AHLERS
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS (2009-2013) SME’s SME FREQUENCE OF PARTICIPATION (Total : 20 economic missions) SCHREDER 15 APPLITEK NV, RODSCHINSON INVESTMENT GROUP, 12 MITHRA PHARMACEUTICALS SEPTENTRIO, LINGUITEX, HAMON & CIE, BMI-SBI 10 GUY MAGERMANS ET CIE 9 ORFIT INDUSTRIES, LAPAUW INTERNATIONAL 8 VASCO DATA SECURITY, AMOS 7
2. OVERVIEW OF THE ECONOMIC MISSIONS 2009-2013 SIGNED CONTRACTS IN % OF THE TOTAL PARTICIPATING NUMBER OF CONTRACTS COMPANIES 18% 100 95 16% 87 90 13,77% 16,05% 14% 80 70 12% 10,53% 13,33% 67 60 64 10% 50 8% 40 27 6% 30 6,26% 20 4% 10 2% 0 0% 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
3. ACTION PLAN 2014 2014 • 14 – 21 March, Saudi Arabia & Oman Coordinators of the mission: Marc Bogaerts and Patrick Gillard Press Officer: Rose Donck Secretariat: Wouter Decoster • 18 – 25 October, Colombia & Peru Coordinators of the mission: Fabienne L’Hoost and Julie Derwa Press Officer: Rose Donck Secretariat: Christine Marchand • 22 – 28 November, Malaysia & Singapore Coordinators of the mission: Marc Bogaerts and Céline Vandermeersch Press Officer: Rose Donck Secretariat: Nancy Willems
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION 4.1 Key players Official key players: ROYAL PALACE FEDERAL & FPS FOREIGN REGIONAL AFFAIRS CABINETS BFTA AUTHORITIES BELGIAN BELGIAN OF HOST EMBASSY FOREIGN COUNTRY TRADE AGENCY BRUSSELS FIT INVEST & EXPORT AWEX
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION The next mission will be presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid, Representative of His Majesty the King
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Ministers HE Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs HE Kris Peeters , Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Economy, Foreign Policy, Agriculture and Rural Policy HE Jean-Claude Marcourt , Vice-President and Minister of Economy, SMEs, Foreign Trade and New Technologies of the Walloon Government and Vice-President and Minister of Higher Education of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation HE Céline Fremault, Minister of Economy, Employment, Scientific Research, Trade and Foreign Trade of the Brussels-Capital Region
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Organizing teams • Royal Palace Geneviève Renaux Economic Advisor to His Majesty the King • B.3 Daniel Dargent Director for Economic Issues Annemie Lelie First Secretary, Direction for Economic Issues Thibaut de Kerchove Expert, Direction for Economic Interests
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Organizing teams • Belgian Foreign Trade Agency Management: Marc Bogaerts Director General Fabienne L’Hoost Deputy Director General Mission coordinators: Patrick Gillard Céline Vandermeersch Julie Derwa Wouter Decoster Press officer: Rose Donck Secretariat: Christine Marchand Nancy Willems
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Other partners • The travel agency (selected after tender) and its local partner • The Belgian business delegation and the local business community • Federations and Chambers of Commerce • The Belgian and local press
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Role of the Embassies / Consulate General The Embassies are the link with the host country : officials and local business, political, protocol aspects 9 to 4 months prior to the mission Obtaining approval on the date and the status (working or official) of the mission Write the strategic note of the mission Suggestions to organizers in Belgium on local aspects: • Period chosen (official holidays ?, climate?) • Ranking of the best hotels (large venues, localization, security…) • Venues for the official reception(s) • Possible companies visits, activities…
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Role of the Embassies / Consulate General 4 to 2 months prior to the mission • Setting up the BFTA premission programme : Appointments with local protocol, airports, companies to visit, all event locations of the mission Meetings with regional economic & trade attachés Visit of hotels (suite for the VIP’s, seminar rooms, … ) Aims of the premission: check the feasibility of the programme (security and logistical aspects, travel times, scenarios , attractiveness of the locations…)
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Role of the Embassies / Consulate General 2 months to 2 weeks prior the mission Setting up & preparing the speaking notes of high level meetings Communicating the protocol « ranking » list to the local authorities Organization of the Belgian official receptions (list of local guests, invitations, etc.) Prepare the individual files for the official participants (including the invitations to the official receptions, maps of the cities, useful address, phone numbers …) Appointing a « press officer » to assist and support the « federal » Belgian press Appointing a PR Agency (local media coverage) Setting up the advance team programme
4. ORGANIZATION OF AN ECONOMIC MISSION Role of the Embassies / Consulate General 2 weeks prior to the mission Support to the advance team (BFTA, Security, Press Officer) = final rehearsal of the mission Finalize the lists of the guests attending the official receptions
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