NL Trade Mission to Belgium – Circular Infrastructure and Construction
Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and/or Leuven | 19th until 20th of May 2022Do you work in infrastructure or construction and utilize sustainable, circular, and/or biobased applications? Also, do you want to do business in Belgium? Take part in the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) trade mission to Belgium on 19 -20 May 2022, led by the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Liesje Schreinemacher, and the State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, Vivianne Heijnen (subject to change).
This two-day trade mission offers Dutch SMEs that are active in infrastructure and construction sectors plenty of opportunities to do networking, get acquainted with market opportunities in the neighboring country and get in touch with potential business partners and clients in Belgium
More information and registration, here.
For inspirations and best practices in circular infrastructure and construction businesses:
- Holland Circular Hotspot brochure on circular infrastructure
- ECESP (European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform) brochure on circular building and infrastructure
Target Group
Participation is open to Dutch companies and knowledge institutions that are active in the following sectors:
- Sustainable infrastructure: circular and biobased applications in the field of, for example, tunnel construction, artwork design, and construction, noise barriers, signposting cycle paths, road surface applications, remediation, project engineering, (sub)contracting, and environmental management.
- Circular construction: sustainable and/or circular applications in residential construction, utility construction, or landscape development. The mission is aimed at organizations from the entire construction chain: from suppliers of circular/sustainable building materials to processors of construction waste, and from urban mining to material hubs and landscape planning.
In particular, RVO also invites female entrepreneurs to participate in the mission.
Program
RVO offers a tailor-made program for participating companies. The program basically consists of the following parts:
- informative seminars;
- visits to companies and/or (project) locations;
- networking events;
- trade reception and trade dinner;
- individual matchmaking;
- local support by the organization;
- local transport, linked to the mission program.
During the mission, you will gain knowledge about the latest trends and developments in the above sectors and you will meet relevant Belgian business partners.
Sustainable Infrastructure
Many Dutch companies are already active in sustainable infrastructure in Flanders. Flemish parties indicate that they need extra capacity and innovative methods that Dutch companies could offer. In this way, they hope to be able to realize the high ambitions of, for example:
- the Oosterweel connection around Antwerp;
- the R0 (Great Ring) around Brussels;
- the replacement and renovation (V&R) assignment of existing structures in Flanders. Until 2024, the Flemish government will invest € 1.6 billion to eliminate the historical maintenance backlog.
The opportunities in this sector have been mapped out for you in a report by Witteveen+Bos. During the mission, the Roads and Traffic Agency, the implementing organizations Lantis, and the Werkvennootschap, among others, will explain what opportunities there are for Dutch companies.
Circular Construction
Metropolitan areas offer a perfect opportunity for a circular economy. Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia are faced with a large-scale renovation task for residential and non-residential construction.
- This is a major assignment for the energetic renovation of existing buildings, flexible and multiple uses of space, and circular urban planning.
- In the context of the ‘post-corona reliance’, Flanders is allocating an extra €10 million for circular projects in the construction sector. Initiatives such as the Green Deal for Circular Construction and the Green Deal for Circular Procurement (GDCA) promote the circular approach in the region.
- In addition, the Brussels-Capital Region is investing more than €350 million through the ‘Renolution’ program (sustainable renovation) until 2024 to achieve a threefold increase in the renovation task.
- Other cities in Belgium also have ambitious plans for sustainable and circular construction. Such investments lead to new (large-scale) tenders and contracts, from which Dutch companies can also reap the benefits.
The examples mentioned are not exhaustive but show the magnitude of the potential for Dutch SMEs that are active in residential construction, non-residential construction, and spatial planning. For this trade mission, the consultancy Rebel Group is writing an opportunity report with a detailed inventory of relevant tenders, contracts, and/or open calls.
