Strategy for Belgium in a globalizing economy

Last week I was at a Panel Debate around "Strategy for Belgium in a globalizing economy"

The following paragraphs summarize the different "strategies"

If you can't beat them Join them"

Pauwels is a Belgian company that has been acquired by an Indian company. The off-shore newcomers don't have the image that our European older companies have on the market. Combining the growth of Off-shore companies with the Image of the European ones can be a winning combination. Let's find the win-win solutions...

Let's compete again

Mr Leonard Schrank, CEO of SWIFT and the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium makes it the American way. Belgium has to work on the flexibility of its workforce and on reducing employment costs (taxes).

According to Mr Schrank, Belgium has a lot of assets which are badly utilized due to a lack of competitiveness (and also of Entrepreneurship ?). Belgium has the potential to attract investors but needs to get back to more competitiveness.

Climb the value chain

John Monks, general secretary of the European Trade Union sees only one way out : Climb the value chain. Europe needs to stay ahead of the competition by developping new, higher level skills.

Exploit the potential of emerging countries

Dirk Beeuwsaert, executive VP of Suez in charge of Suez Energy International, is VERY happy with the globalizing economy. Emerging countries will need a lot of energy. Suez has already taken strategic positions. The more India and China will use electricity to build Industrial centres, the better the market...

Management