International cooperation
With Smart Hub Flemish Brabant, you take the step towards growth and international impact!
Flemish Brabant maintains strong, enduring relationships with four innovative regions in both Europe and one in China.
These partnerships open doors for companies, researchers, and public authorities to seize cross-border opportunities and achieve international growth.
Our focus lies on the five strategic sectors of Smart Hub: cleantech, health, logistics, food, and creativity.
Europe
In Europe, we work closely with several innovative regions: the Dutch province of North Brabant, the German metropolitan region of Rhine-Neckar, and the Scandinavian Øresund region, which includes the southern Swedish province of Skåne and the Capital Region of Denmark. Thanks to these close ties, we strengthen our position in our five key sectors.
This translates into:
- Collaboration in numerous European cross-border projects involving companies, knowledge institutions, the province itself, and local authorities;
- Joint initiatives in areas where Flemish Brabant has strong assets;
- International exchange through joint missions and matchmaking events that bring together policymakers, civil servants, companies, and researchers to build connections.
China
Our vision reaches beyond Europe: Since 2011, Flemish Brabant has been officially partnered with Chengdu, the vibrant capital of China’s Sichuan province. With over 21 million inhabitants and a rapidly growing economy (GDP of €780 billion in 2023, with 6% growth projected for 2024), Chengdu is one of the key economic engines of Western China.
The partnership focuses on:
- Collaboration in our five key sectors, including knowledge exchange between professionals, researchers, and students;
- Encouraging mutual investment and connecting businesses from both regions;
- Cultural cooperation, heritage projects, and active involvement of local governments.
Read more about our international mission to China
Looking for a dynamic region to grow your business?
Flemish Brabant is a dynamic knowledge region offering outstanding opportunities for international investors. With strong clusters in health and life sciences, cleantech, logistics, food innovation and creative industries, the region attracts ambitious, forward-thinking companies from around the world.
Smart Hub Flemish Brabant connects you to the right partners and guides you towards high-impact projects. Whether you are exploring a European base, seeking strategic partnerships or scaling innovative solutions, Flemish Brabant offers a powerful ecosystem to support your growth.
Together with our partners Flanders Investment & Trade and Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship, we provide the expertise and network you need to successfully establish and expand your business.