Flanders’ Minister-President Jan Jambon visits 4th FIT Export Fair
Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) has organized the 4th edition of the Export Fair running from 21 to 23 June 2022. After the fully virtual edition of February 2021, Flanders-based exporters will once again get to meet in person at Brussels Expo. 605 companies with internationalization plans and projects will be able to ask their questions to the entire FIT network, exhibitors and specialists among FIT’s partners. Flanders’ Minister-President Jan Jambon announced today on the Export Fair the goods exports figures for Flanders in the first quarter of 2022.
After a long period of working and doing business remotely and a digital edition of the fair in 2021, the Flanders export world is gathering physically for the first time in more than three years on the occasion of the fourth edition of the FIT Export Fair. Flanders-based exporters can find the necessary expertise at Brussels Expo for almost every economically interesting target market or region in the form of B2B appointments, seminars and exhibitors from FIT’s partner network.
One-stop shop for internationalization
The attending exporters put together their individual event program when they register for the fair. The 14 International Business Advisors, 89 country experts and 9 Science & Technology Counselors from FIT’s worldwide network and 4 customs attachés from the FPS Finance have developed a program of 1,935 B2B meetings. And that number is still rising due to the increasing number of spontaneous visitors expected at the event.
FIT experts and specialists from a number of partner organizations have chosen to present the answers to many questions about international business under the form of seminars or workshops on topics such as intellectual property, e-commerce in food, the right financing mix, sustainable international business, and more. A total of 1,394 attendees have already registered for the 47 workshops.
In addition, 35 exhibitors are guiding visitors within their field of expertise. These include Agoria, Fevia, BNP Paribas Fortis, Credendo, Omnia Travel, UNIZO, Voka, VLAIO and numerous chambers of commerce.
Advice, support and subsidies in the context of Brexit
Considering that the UK is an important trading partner for Flanders, FIT is paying a lot of attention to the Brexit roll-out. Exporters can visit the Brexit Desk if they have any Brexit-related questions. It is centrally located in the exhibition hall, between the stands of FASFC, Fevia, VLAM, the Belgian customs and the Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, there are workshops and seminars on doing business with the UK in the post-Brexit era. Finally, exporters can submit their project to a Brexit subsidy advisor at the Brexit Desk. This will
enable them to immediately find out if their project is eligible for the Brexit Special Export Grant. The call for this grant will run until 30 June 2022.
Ever since it was launched in 2016, the Export Fair has remained a permanent fixture for Flanders-based entrepreneurs and we can still present impressive registration figures for B2B meetings and seminars. What gives me most pride, however, is the results achieved from all that. The feedback from exporters who participated in our previous editions is that their visit allowed them to strengthen their presence in a specific region or to prepare their first steps in a new export country. Better still, they regard the Export Fair as the ideal one-stop shop to put their internationalization plans into practice.
The whole FIT Science & Technology team is there
Just like the FIT Flanders Economic Representatives (FERs) and International Business Advisors (IBAs), the Technology Attachés (TAs) help support the international ambitions of Flanders-based companies and foreign companies looking for a business location in the EU. They work out of 10 Science & Technology Offices worldwide, in New York, Palo Alto, Paris, London, Copenhagen, Munich, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou and Tokyo.
In practice, they focus on 3 domains: Digital Tech, Health Tech and Climate Tech. All TAs are present at the Export Fair. Together, they’ve set up no fewer than 95 B2B meeting appointments with tech players from Flanders and organized exclusive Tech Talks about the latest technological trends. During their visit to the Export Fair, Flanders’ Minister-President Jan Jambon and FIT CEO Claire Tillekaerts, took the time to attend the Digital Tech Talk, among other program activities. In his address, Science & Technology Coordinator Filip De Weerdt gave tech players tips to take their first steps in the international arena.
In the first quarter of 2022, goods exports from Flanders rose by 37.5%, partly due to more significant price increases, compared to the same period last year. That is a lot higher than the EU average (+20.3%) and more than the historic export profit for the full year 2021 (+27.6%). Due to the war in Ukraine, exports to Ukraine (-82%) and Russia (-20%) fell sharply from March 2022 compared to March 2021, but the impact on overall exports from Flanders in Q1 has been limited. Still, companies should remain on their guard. By participating in the Export Fair, exporters can already increase their range of action, supported by the expertise of FIT and its many partners.
Press contact Flanders’ Minister-President Jan Jambon
Olivier Van Raemdonck
E. olivier.vanraemdonck@vlaanderen.be
M +32 470 99 91 01
Website
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www.exportbeurs.be – for more information about the Export Fair 2022
