The Belgian property sector has launched a campaign to attract British businesses to Belgium. The UPSI-BVS (the Belgian federation for the property sector) announced this on Friday in a communiqué.
On its website www.business2Belgium.be, it boasts of the country’s advantages, and gives information on office space available. Per the UPSI, the portal currently has 70 registered properties, with this figure possibly set to double in the medium term.
The body believes that the United Kingdom’s divorce with the European Union may lead to the departure of some 60,000 workers currently established in the UK, within the two year period triggered by Theresa May in March of this year. Olivier Carrette, the Chief Executive of the UPSI, which asserts that its members sell 85% of Belgium’s office real estate offer, indicates, “Our objective is to convince British companies wishing to emigrate to opt for Belgium.”
The UPSI says that Brussels plays a major role within the country. The professional body has found, "Besides the highly-qualified workforce, Brussels has a strategic position, and has very strong international connections. The high standard of living, the very wide population diversity, the centres for major decision-taking and the reasonable property prices, are all advantages which may play a part.”
The initiative is supported by federal and regional authorities. The Federal Minister for the Economy, Kris Peeters, suggests, “If businesses are producing cost-benefit analyses, I am sure that Belgium will be well-placed compared to other European locations.”
Cécile Jodogne, the Secretary of State in the Brussels-Capital Region in charge of Foreign Trade, says, “We noticed that what was lacking in the field was a concrete tool to draw attention to availability, quality and, in particular, the competitive price of office space in Brussels. The site comprehensively meets this need.”
A slightly comical detail is that a significant number of offices, offered on the website, are situated - yes you’ve guessed it - in Brussels’s European Quarter!
The Brussels Times
