Flemish minister president heads to Germany for industry mission
Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele will travel to Germany from Monday to Thursday on an industry mission. The aim is to strengthen business cooperation with Germany and showcase Flemish expertise in industrial innovation.
Germany is one of Flanders' most important economic partners. In 2024, Flemish exports to Germany totalled almost 70 billion euros, making it the number one export destination. The region also imported goods from Germany worth 47 billion euros in the same year.
German industry is currently undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy, from traditional car production to electrification, and from international dependence to European resilience.
"This transition offers plenty of opportunities for Flemish technology companies that focus on innovation, sustainability, and industrial transition," said Flanders Investment & Trade, which is organising the mission together with the Flemish Industry Forum and the region's Chancellery and Foreign Office department.
Future-proof
"This mission shows how Flanders and Germany are are working together to make European industry future-proof," said Diependaele. "By sharing knowledge and forging partnerships, we are accelerating innovation and sustainability."
Accompanied by around fifty representatives of companies and institutions, Diependaele will visit the federal states of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia. Key topics include artificial intelligence, robotics, the digitisation of production, the energy transition, the circular economy, new industrial models, and defence.
In Bavaria, the programme includes visits to the Airbus aircraft manufacturing company, the Züblin Timber wood processing company, the AB InBev brewery, the BMW car manufacturing company, and the Fraunhofer packaging specialist.
The delegation will then travel to North Rhine-Westphalia, the German state with the highest GDP. There, the delegation will visit the European Space Agency's astronaut training centre, the Evonik chemical company and the steel producer thyssenkrupp, among others.
Iron Rhine
In June, Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia reaffirmed their cooperation during a joint government meeting at the Port House in Antwerp. The two regions discussed the importance of reviving the Iron Rhine, a rail link between the port of Antwerp and the German Ruhr area via the Netherlands.
The joint candidacy for the Einstein Telescope was also discussed in June. This underground telescope measures gravitational waves and would be located in the tri-border area. Europe is expected to decide on the allocation later this year.
This is the first time that Diependaele has led an industry mission as minister president. In 2024, former Flemish minister president Jan Jambon led an initial industry mission to France.
#FlandersNewsService | Flemish minister president Matthias Diependaele © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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