Uni Rotterdam 29-11-06

“Active in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine” KvK Zuid-Limburg A local economic actor in a European context

The Euregio Meuse-Rhine • one of the oldest border-crossing cooperations in Europe (since 1976)

V L A A M S G E W ES T (P r o v i n c i e L i m bu r g )

Z UI D - L I MB U RG RE G I ON A A C H E N (K a m me r b e z i r k d e r I H K A a ch e n )

N ederla nd B el g ien

D E U T S C H-

R E G I O N WA L L ON N E ( Pr o v i nc e L i èg e )

S PR A C H IG E G EM E I NS C HA F T

• 3 countries - Belgium - the Netherlands - Germany • 5 partner regions - Belgian province of Limburg - Belgian province of Liège - Germanspeaking Community of Belgium - region of Aachen in Germany - Dutch region South-Limburg • 3 languages - Dutch / Flemish - French - German

Euregio Meuse-Rhine • 10.478 km² • 3.7 million inhabitants V L A A M S G E W ES T (P r o v i n c i e L i m bu r g )

• 355 inhabitants/km²

Z UI D - L I MB U RG RE G I ON A A C H E N (K a m me r b e z i r k d e r I H K A a ch en )

N ederla nd B el g ien

D E U T S C H-

R E G I O N WA L L ON N E ( Pr o vi nc e L i èg e)

S PR A C H IG E G EM E I NS C HA F T

• over 250.000 companies • 1.537.000 workers, including 30.000 cross-border workers • GRP 2000 € 112 billion: more than half the GRP of Denmark - GRP Portugal € 145 (10 million inhabitants) - GRP Ireland € 67 billion (5.2 million inhabitants)

Euregio Meuse-Rhine •

in the heart of the central European regions

• on the crossroads of axes of economic development in the EU • the nucleus and driving force of European integration

Euregio Meuse-Rhine 2 international airports: • Maastricht Aachen Airport - 385.000 passengers in 2005 - 82.000 tons of freight in 2005 • Liège Airport - 200.000 passengers in 2004 - 400.000 tons of freight in 2004 - 8th largest cargo airport in Europe

Euregio Meuse-Rhine 3 inland ports: • Port Autonome de Liège - second largest river port in Europe - 20 million tons transshipped goods per year • Haven Genk NV - transshipping capacity in 2003: 100.000 tons • River Port Maasbracht - second largest river port in the Netherlands 6 cargo terminals

Euregio Meuse-Rhine High speed trains Thalys (stops in Liège and Aachen) and ICE offer excellent conditions to Brussels, Paris, London, Cologne and Frankfurt.

Euregio Meuse-Rhine 5 universities • Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen - 10 faculties / 29.600 students in 2005 - one of the largest technical universities in Europe • Université de Liège - 8 faculties / 17.000 students in 2005 • Universiteit Hasselt - 6 faculties / 2.751 students •Universiteit Maastricht - 7 faculties / 11.600 students in 2003 • Open Universiteit Nederland - 6 faculties / 18.500 students in 2005

Euregio Meuse-Rhine • 15 universities of applied sciences • Numerous leading research institutes: - Research Centre Jülich - Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT Aachen - Centre Spatial de Liège (ESA-test centre) - DSM Research Sittard-Geleen • Technology Centres / Parks: - Technologiepark Herzogenrath - Parc Scientifique du Sart Tilman, Liège - Wetenschapspark Diepenbeek - Chemelot Chemical and Sciences

Euregio Meuse-Rhine High quality environment for living, working and leasure • • • • • • •

natural landscapes interesting cities culture and history health resorts and spa facilities museums and theatres hotels and restaurants touristic highlights

Euregio Meuse-Rhine important companies • Dutch Limburg

• Belgian Limburg

• Province of Liège

• Regio Aachen

-

DSM / SABIC / Chemelot Océ Nedcar Vebego Int./Hago Vodafone

- Cockerill Sambre/Arcelor - Laurenty - Herstal Group (FN/Techspace Aero) - CMI - TNT

-

Ford Genk Ugine & ALZ Borealis Polymers Ikea Distribution Benelux Luminus Sparkasse AC Lindt & Sprüngli Zentis Continental Grünenthal

Euregio-Chambers

Euregio-Chambers Goals • Purely national oriented economy is outdated in

the age of European integration: close cooperation between CCI’s in the border regions is self-evident

• Co-operation between the Euregio-Chambers has added value for Euregional trade and industry and benefits the Chambers (synergy)

• Task CCI’s:

- develop border region into European model region - creation of one Euregional ‘home market’ and identity

Objective CCI ZL

• Promotion of the economic interests of the trade, industry, handycrafts and services in the region

• Public organisation

Task CCI ZL

• Public Registration: Compagny register • Information and advice • Stimulate regional economic development

Organisation CCI ZL Maastricht • Main office: 70 p. (55 fte) • Employment: • Annuel budget: 7 mio. € • General board (employers and employees)

• Merging with CCI Limburg-North

Euregional Activities

• Action Programme Interreg II: “Doing

Business in the Euregio” - 1998 -2001 • aimed at making companies aware of the possibilities the Euregio offers for doing business • Activities: - joint actions / lobby / promotion - Euregional Information and Advice - Euregional Trade Promotion

Euregional Activities

• Action Programme Interreg III: “Euregional

Business Platform” - 2002-2005 • aimed at networking Euregional companies and promoting the Euregio as international home market • Activities: - promotion on the Euregional economy - economic growth through cooperation and clustering

Highlights Euregional activities • Description Euregional Infrastructure: Euregio Atlas (digital and print)

• Euregio Vision 2015: Orientation and Prospects

Highlights Euregional Activities

• Brochure Euregio-Chambers

• Roadmap Euregio Meuse-Rhine

Highlights Euregional Activities www.euregiochambers.com

• From 4.000 to 34.400 hits per month • Euregional and international audience

Highlights Euregional Activities Highlights joint website:

• Euregional Business

Network transnational database with 70.000 companies

• Euregional Business

Newsletter 19 editions of the electronic newsletter to 9.000 companies

Highlights Euregional Activities

• Euregional Business Forum, in-company

sessions: 3 editions with 115 participants; • Thematic Euregional Businesslunches and seminars: 3 editions with 200 participants; • Sectoral Euregional Businesslunches, 5 editions with 170 participants; • One-day visits to fairs, 8 times with 480 participants; • 2 Fact-finding missions to China, 52 participants.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION