Antwerp has been named as one of the ten top growth cities in the world for economic potential by the Financial Times.
The ranking comes in the latest report by FDi Intelligence, the FT’s expertise centre on foreign investment. Brussels comes third for connectivity in the category of large cities, behind Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
The report divides the world’s cities into megacities (London, Tokyo), major cities (Singapore, Sydney), large cities (Seattle, Warsaw), and mid-sized and small cities (Rotterdam, Belfast).
Antwerp scores fourth place for connectivity and seventh place for economic growth potential in the latter category. It also picked up a Strategy Award for the chemical industry in the city.
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Explaining the rankings for Antwerp, FDi Intelligence refers to the city’s strategy for attracting foreign investment – especially in the fields of digital innovation, sustainable chemistry and retail. The city's digital marketing strategy was also praised by the jury, describing Businessinantwerp.eu as one of the most modern, functional and informative websites.
“The fact that Antwerp continues to score high in the field of connectivity highlights our role as the logistics heart of one of the most prosperous regions in the world,” said Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) in a statement.
“Our excellent connections to the world via the port, nearby airports, a strong rail and centrally located road network and a high-quality, rapidly expanding digital infrastructure is an asset that we will continue to exploit. We are also capitalising on our economic future with the Oosterweel works and extra capacity for the port.”
“The results we have achieved in these renowned rankings shows that our 'open for business' strategy is internationally appreciated,” said Claude Marinower (Open VLD), city councillor for the economy, work and innovation. “And we can be absolutely proud of that. We also want to position ourselves abroad as a dynamic and investment-friendly city.”
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
