Flanders industrial base shrinks by a quarter

Are we heading towards a post-industrial Flanders? New figures suggest that this may well be the case. In only a decade the share of industry in the Flemish GDP dropped by a quarter.
AP2014

Textiles, electronics and car assembly are identified as the sectors that have been most badly hit.

The daily De Tijd says that the demise of industry in Flanders is part of a global shift. In 1991 36% of the world's manufacturing was done in Europe, while the figure for Asia was 8%. Roles are now reversed with Europe responsible for a quarter of the world's industrial production and Asia good for 31%.

De Tijd says that in Belgium sectors like machinery production, food and chemicals are still buffeting the trend, but identifies a fourth industrial revolution taking place in countries like Germany, Sweden and Austria where smart digital technology is adding value.

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