Wallonia si the second most important region of the country with 3.546.000 inhabitants (32% of total population) for 16.884 km2. French is the reference language.

 

Main cities are Namur (its capital city), Charleroi, Liège, Mons, Tournai, Verviers, Wavre, Arlon and Nivelles.

 

The region often highlights its position « in the heart of Europe ».  Indeed, it is near Brussels, capital city of Europe, and London, Amsterdam, Paris and Köln.

 

Should we think about fundamental or applied research, Wallonia is well known as a region at the top edge of technology development. This is well deserved according to the quality and density of its higher level education : 130 specialized schools, 9 universities grouped in 3 academies (in Wallonia and Brussels), where thousands of students come each year, including a lot of foreign students and PhD students. Not less than 13.000 researchers work for the French-speaking universities and 700 doctorates are awarded each year. Several international awards and distinctions have been allocated to dozens of researchers and scientists at the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, including recently in 2013 the Nobel Prize in Physics to François Englert. 

 

In 2013, Wallonia's GDP was around 88.411 million euros (source IWEPS). Companies in Wallonia are oriented towards export, representing 70% of their turnover.

 

The main business sectors are :

 

Industry

• Chemistry

• Steel industry 

• Glass industry

• Goods

• Agro-industry

 

 

Services

• Transportation

• Logistics