Beyond producing some of the world's finest beer and chocolate, Belgium's industrial might is the engine of its economy, with the manufacturing sector alone generating a colossal €145 billion in output and employing over 750,000 workers to fuel its status as a global leader in everything from life-saving vaccines and cutting-edge chemicals to sustainable steel and gourmet food.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Belgium's manufacturing sector contributed 15.8% to the national GDP, employing over 750,000 workers with a total output value of €145 billion
- Belgium's total industrial electricity consumption reached 52.4 TWh in 2022, with manufacturing accounting for 68%
- Industrial production index in manufacturing rose 3.2% year-on-year in Q4 2023, driven by machinery output
- The Belgian chemical industry exported €58.2 billion worth of products in 2023, representing 28% of total Belgian exports
- The Antwerp petrochemical cluster processed 24 million tons of ethylene in 2023, leading Europe in production capacity
- Essenscia members' chemical plants operated at 92% capacity utilization in 2022, producing 18.5 million tons of base chemicals
- Belgium's pharmaceutical sector produced 45 million vaccine doses in 2022, with Janssen Pharmaceutica accounting for 60% of national production
- Belgium's biotech firms invested €2.1 billion in R&D in 2022, with 150 new patents filed in drug delivery systems
- GSK Vaccines in Rixensart manufactured 20 million doses of shingles vaccine in 2023
- ArcelorMittal Ghent steel plant produced 4.2 million tons of crude steel in 2023, utilizing 85% recycled scrap metal
- Umicore's Hoboken smelter recycled 350,000 tons of electronic waste in 2023, recovering 95% of precious metals
- Duferco La Louvière steel mill rolled 1.1 million tons of long products in 2022, with 40% for construction
- In 2023, the Belgian food processing industry generated €35.4 billion in turnover, with dairy products making up 22% of output
- Belgian breweries produced 1.8 billion liters of beer in 2023, exporting 80% to over 170 countries
- Cargill's Mechelen chocolate plant processed 250,000 tons of cocoa in 2023
Belgian industry is robust, with manufacturing growth fueled by strong chemical and pharmaceutical exports.
Chemicals and Petrochemicals
- The Belgian chemical industry exported €58.2 billion worth of products in 2023, representing 28% of total Belgian exports
- The Antwerp petrochemical cluster processed 24 million tons of ethylene in 2023, leading Europe in production capacity
- Essenscia members' chemical plants operated at 92% capacity utilization in 2022, producing 18.5 million tons of base chemicals
- BASF Antwerp site's steamcracker produced 1.4 million tons of ethylene in 2023
- Total chemical industry employment stood at 88,000 in 2023, with 25% in R&D roles
- Ineos Phenol plant in Jemeppe produced 1.1 million tons of phenol in 2023
- Solvay's Jemeppe site produced 850,000 tons of PVC in 2023
- Dow Chemical Antwerp cracker output: 1.5 million tons olefins in 2023
- Totalox's hydrogen peroxide plant in Ghent produced 420,000 tons in 2023
- Evonik Antwerp produced 300,000 tons of methionine in 2023
- LyondellBasell Wesseling site's butadiene output: 250,000 tons from Belgium feedstock in 2023
- Borealis Beringen polyolefins plant capacity utilization 95% in 2023, producing 400,000 tons
- Chemical sector R&D spend: €1.85 billion in 2022, 3.2% of turnover
- JSR Micro NV's photoresist production for semiconductors: 5,000 tons in 2023
- Chemical recycling plants in Flanders processed 50,000 tons plastic waste in 2023
- Air Liquide's hydrogen production in Antwerp: 100,000 tons in 2023
- DSM Engineering Materials' nylon production: 200,000 tons in 2023
- Trinseo polystyrene plant in Tessenderlo: 350,000 tons in 2023
- Neste renewable diesel plant in Rotterdam fed by Belgian olefins 100,000 tons equivalent in 2023
Chemicals and Petrochemicals Interpretation
While these numbers are staggeringly large, Belgium’s real chemical genius is in demonstrating that a country can be both an industrial juggernaut, generating over a quarter of its exports from a single sector, and a sophisticated, innovative lab, where a quarter of its workers are dedicated to turning those mountains of basic molecules into the advanced products of tomorrow.
Food Processing
- In 2023, the Belgian food processing industry generated €35.4 billion in turnover, with dairy products making up 22% of output
- Belgian breweries produced 1.8 billion liters of beer in 2023, exporting 80% to over 170 countries
- Cargill's Mechelen chocolate plant processed 250,000 tons of cocoa in 2023
- AB InBev's Leuven brewery output reached 500 million liters in 2023, with 70% Stella Artois
- Puratos Group's bakery ingredients production hit €1.2 billion revenue in 2023 from Belgium sites
- Lotus Bakeries produced 1.5 billion speculoos cookies in 2023 from Belgian factories
- Vandemoortele fats and oils production reached 400,000 tons in 2023
- Barry Callebaut processed 200,000 tons of Belgian chocolate in 2023
- Greenyard Frozen processed 800,000 tons of vegetables in 2023
- Soubry pasta production hit 100,000 tons in 2023 from Roeselare
- Tate & Lyle's starch plant in Mouscron output: 250,000 tons in 2023
- Rombouts coffee roasting output: 12,000 tons in 2023 from Antwerp
- Alpro plant-based milk output: 450 million liters in 2023 from Wevelgem
- Campina (FrieslandCampina) cheese production: 150,000 tons in 2023
- Sipef palm oil refining: 300,000 tons in 2023 from Belgium plants
- Vandeputte oat processing: 120,000 tons flakes in 2023
- Belcolade chocolate output: 50,000 tons in 2023
- Avebe potato starch output from Belgium: 80,000 tons in 2023
Food Processing Interpretation
While beer, chocolate, and speculoos may fuel Belgium's global reputation, the staggering industrial output—from millions of liters of plant-based milk to hundreds of thousands of tons of cocoa and vegetables—proves its quiet, serious mastery is in feeding the world on a massive, meticulously processed scale.
Manufacturing Sector
- In 2022, Belgium's manufacturing sector contributed 15.8% to the national GDP, employing over 750,000 workers with a total output value of €145 billion
- Belgium's total industrial electricity consumption reached 52.4 TWh in 2022, with manufacturing accounting for 68%
- Industrial production index in manufacturing rose 3.2% year-on-year in Q4 2023, driven by machinery output
- Manufacturing PMI for Belgium averaged 51.2 in 2023, indicating expansion in new orders
- Value added in Belgian manufacturing grew 2.8% to €42.5 billion in 2022
- Belgian manufacturing energy intensity decreased 4.1% from 2021 to 2022, to 0.32 toe per €1,000 value added
- Manufacturing turnover index increased 5.6% in 2023, led by electrical equipment at +12%
- Number of manufacturing enterprises in Belgium was 28,450 in 2022, with average size 26 employees
- Belgian manufacturing investment in machinery reached €12.3 billion in 2022
- Manufacturing productivity per hour worked was €52.1 in 2022, up 1.9%
- Share of high-tech manufacturing in total manufacturing: 12.4% in 2022
- Manufacturing orders backlog increased 7.2% to €25 billion in Q3 2023
- Recticel insulation materials production: 1.2 million m³ rigid foam in 2023
- Proximus datacenter (industrial cooling) efficiency: PUE 1.25 in 2023
- Manufacturing waste recycling rate: 92% in 2022, highest in EU
- Industrial robot density in manufacturing: 156 per 10,000 workers in 2022
- Manufacturing export share of GDP: 18.2% in 2023
- Memscap MEMS devices fab output: 1 million units in 2023 from Belgium
- GHG emissions from manufacturing fell 8.5% to 25 Mt CO2eq in 2022
- Average manufacturing wage: €48,200 gross annual in 2022
Manufacturing Sector Interpretation
For a country whose factories hum along on a diet of high efficiency and recycled waste, Belgium's manufacturing sector proves it can have its waffle and eat it too—producing hefty economic output and world-class tech while steadily trimming its energy and carbon footprint.
Metals and Engineering
- ArcelorMittal Ghent steel plant produced 4.2 million tons of crude steel in 2023, utilizing 85% recycled scrap metal
- Umicore's Hoboken smelter recycled 350,000 tons of electronic waste in 2023, recovering 95% of precious metals
- Duferco La Louvière steel mill rolled 1.1 million tons of long products in 2022, with 40% for construction
- NLMK Clabecq produced 800,000 tons of special steel profiles for automotive in 2023
- Aurubis Olen copper smelter treated 280,000 tons of concentrates in 2023
- Aperam Châtelet stainless steel output was 450,000 tons in 2022, with 60% exported
- Liberty Steel Liège rolled 300,000 tons of wire rod in 2023
- AM Global Talleres Mecánicos forged 120,000 tons of steel components in 2022
- Forges de Clabecq supplied 150,000 tons of railway steel in 2023
- OCAS metal research center tested 5,000 steel samples for offshore wind in 2023
- Valinox produced 80,000 nuclear fuel tubes in 2023
- OCAS developed 20 new high-strength steels for automotive, tested 10,000 hours fatigue in 2023
- LeBeau-Courally luxury firearms production: 500 units in 2023
- Bekaert steel cord production: 1.4 million tons for tires in 2023
- Sidmar (Arcelor) hot-rolled coil output: 2.8 million tons in 2023
- Van Merksteijn steel processing: 500,000 tons coated sheets in 2023
- Belval (ArcelorMittal) beam production: 1 million tons in 2023
- Madex steel furnace rebuild increased capacity 20% to 1.2 million tons scrap melt in 2023
- Full Metal Devil forged 20,000 custom bike frames in 2023
Metals and Engineering Interpretation
This collection of industrial output reveals a national economic backbone forged with equal parts recycled scrap, high-tech precision, and a surprising dash of bespoke motorcycles.
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
- Belgium's pharmaceutical sector produced 45 million vaccine doses in 2022, with Janssen Pharmaceutica accounting for 60% of national production
- Belgium's biotech firms invested €2.1 billion in R&D in 2022, with 150 new patents filed in drug delivery systems
- GSK Vaccines in Rixensart manufactured 20 million doses of shingles vaccine in 2023
- UCB Pharma's Braine-l'Alleud facility developed 15 novel biologics in 2022, investing €450 million in R&D
- Pfizer's Puurs plant filled 1.2 billion doses of Comirnaty COVID vaccine in 2022
- Sanofi Pasteur's Geel site manufactured 30 million flu vaccine doses in 2023
- Mithra Pharmaceuticals launched 8 new hormonal therapies in 2023 from Liège
- argenx's Ghent biologics plant produced 50,000 liters of monoclonal antibodies in 2023
- Biocartis developed 12 new IVD tests in 2023 from Mechelen
- Fagron sterile compounding output grew 25% to 2 million units in 2023
- Eurofins Biomnis processed 1.5 million clinical samples for pharma trials in 2023
- Galapagos' Leiden site (Belgium ops) advanced 4 Phase II trials in 2023
- Nycomed (Takeda) produced 200 million tablets in Belgium in 2023
- Ascendis Pharma's transcon tech licensed 3 products from Belgium R&D in 2023
- Catalent Pharma's sterile fill-finish: 100 million vials in 2023 from Belgium
- Lonza's viral vector production doubled to 500L capacity in 2023
- ImmunoVaccine Technologies (IMV) adjuvant production: 10 million doses in 2023 Belgium ops
- CureVac mRNA production partnership with Belgium firm: 50 million doses capacity 2023
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology Interpretation
Behind its unassuming facade, Belgium operates like a global pharmacist's backroom, quietly but indispensably concocting, bottling, and shipping billions of doses and breakthroughs that keep the world healthy.
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