Antwerp is a city of 520,500 inhabitants located in Belgium known for its dense startup ecosystem of around 400 startups and scaleups. The city government plays a prominent role in supporting innovation through programs like StartupVillage, BlueChem, The Beacon, and BHIC. Antwerp has a vision of becoming the Capital of Things by stimulating entrepreneurship, providing incubation and acceleration resources, enabling testing and commercialization through initiatives like City of Things, and helping companies grow and internationalize and connect to markets. Key industries in Antwerp include being the number 2 port in Europe, having the largest oil and chemicals cluster in Europe, and being the top diamond and retail center in Belgium.

1. me Convention Stockholm
Startup City Program
05/09/2018Katleen De Naeyer

2. Where could you know Belgium from?

3. Where could you know Antwerp from?

4. • 520 500 inhabitants
• 166 different nationalities
• Pocket sized metropolis
• Dense ecosystem
• Appr 400 startups en scaleups
• Several incubation and acceleration programs
• City of Antwerp plays prominent role in BHIC, BlueChem, The Beacon,
StartupVillage
Some facts & figures

5. Economic passport: engines
No 2
Port of
Europe
PORT
No 1 Oil &
Chemical
cluster of
Europe
Oil&Chemical cluster
No 1
Diamond
center of
the World
Diamond
No 1 Retail
destination
of Belgium
Retail

6. Economic passport: engines
No 2
Port of
Europe
PORT
No 1 Oil &
Chemical
cluster of
Europe
Oil&Chemical cluster
No 1
Diamond
center of
the World
Diamond
No 1 Retail
destination
of Belgium
Retail

7. Economic passport: engines
No 2
Port of
Europe
PORT
No 1 Oil &
Chemical
cluster of
Europe
Oil&Chemical cluster
No 1
Diamond
center of
the World
Diamond
No 1 Retail
destination
of Belgium
Retail

8. Economic passport: engines
No 2
Port of
Europe
PORT
No 1 Oil &
Chemical
cluster of
Europe
Oil&Chemical cluster
No 1
Diamond
center of
the World
Diamond
No 1 Retail
destination
of Belgium
Retail

9. INNOVATION CLUSTERS
Circulaire
economie
Digital innovation
Circular economy
InternetofThings

10. • No fixed plan
• Strong vision and leadership
• Government as a partner and matchmaker
• Connecting with the market and research partners
Vision

11. Capital of Things

12. 4 tracks
Digital innovation
1. Stimulate entrepreneurship
2. Incubation & acceleration
3. Testing &
commercializing
4. Growth &
internationalization

13. TakeOffAntwerp: student entrepreneurship
Stimulate entrepreneurship
Matchmaking events
overzicht tech events Antwerpen 2018
Starter talks

14. Incubation & acceleration
- Start it @ KBC
- IMEC.istart
- The Cofoundry
- LOGIN
- Duval Union
- The Birdhouse
- Netwerk
ondernemen
- Co Station
- Port XL
- BHIC
- Blue Chem

15. •
Testing & commercializing
City of Things:
iot living lab
Smart zone
1e 3 use cases:
1. Smart lighting
2. Smart delivery
3. Safe crossing
Buy from Start-ups

16. Growth & internationalization
StartupVillage
Innovation vouchers
International missions
B-DNA Signapore

17. The Beacon

18. New innovative businesses

19. Events / calls
• 04-07/09: Europe Biobank Week
• 27-30/09: Supernova
• 27/09: opening The Beacon
• 11-13/10: Chainport hackaton
call StartupVillage
call The Beacon
open call Synchronicity
open call BHIC

20. Antwerp as a prime location
Business & Innovation
contact B&I: Katleen De Naeyer
katleen.denaeyer@stad.antwerpen.be
tel. +32 (0)499 771174
Investdesk
invest@stad.antwerpen.be
tel. +32 (3) 338 65 20