International recognition: Financial Times praises Antwerp as an investment hub

FDi Intelligence published their European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025/26 rankings. The Financial Times’ research center again ranks Antwerp second in the category of fDi Strategy (cities with up to 2 million inhabitants). Moreover, Antwerp has improved its position in all key categories compared to last year:

• 5th place in Connectivity
• 7th place in Economic Potential
• 8th place overall

Antwerp's success is not a one-time achievement. For the fourth year in a row, the city has received praise in the fDi Intelligence rankings, the research center of the Financial Times. This consistent recognition is a testament to Antwerp's stability and continuous growth.

In collaboration with partners like the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the University of Antwerp, the city focuses its investment strategy on key sectors such as sustainable chemistry, energy transition, and digital innovation. This approach has attracted significant foreign investments, including:

• Recent projects by Fairbrics, Aquature Ltd., and PureCycle Technologies
• €1.5 billion investment by Vioneo in a green plastics production plant
• €3 million investment by TripleW in NextGen Demo
• Power2Hydrogen project, also in NextGen Demo

Read more about Fairbrics and its revolutionary solution.

PureCycle is the solution. Antwerp is the answer.

In 2023, Antwerp secured €1.2 billion in foreign investments across 36 projects, representing 23% of total foreign investments in Flanders. At the provincial level, €1.7 billion was invested in 86 projects, creating 1,178 new jobs. Antwerp remains the most attractive investment region in Flanders and continues to rank highly at the European level.

The key driver of this success is that Antwerp has heavily invested in an innovative ecosystem, where the port, universities, and hubs like The Beacon, Dunden, BlueChem, Blue App, NextGen District, and NextGen Demo reinforce each other. This network supports businesses from research to commercialization, positioning Antwerp as a leading ‘Innovation Powerhouse’ with a strong competitive edge in Flanders and Europe. Notably, this ecosystem has led to the successful commercialization of numerous research projects and the establishment of several high-growth startups.