Belgian Economic Mission to the west coast of the USA

From 4 to 11 October 2025, Erik Vandebroek, Business Development Specialist, represented Credendo at the Belgian Princely Economic Mission to San Francisco and Los Angeles, presided over by HRH Princess Astrid. The USA is renowned for its dynamic economy and presents a wealth of business opportunities. Its strong economic foundation, driven by sectors such as renewable energy, life sciences, technology (AI), maritime and agri-food, closely matches Belgium’s own strategic interests and values. During this particular economic mission, there was a lot of focus on the defence industry as well.

The mission was organised by the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency in collaboration with the three regional foreign trade agencies and the FPS Foreign Affairs. It fostered valuable connections between Belgian exporters and American companies, and provided a platform to discuss Credendo’s solutions and explore new partnerships.

It is clear that Belgium is home to numerous innovative, sustainable, technological and logistical companies. Their participation in many of the seminars and visits underlined this. A selection:

• the panel discussion ‘West coast meets west coast’, highlighting Belgian innovative companies such as Netalux, active in the field of laser cleaning and serving as a prime example of Belgian technological expertise abroad;
• the workshop at Gensler’s headquarters in San Franciso with a focus on the circularity of building materials and sustainable design;
• seminars with a focus on AI, open innovation, smart cities and the exploration of Belgian contributions to sustainable city development;
• visits to the Port of Long Beach and the Los Angeles APMT terminal, where a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Port of Los Angeles;
• speeches by, among others, Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken, VITO CEO Inge Neven and representatives of Barco.

Two main conclusions can be drawn from this mission. First, AI is truly everywhere, especially in San Fransico. Second, Belgian start-ups and scale-ups are facing more difficulties in attracting financial means in comparison to their US counterparts, who understand better that innovation goes hand in hand with potential failure. Belgian exporters, however, are highly valued for their continuous drive for innovation.