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🇧🇪 Belgium /Economy & Trade

Gent Surges Ahead: More Jobs Created Than Other Flemish Cities, Start-ups and Scale-ups Valued at €61 Billion

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Gent is creating more jobs annually than other Flemish cities and the Flemish average, driven by its technology and innovation sectors.
  • The city attracts significant foreign investment, with 41 projects in 2025 alone contributing nearly 1,800 jobs, representing one-third of Flanders' foreign-funded job creation.
  • Start-ups and scale-ups in the digital technology sector are providing a substantial economic boost, with these companies collectively valued at 61 billion euros.

Gent is emerging as a powerhouse of job creation in Flanders, outperforming both Antwerp and the regional average. This remarkable growth is largely fueled by a dynamic combination of the technology and innovation sectors, a robust port economy, and a burgeoning ecosystem of start-ups and scale-ups. These new ventures, particularly in digitech, are not just creating jobs; they are generating immense economic value, with the city's start-up and scale-up scene now collectively valued at an impressive 61 billion euros.

Direct foreign investment plays a crucial role in this success story. In 2025, Gent secured 41 foreign investment projects, totaling over half a billion euros and generating nearly 1,800 jobs. This accounts for a significant one-third of all foreign-funded jobs announced across Flanders, underscoring Gent's attractiveness to international businesses. As Alderman Sofie Bracke (Voor Gent) notes, "The new digital technology companies are providing an enormous economic boost; the growth has been spectacular." This sentiment is echoed in the data, with three-quarters of announced jobs directly linked to the thriving technology and innovation landscape.

The new digital technology companies are providing an enormous economic boost; the growth has been spectacular.

· Sofie BrackeAlderman Sofie Bracke (Voor Gent) highlights the impact of digital technology companies on Gent's economy.

While Gent has historically benefited from strong industrial and biotech sectors, the recent surge in digital technology companies marks a new era of economic expansion. The area around Ghent University's technology park in Zwijnaarde is becoming a hub for research and development, attracting international firms and investors with 10 planned projects. Similarly, the port of Gent is a significant contributor, with 10 new projects expected to create 700 jobs. This multi-faceted growth strategy, encompassing technology, industry, and logistics, positions Gent as a leading economic center in Belgium, attracting talent and investment from across the globe.

If you say technology in Belgium, you automatically say Gent. You can see that in the figures too.

· Sofie BrackeAlderman Sofie Bracke emphasizes Gent's prominent position in Belgium's technology sector.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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