Facts & Figures

Key figures

This report in a nutshell

This report shows further progress in almost all indicators. And this is based on official data. The decoupling has clearly taken place: economic growth and job creation have gone hand in hand with environmental and climate improvements for years.

Jobs

Key provider of quality employment

95,500

direct jobs

220,000

indirect jobs

+6,500

jobs in last 5 years

Training

Investing in people, investing in the future

58,900

people participate in formal continuous training

64% of all employees
in the chemical and life sciences industry

Agreement by social partners in the sector
Investing in competence centers with the social partners

Safety

Good places to work, safe and well remunerated

Only 2%

of the total number of declared occupational illnesses in Belgium

+ 18%

gross salaries compared to other manufacturing sectors

Nearly half

the accident rate recorded for the manufacturing industry

Diversity

Diversity high on the agenda

28.7%

of the total workforce in the chemical and life sciences industry (average of manufacturing industry is 23.1%)

27,423 women

23,2%

Women account for 23,2% of all researchers in the sector
The social partners in the sector are committed to increase diversity and inclusion at work

Energy & Climate

Increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions

+ 62%

energy efficiency compared to 1995

- 50%

greenhouse gas emissions since 1995

Energy mix

Acidifying & Organic emissions

Drastically reducing acidifying and organic emissions

Acidifying emissions

SO₂ – NO_x – NH₃

- 59%

since 2001
(only 3% of the Belgian total)

Organic emissions

- 45%

since 2001
(only 8% of the Belgian total)

Industrial waste & packaging

Going circular

Only 4% of Belgian industrial waste

Almost 70% of all waste generated by the sector is being recovered

Only 4% of Belgian industrial packaging waste

52% of packaging is reusable

Water use

Every drop counts in the chemical and life sciences industry

Only 6%

of the total water used by the sector is drinking water

-25%

The use of drinking water has been reduced with a quarter since 2011

Export

Number 1 export sector in Belgium

36%

of all Belgian export

+25% since 2010

Number 3 in Europe for export
of chemistry & life sciences
40% of export outside EU

Innovation

Largest private investor in R&D

5.6 billion € in R&D expenses

Doubled in the last decade
Number 1 in Belgium: 2/3 of all industrial R&D expenses in Belgium

946 patent applications for chemistry & life sciences, a record high

40% of all Belgian patent applications
Highest share in the world for chemistry and life sciences in the number of patent applications

Taxes

A large contributor to the state budget

More than 5 billions € on taxes

The chemicals and life sciences industry contributes
56,000 € per employee to the state budget
(industrial average is 35,000 €)

Added value

A stronghold of the Belgian economy

20.8 billion € added value

36% of manufacturing industry in Belgium Well above the European average of 16%

Top 10
global companies

in the chemical and life sciences industry are located in Belgium

World ranking in sales
per inhabitant

Belgium is
number 1
in the world for chemicals,
number 4
for pharmaceuticals,
number 7
for plastics industry

Facts & Figures

Key figures

This report in a nutshell

This report shows further progress in almost all indicators. And this is based on official data. The decoupling has clearly taken place: economic growth and job creation have gone hand in hand with environmental and climate improvements for years.

Jobs

Key provider of quality employment

95,500

direct jobs

220,000

indirect jobs

+6,500

jobs in last 5 years

Training

Investing in people, investing in the future

58,900

people participate in formal continuous training

Safety

Good places to work, safe and well remunerated

Only 2%

of the total number of declared occupational illnesses in Belgium

+ 18%

gross salaries compared to other manufacturing sectors

Nearly half

the accident rate recorded for the manufacturing industry

Diversity

Diversity high on the agenda

27,423 women

Energy & Climate

Increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions

+ 62%

energy efficiency compared to 1995

- 50%

greenhouse gas emissions since 1995

Energy mix

Acidifying & Organic emissions

Drastically reducing acidifying and organic emissions

Acidifying emissions

SO2 – NOx – NH3

- 59%

since 2001 (only 3% of the Belgian total)

Organic emissions

- 45%

since 2001 (only 8% of the Belgian total)

Industrial waste & packaging

Going circular

Only 4% of Belgian industrial waste

Almost 70% of all waste generated by the sector is being recovered

Only 4% of Belgian industrial packaging waste

52% of packaging is reusable

Water use

Every drop counts in the chemical and life sciences industry

Only 6%

of the total water used by the sector is drinking water

-25%

The use of drinking water has been reduced with a quarter since 2011

Export

Number 1 export sector in Belgium

36%

of all Belgian export​

+25% since 2010

Innovation

Largest private investor in R&D

5.6 billion € in R&D expenses

946 patent applications for chemistry & life sciences, a record high

Taxes

A large contributor to the state budget

More than 5 billions € on taxes

The chemicals and life sciences industry contributes 56,000 € per employee to the state budget (industrial average is 35,000 €)

Added value

A stronghold of the Belgian economy

20.8 billion € added value

Top 10 global companies

World ranking in sales per inhabitant

Challenges

Indicators

Sector initiatives

The Global Goals

About the report

SO₂ – NO_x – NH₃

since 2001
(only 3% of the Belgian total)

since 2001
(only 8% of the Belgian total)

of all Belgian export

The chemicals and life sciences industry contributes
56,000 € per employee to the state budget
(industrial average is 35,000 €)

Top 10
global companies

World ranking in sales
per inhabitant