ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA BENELUX explores the city of Antwerp

31. October 2023

Once again this year, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA's teams in The Hague and Brussels spent their 'incentive day' together, this time in the city of "A" (Antwerp). It was a sparkling day with lovely Indian summer weather and numerous impressions in the Flemish port city.

True to tradition, the teams of ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA in The Hague and Brussels, also known as 'ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Benelux', once again spent their incentive day together at the beginning of October. The teams waited for each other in the imposing hall of Antwerp-Centraal, which at the same time was the starting point of a guided tour with our German-speaking city guide on duty: Sabine.

Did you know that the impressive train station is popularly called "railway cathedral" because of the dome in the entrance hall? And that the height of the train hall (43m!) was originally intended to better disperse the smoke of the steam locomotives? After some explanation about the history of the building and the different architectural styles and influences, the group headed towards the diamond district and the city centre.

The city tour was followed by a warm welcome in the offices of Rail & Sea NV by Edwin Moehlig: honorary consul of Austria and Managing Director of the company. He gave the Benelux team a fascinating presentation on trade relations between Belgium and Austria and the role of the Port Authority of Antwerp-Bruges. He also cited the importance of the port as a (petro)chemical hub in Europe and for the export of goods and vehicles.

Edwin Moehlig's goal was to create more rail connections between the port of Antwerp-Bruges and Austria and, above all, to increase the frequency of rail transport. This would relieve road transport: a more environmentally friendly, and often even more efficient, mode of transport. Demand for the shuttle service between Antwerp and Linz is also on the rise.

After the presentations, it was time for snacks and drinks. The day ended in beauty with an interactive tour and beer tasting at brewery De Koninck, a true "institution" in Antwerp.

So the outing was another success this year. Not only did both ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA teams gain a few facts about the small country of Belgium, but they also had another opportunity to strengthen ties between the two offices: a good basis on which to build new, joint projects.