A strategic development plan for the region

The region is focusing its development on ecosystems that have been identified as priorities for meeting local socioeconomic challenges.

In many respects, the Charleroi Metropolitan Area is a cradle of innovation. In addition to the pioneering mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering industries, our region is also where the visual have developed, as have activities related to crafts, tourism and leisure. The Metropolitan Area has succeeded in diversifying and today offers strong ecosystems to industrial companies, entrepreneurs and investors interested in the region.

The region is focusing its development on ecosystems that have been identified as priorities.   Ecosystems are multi-stakeholder organisations that structure, organise and cooperate around specific sectors. By concentrating and coordinating 4 key levers – Training, Research, Incubation and Infrastructure – the overarching ecosystem helps to create fertile ground for the multiplication of projects and their realisation, and to position the Charleroi Metropolitan Area as a region of excellence for these strategic sectors of the Metropolitan Area’s socioeconomic development.

  • Heath & bio: the Brussels South Charleroi Biopark hosts a unique ecosystem of scientific, clinical and commercial expertise with world-class facilities to create the perfect environment for drug research and development.
  • Advanced manufacturing: this ecosystem, embodied by A6K-E6K, aims to consolidate and accelerate the dynamics and growth of the technological and digital sectors at an emblematic location.
  • Food.C : the Charleroi Metropolitan Area’s agri-food dynamic seeks to structure the region’s production, processing, distribution and consumption activities
  • Social innovation: FACTORI (Fabrique d’Actions Collectives Territoriales Orientation, Reconversion, Inclusion) gathers close to 80 partners working closely in collaborative  projects to promote socio-professional integration
  • Cleantech, or how to industrialise innovation for a sustainable transition in the face of the climate emergency.

In support of the ecosystems, a number of cross-sectional priority axes are being worked on at the level of the Metropolitan Area. These are aimed at providing better living conditions for citizens, enhancing the attractiveness of the region, improving mobility, developing the training and educational offering, working towards a more sustainable and resilient Metropolitan Area, and providing support for project promoters that promote the socioeconomic development of the region.                    

The Metropole is also typified by a highly specialist range of services linked to crafts, tourism and leisure, which are concentrated around the rural centres of the region.