Antwerp, 22 September 2026 – As part of a working visit to the Province of Antwerp, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Belgium Roman Vassilenko held meetings with the leadership of the Antwerp-Waasland Chamber of Commerce (VOKA), the City of Antwerp, The Beacon innovation and technology hub, and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The discussions focused on expanding trade and investment cooperation, developing the Middle Corridor, advancing digitalisation, and establishing direct links between the business and innovation ecosystems of Kazakhstan and Antwerp.

During the meeting with Luc Luwel, CEO of VOKA Antwerpen-Waasland, the parties discussed prospects for engaging companies from the region in projects in Kazakhstan in the fields of petrochemicals and the chemical industry, mechanical engineering, energy, logistics, advanced materials and the circular economy. It was noted that Antwerp’s industrial specialisation is well aligned with Kazakhstan’s priorities for industrial modernisation, the development of processing industries and the production of higher value-added goods.

Ahlers Logistics, Sarens and Jan De Nul were highlighted as successful examples of Belgian companies already implementing or developing projects in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh side invited VOKA to facilitate the engagement of new Antwerp-based companies, organise sector-specific business missions, and establish direct contacts with Kazakh partners and development institutions.

At Antwerp City Hall, during a meeting with Tom Verbelen, Director of External Relations and International Affairs, the parties explored opportunities for developing direct intermunicipal cooperation. Particular attention was paid to the digitalisation of public and municipal services, smart city technologies, artificial intelligence, urban mobility and sustainable development. The Kazakh side presented its experience in digital transformation, with around 90% of public services available online, as well as the development of fintech and digital solutions, including Kaspi.kz and biometric technologies.

At The Beacon innovation and technology hub, the Ambassador was introduced to Antwerp’s ecosystem of technology companies and start-ups. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, smart city and smart port solutions, industrial digitalisation, unmanned technologies and logistics. It was proposed to establish direct cooperation between The Beacon and Astana Hub, including start-up exchanges, technology matchmaking, joint acceleration programmes and pilot projects with the potential for subsequent scaling across Central Asia.

A separate focus of the visit was a meeting with Wim Dillen, International Development Manager at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The parties discussed the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) and the establishment of direct cooperation between the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Kazakhstan’s ports of Aktau and Kuryk.

Practical areas proposed for cooperation included the exchange of expertise in port infrastructure management and digitalisation, multimodal logistics, smart-port technologies, decarbonisation and the training of port specialists. The parties also considered opportunities for Kazakh specialists to receive training at specialised centres in Antwerp, as well as the potential use of Antwerp as a European logistics and distribution hub for Kazakh metals, critical raw materials, petrochemical and agri-industrial products. Looking ahead, it was proposed to consider a framework cooperation document between the ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Aktau and Kuryk.

The meetings also addressed the upcoming first State Visit of King Philippe of Belgium to Kazakhstan, scheduled for autumn 2026. Representatives of Antwerp’s business community were invited to participate in the Kazakhstan-Belgium Business Forum in Astana and to use the visit as an opportunity to establish new direct contacts with Kazakh companies and government institutions.

Following the visit, the parties confirmed their interest in moving from dialogue to concrete investment, technological and infrastructure projects, as well as in developing direct links between companies, ports, innovation hubs and municipal structures in Kazakhstan and Antwerp.

Background: The Province of Antwerp is one of Belgium’s and Europe’s major industrial, logistics and innovation centres. Its GDP amounted to approximately EUR 117.8 billion in 2024, representing around 19% of Belgium’s GDP (EUR 620.3 billion) and making the province one of the country’s largest economic centres. The regional economy specialises in port logistics, the chemical and petrochemical industries, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals, advanced technologies and innovation. The VOKA Antwerpen-Waasland industrial network brings together around 300 manufacturing companies, including BASF, INEOS, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Atlas Copco, Katoen Natie, Indaver and Umicore.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-brussels/press/news/details/1297745?lang=ru