AWEX briefs RRA members on Wallonia assets to tap into EU market31/07/2017

On Thursday 13 July, the Wallonia Export Investment Agency (AWEX) was invited by the Rail Road Association (RRA) to give a presentation to their members of the assets of the Wallonia region as a springboard to expand into the European rail market.  This initiative is a concrete result of the MoU that the Wallonia Trade Commission signed in June 2016 with the InvestSA arm of DTI, whereby both agencies agreed to work together in promoting investment in each other’s country.

After presenting the region and its strong arguments to attract potential foreign investors, Jean-Pierre Muller, head of AWEX Johannesbourg, and Claudine Vandenabeele, Trade & Investment advisor, focussed their presentation on the European rail market. It is important to highlight that this sector will experience continuous growth in the coming 5 years.

South African companies that are active in the rail industry should seriously consider exploring opportunities in Europe, by teaming up with local players or starting commercial operation in Wallonia. The Johannesburg office of AWEX can help in this process, by facilitating the contacts with potential partners and introducing the South African companies to local industry players. A participation to the trade exhibition Innotrans, taking place in September 2018 in Germany, could also offer a platform to present S.A. rail products and services to a very large audience.

In the coming weeks, AWEX Johannesburg will follow up this workshop with one-to-one meetings with S.A. companies that are keen to engage with us in order to enter the European market.

AWEX also intends to duplicate this workshop to other local professional federations that are eager to offer their members an insight into the European market.