Essay - Changing Patterns of Economic Development in a Developed Country (Belgium)

Industrial development in any region changes over time. Industries usually experience growth, maturity and decline. The life cycle of a manufacturing industry may last for several decades or until all of the natural resources in the area are depleted.

The coalfields in the Sambre-Meuse valley in Wallonia, Belgium were a major source of energy and the basis for industrial development between the 19th and mid-20th centuries. They are now in decline, mostly as a result of over-exploitation during the Industrial Revolution

Coal mining took off in the early 1800s, with around 250 coal mines producing over 30 million tonnes per year at their peak

Along with being a source of energy, coal was a primary component for the chemical and synthetic textile industry. The coals seams also contained iron ore which was the raw material from the iron and steel industries. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the concentration of activities such as coal mining, steel production, engineering, chemicals, glass and textiles made the Sambre-Meuse valley one of the most heavily industrialised regions in the world. A continuous line of industrial centres developed along the coalfields at Mons, Namur, Charleroi Liege and La Louviere.

By 1995, the best coal seams were exhausted, with production declining steadily and the last coal mine closing in 1984. The associated industries naturally also went into decline, with many eventually forced to cease operations too, causing widespread unemployment.

Therefore, many of the young people migrated to Brussels and Flanders in search of better and more stable job opportunities

The Belgian gov and the EU have since provided funding to modernise the steel industry, to retrain workers, improve transport infrastructure, protect the environment and attract new industries to the region. In spite of all this however, industrial employment has been halved since 1975 and the depressed region has not attracted high value service industries since

As a result, the core region of Belgium’s economy shifted from Wallonia to Flanders

Since the 1960s, Flanders has experienced significant economic growth. It has attracted many modern footloose industries such as business, finance and tourism to set up there. Reasons for its growth include its central location, decent transport and telecommunications infrastructure, links to other EU countries, easy access to Antwerp (Europe’s third largest port), a young, highly educated workforce and the decision to open a major steel industry in Zelzate, making it the main steel producing region in Belgium.