5th anniversary

On its 5th anniversary, the Business Club Belgium-Luxembourg (BCBL) organised an exclusive reception on 22 May 2023 in Brussels. Founded in 2017 a few years after its sister clubs based in Germany (2012) and France (2015), the BCBL is an initiative of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and the Luxembourg Embassy in Belgium. Meanwhile the network has grown steadily to become a leading platform for companies from both countries.

In the presence of the guests of honour, H.R.H. Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Minister of the Economy, Mr Franz Fayot, many economic actors and members celebrated the Club's anniversary at the Luxembourg Residence in Brussels. The Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the Kingdom of Belgium, H.E. Ambassador Stephan Müller, welcomed some one hundred guests who had gathered there specially to celebrate the strong bilateral trade relations. The founding Club, the Business Club Luxemburg-Deutschland, was represented by its Secretary General, Ms Julie Jacobs and its President, Mr Axel Gränitz, as well as by some members who came from Berlin to Brussels to meet their Belgian counterparts.

The Crown Prince of Luxembourg expressed his support to the network of business clubs and hopes it will extend to other partner countries of Luxembourg. Minister Fayot recalled the numerous partnerships and economic and commercial initiatives between the two countries. Both officials wished the Club every success for the next 5 years.

While H.E. Mr. S. Müller recalled the origin of the BCBL, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, Fernand Ernster, underlined the crucial role of such an initiative in strengthening bilateral trade relations.  Finally, the President of the Belgium-Luxembourg Business Club, Rik Vandenberghe, shared some personal experiences revealing his attachment to both countries and reaffirmed his commitment to the growth of the Club.

The recent launch of the sister business club in the UK in June 2022 perfectly reflects the success of the business networks as they continue to expand. The 4 clubs share the same mission, which is to bring together members, small and medium sized enterprises from both countries and to exchange best practices, providing exclusive network opportunities with a view to generate new partnerships.