There is even rumour of the end of the industrial era in Western Europe. In my view, this is nonsense and downright dangerous. Our welfare is largely based on industrial production, now and in the future. Banks and governments do not contribute added value to an economy.

What is the role of our governments? The government, as the saviour of the banks, has appropriated a key role in the economy. One positive is that the Flemish government intends to clarify and speed up permit policy. On the other hand, there is the tendency towards regulation which has led to a flurry of regulations and the accompanying checks. Because of the record number of new laws, there is a good chance that the quality of these laws is sub-par. This may have the unfortunate consequence that the "not in my backyard" syndrome leads to endless rounds of procedure for setting up industrial installations.

The trust between industry, the government and social partners is also unsatisfactory. There is a lack of a collective project. Leave that to our policy makers for now. Even so, there are plenty of positives. The realisation that employees are of paramount importance has given companies cause to focus on training and competency management. I give the establishment of Flanders Synergy as an expertise centre for innovative labour organisation as an example. Its objective is to create more effective organisation structures in which employees can make a maximum contribution.

At Grontmij Industry, too, there is a great deal of interest in developing technical talent, both within the company and in the classroom. We see helping young people to discover the passion and challenge of designing industrial systems as a social engagement.

Finally, I hope that cost management - now a priority for companies - does not lead to a reduction in the quality of the product or service, or the quality of relationships. The great challenge is to unite 'savings' with 'quality'. This can only be done if all partners make a commitment to more effective operation: achieving better results with the same effort.

Patrick Van de Velde
General Manager, Grontmij Industry