The most important companies that bring expats to Antwerp
Antwerp is one of Europe's key economic centres. The city has the second-largest port on the continent, the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe and a global hub for the diamond trade. As a result, thousands of engineers, project managers and specialists from abroad work here, often for a few months or a few years.
Quick answer: the biggest international employers in Antwerp are in the port and chemicals (BASF, INEOS, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Borealis), in shipping and logistics (CMB, CMB.TECH, Exmar, PSA, DP World, MSC, Katoen Natie) and in the diamond trade. In the wider region, Agfa-Gevaert, Umicore and Janssen Pharmaceutica are major employers too.
Bringing staff or a project team to Antwerp? Globexs houses teams of 1 to 50 people in furnished apartments, all-in, from 1 to 11 months. See how corporate housing in Belgium works.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges was formed in 2022 when the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge merged. It is the second-largest port in Europe and the engine of the Antwerp economy. Hundreds of companies work around it in cargo handling, storage and distribution.
PSA Antwerp, DP World Antwerp Gateway and MSC PSA European Terminal operate the large container terminals on both banks of the Scheldt.
Katoen Natie, headquartered in Antwerp, is one of the largest logistics providers in Belgium and works on every continent.
For anyone coming to work here, the terminal's location matters: part of the port is on the right bank, part on the left bank.
The Port of Antwerp is home to the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe. Companies supply each other with raw materials through pipelines, which makes the cluster unique and keeps attracting new investment.
BASF Antwerp is the largest chemical production site in Belgium and the second-largest site of the BASF group worldwide. Almost 3,700 people work there.
INEOS is building Project One in the port, an ethane cracker worth about EUR 4 billion. Around 2,500 people from some 80 contractors work on site, and start-up is planned for the second half of 2027.
TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil each run a refinery in the port.
Borealis, Covestro and Evonik are among the other large chemical companies in the port area.
Major maintenance shutdowns and construction projects regularly bring hundreds of extra technicians to the city, often for a few weeks to several months.
Antwerp has always been a shipping city, and several shipowners have their head office here:
CMB (Compagnie Maritime Belge), one of Belgium's oldest shipping companies.
CMB.TECH, known as Euronav until October 2024, with a fleet of tankers, bulk carriers and ships running on hydrogen and ammonia.
Exmar, specialised in gas shipping.
Around Antwerp Centraal Station lies the diamond district, one of the world's main centres for the rough diamond trade. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) represents the sector. Traders, cutters and buyers often come on rotation and look for a home within walking distance of the station.
Agfa-Gevaert has its head office in Mortsel, just outside the city.
Umicore runs one of the world's largest precious metals recycling plants in Hoboken.
Janssen Pharmaceutica, part of Johnson & Johnson, has its main research site in Beerse, in the province of Antwerp.
The Antwerp economy runs on projects. A shutdown, a new plant or a temporary assignment in the port means a team has to be on site quickly, often with staggered arrival dates and an end date that may move.
Choose the district by the work site. Merksem and Ekeren are closest to the northern terminals and the chemical cluster, Linkeroever to the left-bank sites, Het Eilandje to the port authority and shipping companies. More in our guide to the best districts in Antwerp.
Start early in autumn. September is the busiest month, as many projects start after the summer.
Plan for changes. Teams change composition, and stays get extended or cut short.
Rent out your apartment with Globexs
Globexs started in Antwerp and has rented furnished apartments in the city since 2009. For companies, that means:
teams of 1 to 50 people, spread over apartments in the same district;
one all-in monthly price, energy included;
contracts from 1 to 11 months, extended with one email;
if an employee changes, the contract stays in place and an addendum with the new tenant's name is enough;
the employee only needs an identity document, with no payslips and no Belgian bank account.
Housing a team in Antwerp? See our furnished apartments in Antwerp or read how corporate housing in Belgium works.
The biggest employers are in the port and chemicals: BASF, INEOS, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and Borealis. There are also large shipping and logistics companies such as CMB, CMB.TECH, Exmar, PSA, DP World and Katoen Natie, and the diamond sector around Antwerp Centraal.
Because of the port, the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe, the central location between Rotterdam, Brussels and the Ruhr, and an internationally minded labour market.
Often in Het Eilandje, Merksem, Ekeren or Linkeroever, depending on where the site is. Families also choose Berchem, Zurenborg or Het Zuid.
Yes. Globexs houses teams of 1 to 50 people in Antwerp, with one all-in monthly price and contracts from 1 to 11 months.
