About the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX)

We are the single partner for all Walloon companies wishing to expand internationally and for all foreign companies looking to establish themselves in Wallonia. We answer all your questions related to international trade. Across the globe, our teams assist you in your company’s internationalisation, enabling you to benefit from our support, advice, grants, financing, trade fairs, exhibitions, princely economic missions abroad, trainees trained in international trade, and many other services and forms of assistance.

Our mission

The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) is the single point of contact for any Walloon company seeking to expand internationally, and for any foreign investor wishing to establish or grow their activities in Wallonia.

Founded in 1998, AWEX is a public agency that places companies at the heart of its action. It combines on-the-ground expertise, regional proximity and a strategic international vision.

Our objectives

Develop the internationalisation of Walloon companies

Support every Walloon company, regardless of its sector or size, at every stage of its internationalisation.

Attract investment

Provide foreign investors with a turnkey solution to establish, grow and succeed in Wallonia.

Promote innovation and creativity

Connect Walloon stakeholders to major European and global innovation networks.

Train talent for internationalisation

Strengthen the skills of our talents and make them available to companies through immersion programmes such as Explort.

Highlight key sectors and the Walloon ecosystem

Promote our strategic sectors and value chains internationally through platforms such as Buy in Wallonia.

Promote the Wallonia.be brand

Deploy targeted territorial and sectoral promotion actions, in synergy with our partners, to strengthen Wallonia’s international visibility.

Our ambition

To be an accelerator of exports and a facilitator of investment by positioning Wallonia as an innovative, sustainable and globally connected region.

Our values

Universality : Micro-enterprises, SMEs, large companies – every internationally oriented business is welcome, regardless of its size or sector.
Trust : we build long-term relationships with our clients and partners.
Client focus : our services are tailored and personalised, based on active listening, client journeys and maturity assessments.
Quality : ISO 9001 certified since 2002, we are committed to a continuous improvement approach for our services
Results-driven culture : we continuously assess the impact of our actions to ensure their effectiveness and adapt our support accordingly.

Our governance

The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) operates on the basis of a five-year management contract signed with the Walloon Government. This framework defines our objectives, our performance indicators and the associated resources. It is implemented through an administration plan that is cascaded at all levels, down to the individual objectives of each staff member.

This governance model ensures strategic consistency, managerial accountability, and independent, regular evaluation.

As a public interest organisation, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) is equipped with:

a Board of Directors representing economic and institutional stakeholders
government supervision, exercised through the Minister responsible for foreign trade and foreign investment
annual budgetary control by the Court of Auditors.

Our resources

+400
staff members
2
headquarters (Brussels and Namur)
4
regional centres covering all Walloon provinces
+80
Economic and Commercial Counselors across 5 continents

Our programmes

To support Walloon companies in their international development and to welcome foreign investors under the best conditions, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) deploys a wide range of programmes structured around four complementary pillars:

1. Close human support, in Belgium and abroad

Our regional centres, located across Wallonia, are the first point of contact for companies looking to expand internationally. Our teams carry out maturity assessments, design personalised support pathways and ensure close follow-up.

Internationally, our network of over 80 Economic and Commercial Counselors (CEC), present on five continents, supports companies in their prospecting activities, identifies market opportunities, facilitates networking and assists with establishment projects.

This support is reinforced by geographical and sectoral experts based in Wallonia. Acting as internal reference points, they provide targeted strategic expertise, lead high value-added actions (complex missions, economic diplomacy, sectoral support), and ensure consistency between regional priorities and international market realities.

2. A diversified programme of actions, co-developed with companies

Each year, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) organises more than 140 business actions (trade fairs, missions, networking events, etc.) targeting high-potential markets and priority sectors. These actions are developed in close collaboration with companies, competitiveness clusters, sectoral clusters and federations. Particular attention is paid to innovation, future-oriented sectors and non-EU markets.

3. A comprehensive range of support schemes and services

The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) offers a wide range of financial support measures for internationalisation, accessible to eligible Walloon companies: support for prospecting, communication, establishment, certification and consultancy. These schemes are complemented by specialised services such as access to offices abroad, regulatory and tax support, as well as advice on international financing.

4. International immersion programmes

Through Explort, its flagship training and internship programme in international trade, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) trains more than 1,000 young people and job seekers each year. These trained talents are then made available to Walloon companies, strengthening their capacity to enter new markets and providing them with a valuable human asset for their international development.

Discover our services

Export

Export from Wallonia

Export supports Walloon companies in their expansion into international markets by providing personalised support, strategic advice and networking opportunities.

Invest

Invest in Wallonia

Invest in Wallonia attracts foreign investors to Wallonia by offering a favourable environment for growth, with comprehensive support to develop large-scale projects.

Explort