How to be part of the Shifting Economy?

With multiple crises going on in the world, the need for economic transition has become clearer than ever. Worldwide economy and different industries are part of the environmental problem we are facing now. A problem in which they’re part of the solution. And that’s where the Shifting Economy Strategy steps in.

The Shifting Economy is a transition initiated by the Brussels regional government. It’s a strategy through which they aim to create new economic opportunities that provide local and quality employment.

Shifting Economy Week

In November 2023, the Shifting Economy Week took place. A program full of conferences, debates, talks, company visits, workshops, networking events etc. Entrepreneurs discussed and discovered how economic objectives and environmental objectives can be aligned. 

How start-up play a part

A special focus throughout the Shifting Economy goes to start-up companies. During the launch of the initiative some weeks ago, state secretary Barbara Trachte, put start-up companies and entrepreneurs in the spotlight as ‘pioneers who can be exemplary in environment and social terms’. 

Your role in this

The question is, how can you, a starting entrepreneur, be part of the Shifting Economy?

The first part of the answer might be obvious. Being at the beginning of setting up your business, you are not only a pioneer in your field. Right from the start you can decide whether you want to align economics with sustainable objectives as an integrated part of your business plan. Making the transition within an existing company is a bigger challenge than calculating it in from the start. 

The second part is just as straight forward, even though getting there might seem less obvious. Make sure to surround yourself with like minded entrepreneurs; get the right support and stay focused. How?

Successful start-ups such as Movify, Agifly, Snappies, Innovation Sprint and Thread & Lift are active in very different sectors but they have one thing in common. If their initial goal was to set up an innovative business, they all realized that they could not do everything themselves and that they wanted to become part of a strong ecosystem. That’s why they decided to become part of Incubators Brussels: Greenbizz, BLSI, ICAB or EEBIC. 

Incubators offer top-level infrastructure at competitive conditions and with flexible formulas adaptable to the growth of your start-up. While you stay focussed on your business, all other hassle is taken care of professionally and with one transparent bill at the end of the month.

Thanks to an internal network of like minded entrepreneurs within the same sector, incubators also offer deep ecosystem contacts. Each of our incubators has a focus on one key sector for innovation: BLSI on Life Science, Greenbizz on sustainable and circular economy and ICAB on Hi Tech. EEBIC is a multisector incubator having its own seeding funds to support start-ups with specific financial needs. 

Deep ecosystem contacts also go beyond the incubator. Thanks to a vast network and contacts that are built between and around our incubators, you will easily find the right person for any type of issue: regulatory issues, funding…

From your first steps as an entrepreneur, to becoming a sustainable company that can fly on its own, the path isn’t easy. That’s why each of our incubators offer specialized coaching programs with possibilities of individual and/or group coaching.