- EIB and EIF make available €2.06 billion in loans, equity and guarantees for Belgian projects in 2024, with a focus on energy, innovation, SMEs – and climate.
- Continued EIB support for social infrastructure such as hospitals and water distribution, as well as venture debt for medical research and innovation.
- EIF supported microfinance and social entrepreneurship with guarantees, as well as pushing the digital transformation with equity investments in VC funds.
The European Investment Bank Group, consisting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and its subsidiary, the European Investment Fund (EIF), again recorded a high level of activity in Belgium and beyond. Worldwide, the Group signed close to €89 billion in new financing contracts for high-impact projects in support of EU policy priorities, of which nearly €51 billion for climate and environment financing.
In Belgium, the EIB Group contributed to projects that improve people’s daily lives - from upgrading drinking water infrastructure with De Watergroep in Flanders, to providing finance for SMEs, Midcaps and innovative scale-ups in Wallonia. Total financing in Belgium amounted to some €2.06 billion, of which €146.9 million through the EIF. Of the Group’s investment volume in Belgium, some 81% was climate relevant.
“Our investments in Belgium last year show that the green transition is still very much going forward. In this context, energy security is a key part of European autonomy, as we have seen what problems dependency on others can cause.” stated EIB Group vice-president Robert de Groot. “Looking ahead, we want focus on investing in projects that matter to people, for example affordable housing, the water sector and energy. Furthermore, Belgium has a flourishing biotech scene where our venture debt instruments are of great added value and which we will continue to support.”
The EIB Group’s overall commitment to investing in renewable energy and Europe’s energy security was reflected in Belgium as well, where over one third of total financing went to energy projects. Main beneficiary, with a €650 million loan, was the first phase of Elia’s Princess Elizabeth Island, which is set to become a key point in Belgium’s production and distribution of renewable energy, and as an interconnector will improve European security of supply.
Healthcare remained a key focus, with a €230 million loan to UZ Leuven’s health campus, further support for Antwerp’s “Ziekenhuis aan de stroom” and venture debt backing for medical research by Nyxoah to develop treatments for obstructive sleep apnoea.
The EIF continued its support for small and medium-sized enterprises in Belgium through guarantees, and by providing equity to investment funds. With backing from the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, the EIB Group's specialised financing branch supported growth funds such as Smartfin Capital, which targets transformative tech scale-ups that drive innovation, and M80 Capital, which launched a fund focused on the digital transformation of small and medium businesses.
EIB Group achieves record results in 2024, targets €95 billion in investments for 2025
Background information
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB) consists of the EIB and the EIF and is financial arm of the EU. Its shares are held by the 27 EU Member States, with 5.2% owned by Belgium. The EIB makes long-term financing available for investments that contribute towards the EU's policy objectives, the EIF supports European SMEs through guarantees, equity investments and microfinance.