EU acceptance required

Regions are the “powerhouses of Europe”

The port of Antwerp is the second largest in Europe(Bild: Andrea Kloimstein)

Belgium and Upper Austria are united by their love of cycling, beer and chocolates. But the Flanders region in the northern part of the kingdom and the Land ob der Enns have much more in common. In future, they want to work together on regional solutions in order to remain economically fit for the future.

The port of Antwerp in Belgium is the largest container port in Europe. Trains leave there several times a week for Linz to supply companies such as voestalpine with gas or raw materials.

Regions join forces
The country's strong economy was also one of the reasons why Upper Austria was invited to the "fit for future" conference in Antwerp. Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander (ÖVP) signed a joint declaration there with representatives from nine other innovative regions such as Flanders, Baden-Württemberg and Piedmont.

The aim: to develop regional solutions for research and competitiveness and to convince the EU to recognize regions as partners "as they are the powerhouse of Europe", said Haberlander.

Christine Haberlander presented EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn with Upper Austrian demands paper(Bild: TINA GERSTMAIR)

Dentists could soon be in short supply
But that was not the only request Upper Austria had in store for the EU. The Deputy Governor discussed supply problems in the healthcare sector, such as shortages of medicines, with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

There could also be a shortage of dentists in the long term, as many foreign students study at Austrian universities but then move back to their home countries. "The introduction of a quota system, as in human medicine, is more than necessary," says Haberlander. 75 percent of students should therefore have to have an Austrian school-leaving certificate again in future.

Family doctors in Belgium are extremely important
Health was also the subject of the visit to the recently opened ZNA Cadix Hospital in Antwerp, which, together with nine other locations, provides medical care in the Antwerp area.

Belgium relies heavily on GPs for outpatient treatment, which is also reflected in the number of patient contacts: last year, 72,500 people visited the ten locations of the ZNA hospital network, but 630,000 visited the outpatient clinics at the three locations of Kepler University Hospital Linz.

Operating theater in Antwerp hospital with large panoramic windows(Bild: Andrea Kloimstein)

Intensive care unit flooded with light
The Belgian hospital is also visually very different from those in Upper Austria. There are only stores and cafés on the ground floor. Only vending machines, where patients have to register themselves, indicate that this is a hospital. The intensive care unit and operating room are also different, as both areas are fully glazed and flooded with light - which is important for patients and staff.