3,000 new jobs promised as former Audi Brussels site to become industrial hub

The former site of the Brussels Audi factory has finally secured a buyer in the form of Heylen Warehouses, following an agreement made in collaboration with the Brussels region.

The redevelopment of the site will enable SMEs and large companies to set up in the Forest location, with a stated aim of creating 3,000 new jobs in the long term to replace those currently considered lost as a result of the German car company’s departure in February 2025.

“Our shared commitment is to transform this site into an industrial hub open to the city, featuring a diverse ecosystem and fully integrated into the fabric of Brussels and Belgium,” said Laurent Hublet, regional minister for employment and the economy.

The project, called "Rings Park 21", is a mixed-use regeneration scheme that involves maintaining and developing industrial activities, providing spaces for SMEs and innovative businesses, partially opening the site to the public, and revitalising Forest-Midi station.

Which companies will set up there has not yet been decided, but Heylen Warehouses said that it was in discussions with a wide range of potential candidates, not just large international companies.

“The development of the site will be tailored to market needs. What the city, the neighbourhood and businesses are asking for will determine what is established there,” said Yordi Van den Brande, business development manager at Heylen Warehouses.

“It’s essential that the site offers a clear place for the local economy: SMEs, craftspeople and entrepreneurs who wish to grow within their own city. We are ‘open for business’ and invite anyone interested to get in touch.”

The parties are currently finalising the legal documents governing the transaction and no financial details have yet been disclosed.

When the Audi Brussels site closed last year, more than 3,000 workers and subcontractors lost their jobs. Just half of them had found new employment a year later.