Heylen to Acquire Former Audi Brussels Site, Targeting 3,000 New Jobs
Heylen Warehouses' Acquisition and Economic Impact
Acquisition Announcement
Sept 1 (Reuters) - Belgian property company Heylen Warehouses will take over Audi's former plant in Brussels with the goal of restoring 3,000 jobs to the site, said Brussels' regional economy minister Laurent Hublet on Tuesday.
Official Statement from Brussels' Regional Economy Minister
• "We have someone to take over the biggest industrial site in Brussels. This company is Heylen. It's a Belgian company which will aim to bring back activities to this site and make it a key economic driver for Brussels," Hublet told RTBF public television.
Job Creation Goals
• "Our aim is to have 3,000 jobs on this site in three to five years," Hublet said.
Background on the Audi Brussels Site
Closure of the Plant
• Volkswagen — the parent company of Audi — closed the site in February 2025.
Reasons for Closure
• The site, located in the city's Forest district, had been hit by low demand for Audi's electric luxury SUV Q8 e-tron.
Volkswagen's Broader Strategy
Measures Under Consideration
• Volkswagen is considering measures that could double the planned number of job cuts, close factories and carve out parts of the business as it seeks to revive profits and fend off competition from Chinese rivals.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
