Direct Access to Brussels, Zaventem Airport and Charleroi
Hauts-de-France benefits from a direct road connection to Belgium’s main logistics hubs. The E19 links Lille to Brussels in under 1h30, with fast access to the ring (R0) and the business zones of Flemish Brabant (Vilvoorde, Machelen, Zaventem, Anderlecht). Brussels Airport (Zaventem), a major international air freight hub, is reachable in under 2 hours for express dispatch. Charleroi Airport, growing fast on cargo traffic, sits at equivalent distance.
For businesses whose products transit regularly between France and Belgium, this positioning reduces transport costs and delivery times to Brussels and Flemish clients. Trucks serve Brussels, Antwerp and the full Belgian market from Hauts-de-France in a single day, without the congestion of the ring and Brussels’ periphery.
Rent Levels Below the Brussels Periphery
Demand for warehouse space in Flemish Brabant and around the Brussels ring drives significant pressure on rent and land availability. A 2025 JLL professional real estate report indicates that logistics rent in Brussels rose 12% in 2025 to €75/m²/year, while vacancy across the Brussels–Antwerp axis remained remarkably low – a signal of a tight market for warehouse and logistics space. JLL’s Belgium Retail Market Dynamics (Q4 2025) adds that retail warehousing now accounts for 49% of total retail take-up volume in Belgium, with prime rent reaching €185/m²/year.
Renting a warehouse in Hauts-de-France offers equivalent floor area at competitive rates – €40 to €54/m²/year depending on location and specification – with greenfield options for large-capacity projects. Public support is mobilisable through Rev3, the regional industrial transition programme. The region has a pool of more than 70,000 people registered as job-seekers in logistics, available for reception, storage and distribution roles. Nord France Invest provides an online cost comparator to benchmark Hauts-de-France against Brabant and other European locations.