Editing Antwerp Province (section)

==Economy==
The [[Gross domestic product]] (GDP) of the province was 88 billion € in 2018. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €41,900  or 139% of the EU27 average in the same year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58 |title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018 |website=Eurostat }}</ref>

The Port of Antwerp is the economic heart of the province. Until the agricultural crisis of 1880, the eastern part of the province was a largely agricultural region. The industrial development of the eastern part of the province, part of the [[Campine]] region, started at the end of the 19th century when industry established itself in the region. The availability of cheap labor, new roads, canals, tramways and railroads such as the [[Iron Rhine]], stimulated the settlement of new industry. A [[brick]]making industry was established alongside the canals, paper and printing business in Turnhout, as were non-ferrous [[metallurgy]] in Balen-Nete, dynamite factories in [[Arendonk]] and [[Balen]], [[tobacco]] and cigar factories in Arendonk, and the first shoe factory in Herentals. During the 1920s, the industrial expansion of the region continued with the [[radium]] and [[copper]] factories in [[Olen, Belgium|Olen]], the glass factory in Mol-Gompel and the diamond industry in [[Grobbendonk]] and [[Nijlen]].

In the 20th century the first nuclear installation in Belgium was established at the [[SCK•CEN]] in Mol in 1962. The European [[Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements]] (IRMM), one of the EU [[Joint Research Centre (European Commission)|Joint Research Centre]]s, was founded in [[Geel]] in 1957 as a result of the [[Treaty of Rome]]. Innotek is a technology centre located in Geel and is part of the European Business and Innovation Centre Network (EBN). Industry in the Campine region of the province is mainly located alongside the [[European route E313|E313]], the [[European route E34|E34]] and the [[Albert Canal]].

=== Unemployment ===
The unemployment rate stood at 5.9% in 2017 and was lower than the national average.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=de&pcode=tgs00010&plugin=1|title=Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region|website=Eurostat}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!2006
!2007
!2008
!2009
!2010
!2011
!2012
!2013
!2014
!2015
!2016
!2017
!2018
|-
|'''unemployment rate'''<br/>(in %)
|5.7 
|5.0
|4.6
|5.7  
|6.0
|5.7
|5.3
|6.2
|6.1
|6.1
|6.1
|5.9
|4.3
|}

===Chemical industry===
After [[World War II]] the Port of Antwerp was expanded, and on its premises several chemical factories and [[oil refineries]] were established, including facilities of [[Bayer]], [[BASF]], and [[Monsanto]]. The chemical and [[petrochemical industry]] is widely represented in the port region and comprises the world's second-largest cluster petrochemical industry cluster, after that of [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] (United States). Amoco Chemical Belgium N.V., now part of [[BP]], was founded in Geel in 1967.

A pharmaceutical industry was founded in [[Beerse]] in the 1960s, with [[Janssen Pharmaceutica]] and more recently with [[Genzyme]] in Geel. [[Soudal]] ([[silicon]]) in Turnhout and [[Ravago]] ([[plastics]]) in [[Arendonk]] became leading companies in their markets.

===Diamond===
The [[diamond]] industry and trade is traditionally located in [[Antwerp diamond district|Antwerp]]. At the end of the 19th century Hendrik Cassiers founded a diamond-cutting company outside Antwerp, in [[Grobbendonk]]. Hendrik Cassiers and Frans Dela Montagne laid the foundations of the diamond industry in the Campine region. The industry would settle in [[Nijlen]], [[Herenthout]], [[Bevel]], [[Kessel, Belgium|Kessel]], [[Vorselaar]] and [[Berlaar]].

===Paper===
The region around Turnhout became famous for its printing business, with companies such as [[Brepols]], which roots date back to 1796 when [[Pieter Corbeels]] established his printing business in Turnhout.<ref>De Turnhoutse Kempen, haar economische en sociale betekenis, Vlaams Economisch Verbond, pp. 88-90</ref> In 1833, [[Van Genechten Packaging|Van Genechten N.V.]], Splichal N.V. in 1856, Mesmaekers Freres in 1859, Meses-Goris in 1872, [[Biermans (Company)|L. Biermans]] in 1875, Poupaert in 1881, La Belgica N.V. in 1907, [[Proost (company)|H. Proost & Co]] in 1913, J. Van Mierlo-Proost in 1918, Lityca in 1932 and Veloutex in 1951. More recently in 1970, [[Cartamundi]] was established, a world leader in playing cards.

===Metallurgies===
While [[Wallonia]] was famous for its steel industry, the [[Campine]] region became renowned for its [[non-ferrous]] [[Metallurgy|metallurgies]]. The [[Campine]] region was scarcely populated in the 19th century, but with the establishment of [[canal]]s, the [[Iron Rhine]] and cheap labor, several metallurgies were established in the region.<ref>De Turnhoutse Kempen, haar economische en sociale betekenis, Vlaams Economisch Verbond, pp. 94-99</ref> In 1888-1889 the metallurgy [[Vieille Montagne|La Vieille Montagne]] was founded in [[Balen|Balen-Nete]], close to the Iron Rhine and the canal to [[Beringen, Belgium|Beverlo]]. The company had its roots in the exploitation of the [[zinc]] mines of [[Neutral Moresnet|Moresnet]].

The [[Union Minière du Haut Katanga]] founded the Société Générale Métallurgique de Hoboken in [[Olen, Belgium|Olen]], which was established along the Iron Rhine and the [[Albert Canal]]. The factory produced [[radium]], [[cobalt]] and [[copper]] from the mines of the Union Minière in [[Katanga Province|Katanga]], [[Belgian Congo]] and [[Rhodesia]]. Along the canal Turnhout-[[Schoten]], the Métallurgique de la Campine was established in 1910 for the production of [[lead]] and [[antimony]]. La Metallo-Chimique was established in 1919; this specialized in the production of copper.

===Glass===
In 1872, the Sablières et Carrières Réunies (SCR), now [[Sibelco]], was founded to extract the [[silica]] sand layers in Mol for industrial applications ([[glass]]). In 1920 the glass bottle manufacturer Beles Réunios was set up in Mol-Donk.

In 1921, a group of Belgian banks, the Mutuelle Mobilière & Immobilière, the [[Société Générale de Belgique]], the [[Banque de Bruxelles]] and the Financière de Transport, together with the American group [[Libbey Owens Ford|Libbey-Owens]], founded the Cie Internationale pour la fabrication mécanique de Verre in [[Mol, Belgium|Mol Gompel]]. In 1931, due to the economic crisis, the company merged into Glaces et Verres (Glaver).<ref>''De Turnhoutse Kempen, haar economische en sociale betekenis'', Vlaams Economisch Verbond, pp. 102-104</ref> In 1961, Glaver merged with Univerbel to form [[Glaverbel]].

===Dynamite===
Given that the Campine region was sparsely populated, several [[dynamite]] factories were established in the region. In 1875, the Societe Anonyme d'Arendonk was established which premises would later become part of [[Ravago]]. In 1881 La Forcite N.V. was established near [[Balen]], which was later acquired in 1920 by the Poudreries Réunies de Belgique (PRB). In 1887 a factory was founded near Herentals, which was closed due to the vicinity to the city. The factories produced explosives for the [[Mining|mines]] and [[quarries]]. The factories in the province are now closed down.

===Textiles===
Historically, [[wool]] processing industry was based on the wool from the [[sheep]] which were kept on the [[Campine]] [[Heath (habitat)|heath]]. The centre of the textile industry in the province could be found in Turnhout. Wool processing companies such as Wolspinnerij Van Iersel, Spinnerij en Weverij Van Hoof, and De Wollendekensfabriek Van Doren were located in Mol.

===Tobacco===
At the end of the 19th century [[Arendonk]] became the centre of the tobacco industry. Additional factories were founded in Turnhout, Mol, Geel and Herentals.<ref>De Turnhoutse Kempen, haar economische en sociale betekenis, Vlaams Economisch Verbond, pp. 90-93</ref> After World War II, the ALTO cigar factory was founded by [[Frans Van den Bergh]] who would also play an important role at [[Janssen Pharmaceutica]].