In January, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade Jeannot Krecké presented the conclusions of a study on the reassignment of the WSA-Dudelange/Bettembourg site into a zone dedicated to logistic activities. The American government ceased activity at the WSA (Warehouse Agency Service - a company which put hangars as well as technicians at the disposition of the Army) in September 2006.

Logistics is one of the sectors that the government aims at developing within the framework of its policy of economic development and diversification. Indeed, "As certain products are no longer manufactured in Europe, they will have to be ordered, conveyed, packed, distributed and delivered here," said Krecké, for which "Luxembourg is ideally located to play the part of an inter_con_tinental logistic platform in Europe." Logistics has the advantage of being an activity that creates employment for highly qualified professionals as much as employment for less qualified workers and it is within this logic that the Government decided to refit the WSA.

The Ministry financed a study for the installation (master plan) and management of the site by Dornier-Consulting which underlines the site's advantages with its direct access to the motorway network, the proximity of the railway sorting office and the terminal for containers as well as five European airports in terms of freight. The redevelopment of the site should be made in four stages in order to make it possible for logistic activities to start temporarily in the existing hangars during the installation of the final infrastructures.

In addition, Krecké added that the study advised against the establishment of companies whose activity is limited to the management of heavy fleets. "Logistics is not simply transport by trucks. Indeed, the study consolidated us in the choice to establish logistic activities with strong added value."

The activities that the study recommends for the site are those with strong added value such as the preparation and expedition of orders, the organization of flows of production and distribution, invoicing or reversed logistics - the management of unsold goods and recovery.

The Minister is confident that the quality of the site will quickly draw the interest of the companies in the sector and will make it possible to reinforce the credibility and the success of Luxembourg as a logistic pole in Europe. Detailed information about the study at www.eco.public.lu.