Welches selbstgewachsene Produkt erfasst 2026 Ostflandern am besten?

Made in Oost-Vlaanderen has begun its fourth annual search for the product that best represents East Flanders, opening free nominations to companies that manufacture a physical product, app or IT application in the province. Entries close on 30 September 2026, after which five finalists will be selected and a combined public-and-jury vote will determine the regional winner.

For businesses in Ghent, Aalst, Sint-Niklaas and the province’s smaller manufacturing centres, the immediate prize is visibility rather than public funding or legal certification. The organisers describe the Product Made in Awards as a platform for local production that might otherwise remain unnoticed. Their decisive eligibility test is straightforward: “The only thing that counts is that the product is made in our province.” The origin of the raw materials, the location of the company’s headquarters and the markets where the product is sold do not determine admission.

That deliberately broad definition means the contest can place traditional craftsmanship beside industrial production and digital products. It reflects the varied economic identity of East Flanders, where food producers and family businesses coexist with the industrial cluster around North Sea Port, technology companies and Ghent’s research ecosystem. For Belgium-based consumers, the shortlist will offer a practical map of what is actually produced locally, rather than merely marketed under a Belgian name.

Made in is organising parallel competitions in seven regions. Five finalists are due to emerge in each region at the beginning of October, with public voting starting on 19 October. According to the organisers, public votes will provide half of the final score; a professional jury composed of journalists, experts and previous winners will provide the other half. The seven regional winners are scheduled to be announced on 20 November. Bank Van Breda, a Belgian bank focused on entrepreneurs and the liberal professions, will then choose a national winner for the first time.

The East Flemish contest is not starting from scratch. Dairy producer Inex won the province’s inaugural award in 2023 with its yoghurt, NONA Drinks followed with its alcohol-free Nona Spritz in 2024, and Patotter took the 2025 title. West Flanders is running the same 2026 timetable after naming Achielle Fietsen its winner last year. Those results illustrate how the awards combine consumer familiarity, business storytelling and regional identity rather than measuring companies by turnover or export performance alone.

There are two useful ways to read that model. Made in and the participating businesses treat local production expansively: a product qualifies through production in the province, even if its ingredients, capital or customers come from elsewhere. That recognises how modern supply chains work and allows internationally connected firms to participate without pretending every input is local.

The European Union applies a much tighter concept when geographical origin becomes a legally protected claim. The European Commission says craft and industrial goods seeking a geographical indication must have a quality, reputation or other characteristic linked to their place of origin, with at least one production stage performed there. Since 1 December 2025, eligible producer groups have been able to seek EU-wide protection against imitation and misuse. The Made in title is therefore a promotional award, not an EU geographical indication or an official guarantee that the entire supply chain is East Flemish.

That distinction matters as regional provenance becomes a commercial asset. VLAIO, the Flemish innovation agency, says manufacturing contributes strongly to employment, exports and added value, while also facing pressure to reduce its material footprint. Recognition can help a smaller producer attract customers, but an award cannot by itself solve constraints involving energy, labour, investment, industrial space or access to international markets.

Companies now have until the end of September to put forward their products. The first meaningful test will come when the five finalists are published in early October: their mix will show whether voters are being asked to choose chiefly among familiar consumer brands, advanced industrial products, crafts or digital innovation. Until nominations close, neither the number of East Flemish entries nor the eventual national selection criteria beyond Bank Van Breda’s role are publicly known.