Vanguardias Maritime Economics

Economic sectors

Vanguardia is today a maritime-dominated economy with a high proportion of the workforce employed in the service sector. The industry and crafts of this once agrarian country are now characterized by state-of-the-art facilities and businesses.

Economic policy

Vanguardien's economic policy under His Excellency Trappier Theodore Faubourg as High Secretary for Economic Affairs, Environment, Technology, and Construction deliberately focuses on future-oriented industries such as energy and environmental technology and supports corporate innovation by covering all costs for patents, which can then be used more cheaply within the Grand Mastership, the EU, and worldwide.

There are five regional economic areas that receive special funding to plan and manage structural change and employment on a large scale for the benefit of the population. For example, following the closure of the brown coal mining facilities in the inner Len Morel area, ten precious metal processing companies were established there to create jobs within the "From Brown to Gold" structural change program. Similar initiatives exist to reduce the impact of over-tourism on the communities along the southern coast near the Prinzensee.

Agriculture

The proportion of people employed in the agricultural sector, encompassing fishing, farming, and forestry, is steadily declining, as in many other countries, due to increasing automation and efficiency. In 2020, Vanguardien had 141,953 agricultural holdings. The number of holdings has decreased by 11% over the past decade. In 2020, these holdings employed 420,018 people. Organic farming saw a significant increase: 22.4% operated according to organic guidelines. Approximately 83% of the holdings are family farms, where four out of five workers are family members, and 35% are the primary source of income.

Agricultural land use accounts for 41% of Vanguardia's area.

• The agricultural and forestry businesses are small-scale.

The trend towards slightly larger businesses continues.

average agricultural area

(Arable land, permanent crops, permanent grassland) increased

from 18.8 ha in 2010 to 23.6 ha in 2020.

• Animal husbandry is in a different international comparison

Small-scale structures. 82,001 farms kept livestock. On average, 34 cattle and 112 pigs were kept.

33 sheep and 12 goats were recorded per farm.

Crafts + Industry

Throughout the region, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises operate, traditionally producing goods from stone, metal, wood, glass, and ceramics. These are complemented by technical trades such as construction, electrical installation, plumbing and utilities, automotive and coffee machine repair, and instrument making. Clothing and food processing companies are also present. The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries brought early industrial production to Vanguardia, with shipbuilding being its nucleus. The shipyards in Marechal, Fleurguard, Mersault/Prèsenet, and Estellers are today significant shipbuilding centers with numerous suppliers and ship outfitting companies. They are the pride of every Vanguardian worker.

Services

In the ever-expanding service sector, many jobs are found in tourism and hospitality, retail and wholesale trade, real estate and rentals, as well as in transport, shipping and logistics, environmental services, and utilities. Personal services in the areas of social services, environmental services, health, and care were the fastest-growing service sectors in the 2020s, with an annual growth rate of 3.6%, significantly exceeding the employment figures for nail salons, brothels, and tattoo studios in other European countries. These figures are surpassed only by information and communication services, which saw annual growth of 4.0%.