There are three nominees in each category.

Of companies with fewer than 50 employees, Huyghe brewery from Melle, East Flanders, whose leading beer is Delirium Tremens, has only 17 employees but achieved sales in 2011 of €16.1 million, 76% of which came from exports to 59 countries.

Medec Benelux, based in Aalst, East Flanders, manufactures anaesthesia equipment and last year exported to 85 countries, which accounted for 99% of their €8.6 million sales last year.

Skyline Communications from Izegem, West Flanders, developed the DataMiner software programme in 1985, and it has since become an international standard, making Skyline one of the world’s leading developers of multi-vendor network management. Skyline exports to 65 countries and last year made €8.3 million in turnover, 74% of it from exports.

In the category of companies with more than 50 employees, SESVanderHave from Tienen, Flemish Brabant, is the world’s leading producer of sugar beet seeds, with one in three of the world’s beets growing from one of their seeds. Turnover last year was €139.5 million, 96% of it from export to 50 countries.

Soudal from Turnhout in Antwerp province is a family firm and produces mastic, glues and polyurethane foams for insulation. The company has four factories in Flanders and 33 in other countries, employing 1,453 people total. In 2011, Soudal made €380.1 million, 86% of it from exports.

Waterleau from Herent, Flemish Brabant, specialises in environmental technology for water treatment, air purification, waste management and renewable energy. The company made €74.4 million in 2011, 77% of it from exporting to 78 countries. Waterleau won the Export Lion award previously, in 2004.

Former winners of the Export Lion include dredgers Deme, brewers Duvel Moortgat and video detection experts Traficon. The winners receive a trophy and are part of a promotion campaign in the 90 offices of FIT around the world. www.leeuwvandeexport