Final answer:
Belgium was ideally suited for establishing the first industrialized textile manufacturer in continental Europe due to its skilled workforce, which was crucial in bringing and applying British textile manufacturing technology. The country also had advantageous geographical features, including a network of waterways and proximity of natural resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The asset that made Belgium a good place to establish the first industrialized textile manufacturer in continental Europe was its skilled workers. Despite attempts by Great Britain to restrict the transmission of its technological knowledge, skilled British workers emigrated to Belgium and shared their expertise in the textile manufacturing industry. Geographically, Belgium also had a network of waterways facilitating transportation and was gifted with close proximity between its iron and coal resources, which are essential for industrial activities.
In the early days of the Industrial Revolution, raw materials were often more profitable when processed into commodities. The British sought to capture the value added by processing raw wool into cloth. Drawing from the British experience, Belgium leveraged its skilled workforce and geographical advantages to start its own industrial momentum, particularly in the textile industry.
Belgium's industrial success was not just based on available natural resources; it was a combination of geographic assets, the availability of a skilled workforce, and active entrepreneurship that allowed Belgium to rapidly industrialize during the 19th century, following closely behind Great Britain's pioneering industrial development.