Ghent puts knowledge to work Tom Dhaenens © 2 Tom Dhaenens © 4 Ghent puts Knowledge, knowledge a driver for to work prosperity p 7 A dense network Investing in the of knowledge Ghent knowledge actors region p 17 p 39 Living and working in Ghent p 57 4 5 6 The importance of knowledge as a The City of Ghent has therefore set Knowledge, resource for social development and itself the goal of joining forces and is economic activity is huge. Knowledge is turning the conurbation into a powerful a driver for gaining more and more importance in knowledge region. both the industry and services sectors. prosperity Gent BC © 6 7 Tom Dhaenens © 8 Knowledge, a driver for A smart growth prosperity strategy p 11 From efficiency to Get to know innovation through Ghent knowledge p 11 p 12 A never-ending Working in a influx of new talent knowledge- intensive city p 14 p 14 Room for innovation p 14 8 9 Tom Dhaenens © 10 Knowledge, a driver for prosperity From efficiency to innovation A smart growth strategy through knowledge Life is good in Flanders. Having paid great Flanders has chosen to switch to an In Flanders, we therefore spare no effort to find attention to efficiency and increased productivity innovation-driven economy, based on the ways to translate R&D results into concrete levels, over the past decades we have produced valorization of the available knowledge. market applications. In this process, we also seek to involve as many foreign companies and knowledge more wealth than the other Belgian regions, In this growth strategy, creativity and workers as possible, because we believe that neighboring countries and the rest of Europe. entrepreneurship are important conditions for competitiveness. Investing in the application of working together leads to a win-win situation for all. On a global scale, our high labor productivity has knowledge and innovation, in the broadest sense, The location of Flanders in the heart of even elevated Flanders to the status of productivity is required to ensure sustainable growth and job European decision-making centers certainly makes champion, while explaining, to a large extent, creation. our region the ideal hub from which foreign our high standard of living. Furthermore, our partners can tap new markets. multilingualism and our eagerness to learn have allowed us to look beyond our borders for economies of scale to reduce the cost of our industrial processes. However, due to the rapid emergence of a number of new players in the world economy such as China and India, unprecedented competition has been raging in Europe for a number of years. This means that cost competitiveness remains a growing challenge for Flanders. In fact, the new economic players enjoy significant cost advantages, which puts pressure on the prices VIB © of the traditional European industries. If we are to maintain the competitiveness of Flemish companies, we must fully invest in a smarter way to create added value. Knowledge and innovation must be the basic ingredients in this recipe for success. Given our high level of training and education, our central location and our well-established talent for constantly looking for synergies and partnerships, we already have a lot of assets to turn the tide of new economic challenges in our favor. Ugent © 10 11 Get to know Ghent Thanks to its leading position in basic research and During the last century, the port was a major Ghent is a wonderful and compact city, knowledge acquisition, Ghent is a strong economic economic hub for Belgium and Europe; it is complete with medieval castles. Ghent driver for growth in Flanders. The city has placed now poised to act as a vital link in the emerging people are very friendly, polite,and the development of the knowledge economy on knowledge industry. With a workforce of over little reserved. I find it always difficult its agenda as a valuable area of policy, aimed at 70,000 people, it handles around 48 million tons of to choose from the wide variety fostering innovation and supporting entrepreneurs freight annually. of breads, beers and chocolate. with expert guidance. Amir-Behzad Samii (Iran), Professor of In addition, Ghent has managed to strengthen Operations Management, Vlerick Leuven Gent Ghent is the birthplace of biotechnology in the its economic assets in recent decades with a very Management School. region. In recent years the city of Artevelde has strong reputation for hospitality, open-mindedness emerged as the pivot of the Flemish biotech. and quality of life. Ghent is a young city with a The clustering of high-tech bio-business (including vibrant cultural life that pays tribute to its rich Innogenetics, Devgen, CropDesign), in synergy with history. the laboratories of the Ghent University Association and VIB in the Ardoyen Science Park has played a major part in this development. Alongside advanced industrial biotech companies, Ghent Bio-Energy Valley (GBEV) also accommodates service providers and public partners. GBEV will expand the Port of Ghent, among others, into an internationally recognized growth area of industrial bio-energy products and activities. VIB © Stad Gent © 12 Ugent © Ugent © VIB © Stad Gent © VIB © 12 13 A never-ending influx of new Working in a knowledge- Room for innovation talent intensive city Due to the wide variety of third-level institutions in In Ghent, paid employment is characterized by Ghent’s local government is well aware that its Ghent, the city has the largest student population a specialization in knowledge-intensive sectors. ambition to see the region grow into an economic in Flanders. Every year, as many as 67,000 92,000 workers are employed by companies which area of knowledge and innovation at international students prepare themselves here for the working use knowledge as their main raw material. That’s level is only possibly through cooperation. It is life. Each college offers a broad range of social 60% of the total number of wage earners. This ratio imperative that all actors in the city join forces. services, allowing students to blossom in optimum is well above the average in Flanders. Furthermore, The City of Ghent has therefore entered key conditions. 12,000 self-employed professionals are also active partnerships. Young people will flock en masse to Ghent, mainly in knowledge-intensive sectors. to attend its renowned university. Ghent University A significant portion of knowledge workers are In 2006, for example, an agreement was is recognized worldwide as one of the best scientific employed in the high and medium tech production concluded with the university to work closely on research institutes. sectors, where the automotive sector and its the development of a favorable environment for The university was honored in the scientific suppliers in particular would play a major role. The the further development of knowledge activity. magazine The Scientist, specifically for its strong presence of biotech companies in the Ghent This involved, among other things, putting more achievements in the field of life sciences. In region is also crucial. emphasis on increasing the supply of infrastructure addition to the University, Ghent also boasts The wealth creation in the Ghent region (based on for the establishment of knowledge-intensive firms. several colleges and a high number of other gross domestic product per capita) is among the It goes without saying that the availability, today research institutes. The large influx of students not highest in Flanders. This is particularly good news and in the future, of space for knowledge activity only has an important rejuvenating effect on the for a prosperous future. Indeed, it is necessary to in science parks, sites earmarked for knowledge demographic pyramid of the City, it also ensures ensure significant wealth creation to structurally companies and incubators is certainly crucial for a that the knowledge pool is constantly supplied with improve competitiveness and guarantee city that embraces the knowledge economy. fresh talent. The knowledge companies that come employment with full-fledged, quality jobs. to Ghent to set up activities are assured of a smooth cooperation with various universities. For instance, this is illustrated by the growing numbers of PhD Science is everywhere in this university students and of doctorates awarded, the number town, and is supported by the government. of publications, and the number of patents that are As a researcher I have access to a large granted each year within the city limits. range of facilities such as libraries, different faculties, conferences and seminars. Dmitriy Borodin (Russia), Postdoctoral Researcher at Production Information Systems Laboratory, Ghent University 14 Stad Gent © 14 15 Stad Gent © 16 The dense network of research collaboration and networking between institutes in Ghent is unique in Europe. the various research institutes can In specific domains, the City has been also be quickly translated and applied gathering knowledge for centuries, in in the existing sectors – sometimes the steel and textile industries erroneously called traditional – such as for instance. Thanks to their dynamism health care and metallurgy. and innovation, these two sectors continue to bring a significant A strong interaction between a great contribution to the region. variety of academic programs, on the one hand, and business on the other, In other areas, we have made great creates a dynamic that thrives on strides over recent years. Thus, innovation. The mutual cooperation Ghent is now known worldwide as the between knowledge actors and birthplace of biotechnology. And our business creates a crucial synergy. knowledge of broadband technology This also ensures a fruitful cross- and ICT is gaining importance. fertilization which brings about new knowledge centers and businesses These new knowledge domains are – the ultimate guarantee for the A dense not necessarily new industrial sectors; continuous development of the Ghent network of many new developments through knowledge network.