SMART REGION IN THE HEART

OF EUROPE SMART HUB INHOUD

03 Smart Hub Brabant Innovative spearhead clusters SMART HUB

04 Flemish Brabant INNOVATIVE SPEARHEAD CLUSTERS Unique knowledge region

06 Health Smart Hub Flemish Brabant stimulates innovation, en- AMSTERDAM Healthcare of the future courages companies and knowledge institutions to col- 1h50’ 08 Logistics laborate and attracts (foreign) investments. We focus on Flemish Brabant’s five innovative spearhead sectors. Focus on smart logistics LONDON 2h00’ 10 Food Health Logistics Food Healthy food for people and animals Cleantech Creativity COLOGNE 1h50’ 12 Cleantech In pursuit of a sustainable society Smart Hub Flemish Brabant strengthens and promo- tes the province as a unique knowledge region with 14 Creativity trend-setting knowledge institutions and innovative FRANKFURT Creative clusters in the knowledge region companies. Combined with the central location, the 2h50’ national airport and the science parks, Flemish Brabant 16 Key Enabling Technologies PARIS is the ideal gateway to Europe. 1h20’ 18 What does Smart Hub Flemish Brabant do? (travel times with a high-speed train) Published by the province of Flemish Brabant on the authority of the Board of Vice-Governors. Realisa- tion: Economics Department. Graphic design: Communications Department. Print: Drukkerij Steylaerts. Photographs:2 ©Vlaams-Brabant, Steff Gilissen and Dirk Leemans. Copyright: D/2017/8495/19. 3 1 KU 4 LEUVEN MINDGATE 7 CREATIEVE HUB VAARTKOM 13 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL This high ranking Leuven, the provincial Leuven boasts plenty of 11 8 The Vrije Universiteit creative talent and com- 7 university is international- capital, offers a unique 10 2 3 Brussel is an internationally SMART HUB FLEMISH BRABANT 1 ly known for cutting edge concentration of munication companies. Leuven oriented university. These are concentrated 4 5 6 UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE REGION research and successful renowned knowledge 12 13 Delivering top level valorisation of knowledge. institutions, innovative at the Vaartkom, an old Brussels research and tailormade It has given rise to over companies, science parks industrial area where 9 education, the VUB 100 spin-offs. and incubators. Leuven beer giant AB Inbev engages to actively Flemish Brabant harbours a unique concentration of know- 14 www.kuleuven.be Mindgate focuses on started its activities. contribute to a better ledge institutions and innovative companies. Take knowledge health, high tech and Today, it is the society. city par excellence Leuven, with its university, university colle- 2 UZ LEUVEN creativity. home of a new www.vub.ac.be creative hub with, ges, the university hospital, the numerous spin-offs and the The university hospital is www.leuvenmindgate.be one of the largest hospi- amongst others, the 11 MEDIA CITY 14 PHOTONICS INNOVATION renowned imec research centre. Together, they boost inno- 9 FEED FOOD HEALTH CAMPUS tals of Belgium. Its mission 5 HEALTH HOUSE creative incubator De Strong concentration of CENTER vation and economic activity in Flemish Brabant and . is to provide innovative Health House is a digital Hoorn, housed in a former A science park with an in- big audiovisual players VUB’s photonics lab and high quality patient experience centre focusing brewery. cubator and a high-quality with specialised services researches new The advanced knowledge is applied in real life in spearhead care, combined with top on health technologies. innovative industry zone close at hand. applications of light such sectors such as health, food, logistics, sustainable technolo- research and excellent You will discover what centred on healthy food www.vilvoorde.be as lasers and LEDs. ENTERTAINMENT gies and the creative sector. Those have developed into the education. digital high tech can do 8 for people and animals. Its equipment is unique VALLEY TILDONK www.uzleuven.be for modern medicine and www.foodport.be 12 BRUSSELS AND in the world. five smart hubs of Flemish Brabant. THE EUROPEAN AND healthcare. A cluster of trend-setting www.b-phot.org But there is more: the central location, the airport and nume- IMEC www.health-house.be companies such as 10 INTERNATIONAL Stageco (design and The national airport, INSTITUTIONS rous logistic companies and activities have turned Flemish Bra- 3 Imec is the world-leading R&D and innovation hub 6 DSP VALLEY construction of stages transporting passengers Brussels is not only the bant into a logistic hub for Flanders and Europe. Finally, there in nanoelectronics and DSP Valley unites for concerts), EML and expediting goods, capital of Belgium, but of is the vast service sector and the vicinity of Brussels capital, digital technologies. companies and know- Productions (light and the province’s central Europe as well. with its universities and the European institutions. It employs 3.500 top ledge institutions in a and sound) and location make Flemish The political bodies and European ‘cluster of scientists from over The Powershop (power Brabant the logistic hub several agencies of the excellence’ in Smart supply). Established par excellence for Flanders EU and NATO have their 75 countries. Electronic Systems. www.imec.be partners in entertainment and Europe. www.dspvalley.com headquarters in the city. at major events. www.brusselsairport.be www.brusselsinternational.be

4 5 HEALTHCARE OF THE FUTURE Medical (bio)technology HEALTH New medicines and diagnostics Regenerative medicine Smart Hub Flemish Brabant contributes to the development and Digital healthcare reinforcement of the healthcare sector in Flemish Brabant. Sports and technology We lend a helping hand by creating innovative collaborations, finding suitable financing, networking and promotion.

More info [email protected] www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be

6 7 FOCUS ON LOGISTICS SMART LOGISTICS International airport and knowledge institutions Smart Hub Flemish Brabant unites companies, authorities and knowledge Logistic smart hub for Flanders and centres on important logistics themes in Flemish Brabant such as the Europe future of the airport, innovative logistics technologies and the intelligent Flanders Pharma Hub use of existing infrastructure. Multimodal transport Clustering commodity flows Sustainable city distribution

More info [email protected] www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be

8 9 HEALTHY FOOD FOR PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

Tradition and high tech International companies and research institutions FOOD Innovative Feed Food Health campus in Tienen Specialising in sugar and cereal The food sector in Flemish Brabant successfully combines tradition with high tech. The region harbours an interesting mix of industrial food companies and research centres, trend-setting knowledge institutions, world-renowned export SMEs and passionate artisan producers. Smart Hub Flemish Brabant promotes cooperation, innovation and More info internationalisation in this sector. [email protected] www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be

1010 11 IN PURSUIT OF A SUSTAINABLE CLEANTECH SOCIETY

Flemish Brabant pioneers in products, processes and services Collaborating in community that contribute to an environmentally friendly and carbon-neutral Focus on energy, mobility and circular province. The knowledge and know-how we have gathered on economy materials, circular economy, hydrogen, renewable energy, energy Carbon-neutral Flemish Brabant storage and mobility, to name but a few, is unique. Smart Hub Flemish Brabant promotes cooperation in the community and with focus regions.

More info [email protected] www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be

1212 13 CREATIVE CLUSTERS IN THE KNOWLEDGE REGION

Unique media concentration in Vilvoorde Vibrant communication companies in Leuven Entertainment Valley in Tildonk CREATIVITY

Flemish Brabant has a strong presence in the audiovisual sector with the media cluster in and around Vilvoorde and communication More info and new media in Leuven. These are the areas Smart Hub Creativity [email protected] concentrates on. And on numerous crossovers with other sectors. www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be

1414 15 KEY ENABLING

TECHNOLOGIES PHOTONICS The Brussels Photonics Team (B-PHOT) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel These technologies are the basis for many innovative appli- (VUB) performs pioneering research in the science and technology of light. cations and help find solutions for societal challenges. In our 5 spearhead clusters, these technologies and the associated knowledge centres play an important role as well. ADVANCED MATERIALS The KU Leuven Materials Research Centre (LMRC) researches new ma- terials. And the KU Leuven is a key partner in the European Institute of NANOTECHNOLOGY Innovation & Technology (EIT) ‘Raw Materials’. Imec is the world-leading R&D and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies. It employs 3.500 top scientists from all over BIOTECHNOLOGY the world. KU Leuven and VUB host important departments of the Flemish Bio- technology Institute. Besides these cutting edge research facilities, the MICRO- AND NANOELECTRONICS knowledge province of Flemish Brabant also boasts numerous innovative companies in this field. Besides imec, there is also the Leuven Center on Information and Com- munication Technology (LICT) that performs ground breaking research in this field. And DSP Valley unites companies and knowledge institutions ADVANCED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES in a European ‘cluster of excellence’ in Smart Electronic Systems. Trend-setting companies such as Materialise and 3D Systems Layerwise were founded in Flemish Brabant and have developed into world players. ©Imec 1616 1717 TRIPLE HELIX

The collaboration between com- panies, knowledge institutions WHAT DOES and public authorities occupies Join our knowledge region! centre stage in the activities of SMART HUB FLEMISH BRABANT DO? Smart Hub Flemish Brabant. The province of Flemish Brabant It boosts the development of the focuses on innovation, internationa- innovative knowledge region! COMMUNITY BUILDING BRANDING lisation and entrepreneurship in the We unite companies, knowledge institutions We promote and position Flemish Brabant as five spearhead sectors. and public authorities to promote cooperation a unique knowledge region in Belgium and Would you like to participate in our and innovation. In order to achieve this, we or- abroad to draw companies into Flemish Bra- ganise activities and start initiatives. bant’s science and business parks. community? Collaborate on one of our projects? Set up an international AUTHORITIES cooperation? Invest in or move to our PROJECTS INTERNATIONALISATION region? An idea and looking for partners, We support, accompany and finance spearhead We stimulate and start international partner- SMART HUB financing or guidance? Contact us, cluster projects in which companies, knowledge ships and cooperation projects for the companies our Smart Hub managers institutions and authorities collaborate. These and knowledge institutions of Flemish Brabant. will be happy to COMPANIES projects must have an added value for Flemish We direct our efforts primarily towards Flemish help! Brabant as an innovative and entrepreneurial Brabant’s focus regions: Noord-Brabant, Rhein- region. Neckar, Skåne, Capital Region Denmark and Chengdu. KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTIONS Marc Florquin More information on www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be Vice-Governor for economics Tom Dehaene Vice-Governor for internationalisation 18 ©Imec MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SMART HUB FLEMISH BRABANT

www.smarthubflemishbrabant.be [email protected]

SMART HUB FLEMISH BRABANT IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE POLICY EXECUTIVES, BUSINESS SECTOR AND ACADEMIC WORLD OF FLEMISH BRABANT. THE INITIATORS ARE: THE PROVINCE OF FLEMISH BRABANT, VOKA VLAAMS-BRABANT, KU LEUVEN, VUB AND POM VLAAMS-BRABANT (PROVINCIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY).