STI in Flanders DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMY, SCIENCE & INNOVATION KONING ALBERT II-laan 35 bus 10 Science, Technology & Innovation 1030 Brussels www.ewi-vlaanderen.be Policy & Key Figures - 2016 STI in Flanders Science, Technology & Innovation Policy & Key Figures – 2016 2 Table of contents Foreword ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1 Science, Technology and Innovation system in Flanders .......................... 9 1 Competencies in the field of science, research and innovation .................................................. 10 1.1 Federalism in Belgium ............................................................................................................................. 10 1.2 Competencies in the field of science, research and innovation ...................................... 11 Direct support for R&D and innovation in the broad sense ....................................... 12 All research related to the community (= person-related) and the regional (= territorial related) competencies ................................................................................................................... 12 Access to finance ................................................................................................................................. 13 2 General orientations of Flemish STI policy ............................................................................................... 13 2.1 Instruments of policy-making in the field of R&D and innovation ............................... 13 2.2 Monitoring and reporting of the R&D and innovation policy ......................................... 15 3 Flanders, centre of innovation......................................................................................................................... 16 3.1 More resources for R&D ........................................................................................................................ 20 3.2 Focusing on strengths and “spearhead domains” .................................................................. 21 Scientific specialisations .................................................................................................................. 21 Technological specialisations ....................................................................................................... 22 Economic specialisations ................................................................................................................ 23 Combined technological - economical specialisation profiles ................................... 24 3.3 More opportunities for research talent ....................................................................................... 26 Science popularization .................................................................................................................... 26 Science careers ..................................................................................................................................... 27 4 Instruments and actors of Flemish STI policy ........................................................................................ 27 4.1 Government department ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.2 Policy advice ............................................................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Other bodies of public interest in the field of science and innovation .................... 30 4.4 Funding agencies ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (AIO) .................................................................. 30 Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) ..................................................................................... 32 PMV – Flanders Holding Company ............................................................................................ 33 Investment Company LRM ............................................................................................................. 34 4.5 Innovation intermediaries ................................................................................................................... 34 Infrastructure: science parks and incubators, and support for spin-off companies ................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Financial intermediaries ................................................................................................................. 35 3 Innovative networks ......................................................................................................................... 36 Research – business links ............................................................................................................... 37 5 Main research and innovation performers .............................................................................................. 38 5.1 Higher education institutions ........................................................................................................... 38 5.2 Business enterprise sector ................................................................................................................... 39 5.3 Strategic research centres ................................................................................................................... 40 IMEC ............................................................................................................................................................ 40 VIB ................................................................................................................................................................ 41 VITO ............................................................................................................................................................. 41 iMinds ......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Flanders Make ....................................................................................................................................... 42 5.4 Collective research and clustering initiatives ........................................................................... 42 VIS-scheme .............................................................................................................................................. 42 Excellence centres and Innovation Platforms ..................................................................... 42 Cluster policy ......................................................................................................................................... 43 Support for research performed by collective (research) centres ........................... 44 5.5 Policy research centres ......................................................................................................................... 44 5.6 Scientific institutes .................................................................................................................................. 45 5.7 Other knowledge institutes, and networking platforms for R&D and innovation .................................................................................................................................................................. 45 5.8 Institutes governed by other authorities ..................................................................................... 47 Federal authority ................................................................................................................................ 47 International institutions, organizations or platforms in the STI field ................ 47 5.9 Cooperation among different knowledge actors within Flanders ............................... 48 6 Overview of the various actors in the STI domain in Flanders ................................................... 49 7 Flanders in the international STI field ........................................................................................................ 52 7.1 Policy preparation, support and follow-up ............................................................................... 52 7.2 Bilateral and international co-operation and agreements ............................................... 53 STI actors: universities, university colleges, strategic research centres, scientific institutes and other knowledge organizations ............................................................... 53 Public authority level: the EWI policy domain and the International Flanders (IV) policy domain ................................................................................................................................................. 55 7.3 Participation in EU and international programmes, networks and initiatives ..... 59 EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP for RTD), Horizon 2020, and the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) 59 EU Regional Policy 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