Long-term financial support from Flemish government for R&D
Innovation minister Ingrid Lieten has increased the funding for long-term research and development projects in Flemish companies
“Innovation is not reserved for an elite”
Lieten has responded to calls from companies and industries for increased support for long-term research initiatives, particularly in strategic sectors such as the chemical industry, which is a crucial element of the Flemish economy.
Chemical companies are looking to solve problems, like raw materials shortages and declining oil reserves, by developing innovative solutions, such as recycling CO2 waste. A breakthrough in this area would make Flanders less dependent on importing raw materials from the United States and the Middle East.
“There is a lot more openness in the innovation landscape today,” Lieten said. “The innovation agency is reaching out to small and medium-sized companies that in the past did not know about the instruments available to them. Innovation is not reserved for an elite but for every company, large or small.”
Photo courtesy addictlab.com
