Flemish Cooperative Innovation Networks Programme (IWT)

On 22 July 2005, the Flemish Government approved the new policy framework for the support of Competence Research Centres. Up till then, Competence Research Centres were supported and established by the Flemish Government on an ad hoc basis and via a bottom-up approach. However, there was a need for an open and transparent evaluation and selection procedure for the establishment and continuation of these strategic important initiatives. The new policy framework lays down the foundation for the new programme for Competence Research Centres. which will become operational in 2006.

The support for Competence Research Centres will be mainly integrated in the existing Flemish Cooperative Innovation Networks (VIS) Programme. The objective of the VIS Programme is to stimulate technological innovation in Flemish enterprises, in particular SMEs, by increasing the awareness, improving the access to technological knowledge and supporting the implementation of knowledge in enterprises. The programme currently covers 6 kind of projects:

collective research: aiming at acquiring, gathering and translating technological knowledge into innovative applications for a large group of companies;
technological services: provide technological support through answering questions, but also through a more pro-active approach to companies that are conducting innovative activities;
thematic innovation stimulation: activities of innovation stimulation targeted at companies that share a common theme;
sub-regional innovation stimulation: activities of innovation stimulation targeted at companies in a certain area;
feasibility studies: to investigate the feasibility of important and large initiatives by a large group of companies or intermediary organisations, e.g. the preparation of a new Competence Research Centres;
cooperation projects: aiming at enhanced cooperation between intermediary organisations on topics of joint interest (non-technological), e.g. best practices to select demand-driven topics for collective research by Competence Research Centres

The VIS programme will be extended with the possibility to apply not only for the above-mentioned projects, but also for large programmes (2 -5 million euro) for the support of new and existing Competence Research Centres.

Relevant links:
– General presentation of VIS-programme (TrendChart)
– Homepage VIS Programme (only in Dutch)

COMPERA-contact:
Frank Monteny (+32 2 209 09 11)
Corien Struijk (+32 2 788 15 61)