Pilot infrastructures testing tomorrow’s solutions
Research only delivers real impact when innovations prove their value beyond the laboratory. That is why VITO has spent many years developing pilot infrastructures where new technologies, materials and processes are tested, validated and scaled up under real-world conditions. These pilot facilities accelerate the transition from scientific research to applications with societal and economic impact.
Where innovation scales up
Developing a new technology is one challenge. Making it reliable, safe and scalable for industrial applications is another. That is why pilot facilities play such a vital role in VITO's innovation story.
They provide the essential link between laboratory-scale research and real-world applications. Companies, governments and researchers use these facilities to experiment, refine processes and test new solutions under realistic operating conditions. In doing so, VITO's pilot infrastructures help innovations scale up more quickly, with less risk, and reach the market faster.
Over the past 35 years, VITO has developed a range of specialised pilot facilities that are making a real difference in the transition to a sustainable, future-proof economy.
LignoValue Pilot Plant: Europe's first pilot line converting lignin into bio-aromatics
In 2022, VITO inaugurated the LignoValue Pilot Plant: the first and only pilot line in Europe converting lignin into bio-aromatics. Lignin, a by-product of industries such as pulp and paper manufacturing, offers a promising alternative to fossil-based aromatics, which currently account for around 40% of all chemicals.
By using bio-aromatics, companies can reduce their dependence on finite fossil-based feedstocks while developing high-performance materials with lower toxicity. The bio-aromatics and lignin-based intermediates produced at the LignoValue Pilot Plant create new opportunities for applications including coatings, resins and composites.
In this way, the LignoValue Pilot Plant supports the development of new value chains for circular, bio-based materials across sectors such as construction, chemistry and high-performance materials.
In 2026, the pilot plant reached an important milestone by successfully completing a continuous 72-hour production run, during which almost two tonnes of lignin-rich feedstock were processed under stable operating conditions. This achievement demonstrates not only the robustness of the technology, but also the potential of lignin as a building block for a circular chemical industry.
First deep geothermal energy plant in Flanders
VITO is also developing the energy systems of the future beneath the ground. The geothermal energy plant at the Balmatt site in Mol, the first deep geothermal energy plant in Flanders, is part of a unique research programme dedicated to geothermal energy.
At a depth of around 3.5 kilometres, water at approximately 125°C is pumped to the surface. This heat can be used to supply district heating networks.
The plant serves both as a research infrastructure and a test environment. Here, VITO investigates how geothermal energy can be extracted safely, the impact of deep geothermal energy on the subsurface and how potential subsurface vibrations can be better understood.
The expertise VITO has built up in Mol is now being applied in real-world projects. For example, VITO is supporting the deep geothermal drilling project for the new LAGO Bredene Grasduinen swimming and sports complex. There, drilling is taking place to a depth of 1,250 metres to harness geothermal energy for heating the entire complex.
The innovative single-well system is a European first. Using a single borehole to extract geothermal energy, the system requires less space and has a smaller impact on the surrounding environment. It is expected to provide fossil-free heating for the entire sports complex.
Flash Calciner: low-carbon cement from clay-rich residual streams
In May 2026, VITO inaugurated the Flash Calciner in Mol: a unique pilot facility for developing lower-carbon cements using clay-rich residual streams. The facility helps the construction sector develop more sustainable alternatives to conventional cement, the production of which is currently responsible for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions.
The Flash Calciner converts clay-rich residual streams from sources including dredging operations and soil remediation into calcined clay through a rapid thermal treatment process (calcination). This calcined clay can replace up to 30% of traditional Portland cement without compromising quality or strength. As a result, the facility not only reduces the climate impact of cement production, but also creates new value from residual materials that would otherwise often go to waste.
The pilot facility enables companies, researchers and other partners to test and optimise processes at pilot scale under real-world conditions. Advanced monitoring systems allow process parameters and emissions to be monitored accurately, including specific substances such as PFAS.
In this way, the Flash Calciner helps companies refine their processes, generate reliable data and prepare for industrial-scale deployment. By doing so, it accelerates the development of lower-carbon cements and supports the transition to a more circular and sustainable construction sector.
Open Thor Build: a living lab for construction and energy innovations
At Thor Park in Genk, VITO has developed Open Thor Build, a unique testing and demonstration environment where innovative construction and energy solutions can be tested under real-world conditions.
Open Thor Build brings together several testing environments in one location: two identical lab houses, a robotics lab and an outdoor construction lab. Together, they form a living lab where companies and researchers can develop, test and validate new construction methods, renovation solutions, energy systems and automated construction processes.
The infrastructure provides an important bridge between digital innovation and real-world construction. New solutions developed in the robotics lab can be validated under realistic operating conditions before being deployed on construction sites.
In this way, Open Thor Build helps the construction sector accelerate the transition to more efficient, safer and more sustainable construction methods.
Where tomorrow's solutions take shape
VITO's pilot infrastructures demonstrate that research only delivers real impact when new insights can be tested, scaled up and applied in practice.
They bring innovation to life, giving new technologies, materials and systems the opportunity to grow from promising research into real-world applications with lasting impact.