The world is changing, awareness is growing that ‘sustainable’ is a verb. VITO wants to be a binding force between companies, governments and knowledge centres in this transition. In this way, our insights and innovations strengthen the economic and social fabric in Flanders. New important steps were taken by our VITO researchers in 2018, leading us to a more sustainable world.

In this annual report you can read how VITO provides the foundations for solutions for an economically viable, clean and safe energy system. How we have developed important tools that enable the transition to a circular economy at all levels. How we work on alternatives for the scarce and polluting fossil fuels and how we succeed in this. How we focus on innovation in health and develop tools to promote a long and healthy life through affordable and preventive health care. How we monitor our environment, land use and water use for this. It is an expertise that we share in (inter)national projects, with companies, with schools and citizens.

VITO in figures 2018

Board of directors

President: ir. Ingrid Vanden Berghe

​Members: prof. dr. Kurt Deketelaere, ir. Dirk Fransaer, mrs Elke Van de Walle, mr Michel Meeus, mrs Claire Renders, ir. Ingrid Vanden Berghe, mr Wim Van den Abbeele, mr Eric Vermeylen, mrs Caroline Ven, ir. Marc Decorte, prof. dr. Isabel Van Driessche, prof. dr. Luc De Schepper

Government Commissioners:  mr Eric Sleeckx, mrs. Nele Roobrouck

Observers: mr Frank Gérard (PMV), Wesley Boënne (VITO), mr Maarten Spruyt (VITO) 

On the 30th of April of 2019 prof. dr. Kurt Deketelaere replaced member Em. prof. dr. Harry Martens.

VITO connects

Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world, to reduce the risk of innovation for companies and to strengthen the economic and social fabric of Flanders. Thanks to our unique position in the innovation landscape, we can optimally fulfill this role.

VITO & companies

VITO is working together with companies, either directly or in partnership with industry networks such as the spearhead clusters and employers’ organisations, to reduce the risk of sustainable innovation for companies. In Flanders and by extension internationally.

Launch of Cleantech Flanders

VITO & science

VITO has a strong reputation in the Flemish and European scientific communities and works together with internationally renowned institutions. 

VITO & society

VITO provides objective and scientific information for policy makers and citizens in order to have an impact on social debates on the transition to a sustainable society and achieving climate goals. VITO focuses on 4 pillars:

  1. A system vision and approach to introduce new technologies: Climate policy requires a system change in virtually all social domains with a good integration of new technologies VITO is working on today.
     
  2. Shared Fact-based insights: With its scientific expertise, VITO is an independent player in fact-based reasoning and monitoring of climate opportunities.
     
  3. A proactive, constructive and connecting role: VITO wants to proactively promote a constructive cooperation to realise climate solutions. We want to bring together insights from stakeholders from all sectors and social initiatives, translate them into actions and focus on social acceptability and the central role of the community.
     
  4. Towards societal acceptance: a sustainable solutions is only ready if it is economically and socially accepted, and embedded in the daily practice of companies, governments and citizens.
Impact
in figures
Connecting
people@VITO