35 years of VITO: a milestone and a new starting point
On Thursday 4 June, we celebrated 35 years of VITO. Not only by reflecting on what we have achieved together, but above all by looking ahead. During a day filled with meetings, guided tours and inspiring discussions, we brought together researchers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives and policymakers to address a single question: how can we help shape the industry of tomorrow?
35 years of impact
In her opening speech, Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Chair of the Board of Directors, looked back on VITO’s evolution. Since its foundation in 1991, we have grown into an internationally recognised research and innovation organisation with expertise in areas including energy, materials, chemistry, water, health, artificial intelligence, security and defence.
Throughout those 35 years, one conviction has remained central: research only becomes meaningful when it leads to solutions that make a difference to industry and society.
Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Chair of the Board of Directors of VITO
The future demands speed, scale and collaboration
The focus then turned to the future. CEO Inge Neven called for an integrated approach to energy, water, circular materials, critical raw materials and data. Her message was clear: Europe must act faster, scale up innovation more quickly and collaborate more effectively.
Alexander D'Hooghe (ORG Permanent Modernity) also emphasised that complex challenges can only be tackled when organisations come together within a strong ecosystem.
This idea ran like a thread through the panel discussion Realising a Future-Proof Industry, in which representatives from BASF, Aurubis, North Sea Port, Orion and VITO shared their vision for the future of European industry.
Stronger together in Europe
In the presence of Flemish Minister-President Matthias Diependaele, VITO, TNO, Fraunhofer Umsicht and LIST signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate more closely on industrial innovation. The four research and technology organisations aim to accelerate innovation and contribute to a stronger, more competitive and more resilient Europe.
VITO4STARTERS – VITO’s accelerator programme for deep tech entrepreneurs – was also included in the programme, putting entrepreneurship and innovation within the wider VITO ecosystem in the spotlight.
EARTH: an investment in the next 35 years
A highlight of the celebrations was the official opening of EARTH. The first climate-neutral laboratory building in Flanders was designed to provide maximum support for research, collaboration and innovation.
With EARTH, cross-border collaboration and a clear vision for the future, we continue to develop solutions to the challenges of tomorrow.
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Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Chair of the Board of Directors of VITO
