VITO's water labs and technology hall is gaining ground in Ostend
VITO's water research will gain a stronger foothold on the Belgian coast in 2026. In mid 2026, VITO will move into new pilot and testing facilities at Ostend Science Park. With the shell now completed, the development of state-of-the-art research infrastructure for water technology has kicked off.
Multifunctional Water Technology Hall for Applied Research
The new research site combines a spacious technology hall with specialised laboratories. There, VITO will collaborate with companies and knowledge partners to develop, demonstrate, and test innovative water purification technologies. This will bring innovations to practice more quickly: from lab to factory, from prototype to industrial implementation. The hall accommodates pilot setups and enables practice-oriented research. In doing so, VITO is building a unique ecosystem where technologies are tested under realistic conditions.
VITO integrates multiple innovative technologies with one clear goal: water fit for use. With advanced sensors, new control strategies, and digital twins, water purification becomes smarter, more efficient, and better adjusted to practice. Very concretely, the research focuses on emerging pollutants such as PFAS, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals, as well as concentrate streams that today often pose a barrier to water reuse in industry.
VITO Concenter as a Driver of Innovation
The VITO campus in Ostend forms the core of the VITO Concenter, which, through EFRO, invests in future-oriented infrastructure to process and valorise concentrate streams. Companies focusing on circular water usage can rely on VITO’s support and collaboration with other technology developers and knowledge institutions.
Mobile Testing Capacity and Innovation Power
The Ostend location caters to the needs of the Flemish industry to accelerate the sustainability of water use. In addition to the technology hall, VITO has a fleet of mobile water purification containers. With these, we can test and validate purification techniques such as activated carbon filtration, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and direct nanofiltration on-site, enabling independent technological screening and advice.
Towards a Resilient Water Industry
With these investments, VITO strengthens its role as a catalyst for innovation in water technology. From Ostend, VITO aims to directly assist companies in managing water flows more intelligently, recovering raw materials, and thus contributing to a climate-conscious and circular industry.
CEO Inge Neven attends the work meeting about the new water infrastructure on the VITO campus in Ostend.
The new VITO campus will be housed in the buildings of GEOxyz, a leading player in integrated geo and hydrographic services at sea. In this way, VITO helps knit the innovation fabric around the blue economy at Ostend Science Park.
