Clean technologies
On 1 January 2018, VITO welcomed a new addition to the family when i-Cleantech Vlaanderen was integrated into VITO. In May 2018, Cleantech Flanders was established from a merger of i-Cleantech Vlaanderen and the Flanders Cleantech Association. The mission of Cleantech Flanders is to encourage and promote the implementation of clean technologies (cleantech) that will speed up the transition to a sustainable world. This merger will enable VITO to raise its profile further as a source of support for Flemish companies and organisations that are interested in committing to clean technologies in Flanders and other countries.
An increasing number of companies and organisations are endorsing the demand for sustainability. Cleantech Flanders shows them the way towards a circular, sustainable economy by providing them with information, establishing contact between them and encouraging them to collaborate. The networking and support activities provide a sound basis for the embedding of cleantech in Flanders.
Smart street lighting
Cleantech Flanders is active in various sectors and in a number of cleantech fields, including energy, materials, mobility, and water. One example is its involvement in the streetlighting project in the city of Halle, a project that is being supported by the Programme for Innovation Procurement (PIO) run by the Flemish Government. The city’s aim is to modernise its lighting in public places in an innovative way, and to organise street lighting according to the principles of the circular economy. For example, the lighting will have smart controls and be linked to a dimming and switch-off plan. It will also use locally generated renewable energy. The project was launched in 2018 and will continue until 2020.
