On 4 October 2022, the Flemish government launched Flanders Technology & Innovation (FTI), a large-scale project on technology and innovation. With this, the Flemish government wants to jointly take a new step into the future. In fact, FTI should become a “progress project” that gives the Flemish people hope for the future.
What is FTI?
Flanders Technology & Innovation is a platform to bring together the Flemish government, companies, universities, entrepreneurs, federations, and interest groups to structurally tackle the big questions of tomorrow. To ensure a technological advantage and stimulate innovations that benefit us all, FTI will build bridges between people and knowledge. How? By doing rather than talking. By experimenting and keep trying. And all this with a clear societal goal in mind.
How will FTI operate?
FTI’s mission is Flanders as the laboratory of Europe. FTI should become the sustainable and progressive engine of prosperity for all Flemish people. The idea is that government, companies, and knowledge centres will collaborate on 5 main challenges: 1) energy and climate, 2) health and nutrition, 3) lifelong learning, 4) data and 5) media and entertainment. Concrete initiatives will be set up around these themes with a focus on 5 corresponding domains: 1) Energy Tech, 2) Health Tech, 3) Flanders Next Academy, 4) Data Tech and 5) Entertainment Tech. Go to the FTI website to find out more about each domain.
Five thematic symposia will be organised around the abovementioned themes between now and the end of 2023. The first symposium, which will take place in mid-December, will focus on ‘energy and climate’. Major public events are also planned in March 2024, spread across the five Flemish provinces.
More info? Watch the kick-off video below or go to the FTI website.