Catalisti launches questionnaire to shape the future of the chemical and plastics sector in Flanders
Catalisti has officially launched the Innovation Roadmap Questionnaire, inviting stakeholders across Flanders to help shape the next decade of innovation in the chemical and plastics industry. From 20 November to 20 December 2025, the questionnaire gathers insights from the people in Flanders who drive innovation every day — researchers, engineers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, pioneers, business developers, policymakers and ecosystem partners — ensuring the roadmap reflects the real needs and ambitions of the entire industry.
A renewed Innovation Roadmap
Catalisti, together with its partners, is developing a renewed Innovation Roadmap for the chemical and plastics industry in Flanders. This roadmap will serve as a strategic framework for the sector, outlining the priorities that will guide our innovation efforts toward a more competitive, sustainable, and resilient industry. The first draft of this Innovation Roadmap was developed in close dialogue with our Board of Directors, our Innovation Committee, VLAIO and essenscia, whose expertise, feedback and guidance helped us align with the sector’s long-term needs.
The Innovation Roadmap contains three perspectives:
- A context perspective. Reflecting the challenging context, consisting of five interconnected drivers for innovation.
- A cluster’s perspective. Reflecting a role approach for our cluster, consisting of five interconnected levers with Catalisti as central actor.
- A technical perspective. Reflecting a practical approach, consisting of five interconnected innovation programmes along the value chain.
The Innovation Roadmap Questionnaire
The questionnaire aims to collect insights from companies, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to help validate, refine, and strengthen the Innovation Roadmap. To ensure the renewed roadmap truly reflects the needs of the chemical and plastics industry, it is essential that we gather input from a diverse range of stakeholders: each type of organisation (start-ups, SMEs, multinationals, research institutions, government bodies, non-profit organisations, other innovations clusters, etc.) brings a unique perspective on innovation challenges and opportunities.
Since Catalisti is also seeking to improve its project-related and overall member services, the questionnaire includes a satisfaction survey for Catalisti members.
To build a renewed Innovation Roadmap that truly supports our sector, we need the insights from the people in Flanders who drive innovation every day. Your input will help us set the right priorities and align our innovation efforts with today’s and tomorrow’s challenges of the chemical and plastics industry.
Next steps
Once the questionnaire is completed, Catalisti will analyse the results and share the consolidated insights in the spring of 2026. This analysis will directly feed into our broader effort to renew the Innovation Roadmap: in the next phase, Catalisti will conduct in-depth interviews with interested stakeholders and organise thematic workshops to gain a comprehensive overview of the innovation needs of our sector. Together, these insights will allow us to finalise the renewed Innovation Roadmap by summer 2026 and begin implementing it in our activities from early 2027.