Request-for-Projects for Knowledge Institutions

cluster Strategic Basic Research (cSBO): objectives & requirements

A strategic Basic Research project for clusters (cSBO) involves innovative research that, if scientifically successful, offers prospects for later economic and societal applications. A cSBO project fits into a broader trajectory within the cluster and they are not stand-alone projects (e.g., via follow-up projects and/or implementation at companies). A cSBO project is demand-driven and meets the needs identified and endorsed by the target companies. The intended knowledge development will advance the cluster roadmap and the intended knowledge development is urgent and important. The knowledge acquired contributes to achieving the strategic objectives of the cluster involved and its target group(s). 

For a cSBO project, knowledge institutions are the beneficiaries of the VLAIO funding (subsidy rate of 100%) and companies can participate via an industrial advisory board. cSBO projects can have a maximum duration of 4 years and a maximum subsidy of 3 million EUR. Given the innovation clusters’ mission to realize innovation(s) within a relatively short period of time across a broad group of companies, preference is given to short-term projects (approximately 2 years). 

For this specific cSBO project, the consortium must include at least three knowledge institutions, and each principal investigator can only be part of one three-pager application. In addition, the project idea must be relevant for the chemical and/or plastics industry, demonstrated by at least six companies in Flanders expressing their interest in the project idea. Since the project proposal will be submitted on the earmarked Catalisti budget, the focus should be on the chemical and plastics industry (as it will not be submitted as an intercluster project).

Important notice: Companies that wish to be involved in this cSBO project, will need to be Catalisti-member. For more information on membership and membership fees, please contact Martijn Roosen (mroosencatalisti.be (mroosen[at]catalisti[dot]be)) and Aron Deneyer (adeneyercatalisti.be (adeneyer[at]catalisti[dot]be)). In compliance to SBO regulations, the following requirements apply during the project implementation: 

1. All commercial members of the advisory committee are required to make a monetary contribution of minimum 250 EUR/year in the case of an SME or minimum 1,000 EUR/year in the case of a large enterprise or another organisation. 

2. A commitment to a substantive contribution and a time investment to participate in bilateral consultations with the project executors and/or meetings of the advisory committee.

Topic of 2026: scope & goals

The topic for this year’s cSBO project proposal is “design of advanced digital innovation-accelerating tools in the chemical industry”.

Improving digital modelling tools is emerging as a key area in which the chemical and plastics industry aims to strengthen its capabilities and explore new opportunities, since there is a clear need to accelerate innovation processes and to respond more rapidly to changing contexts and market demands. By employing advanced digital modelling tools (computational modelling, digital twins, neural networks, etc.) with or without screening tests (e.g., via high-throughput experimentation) and/or validation experiments (feedback loops towards the developed models), high-performant molecules and products, more efficient and safer processes, less energy use, and reduced raw material consumption can be achieved. In addition, these tools will also shorten innovation cycles and reduce development costs. Altogether, this could lead to an increased competitiveness of the Flemish industry by enabling faster and more efficient market introduction of new products and processes.

However, existing modelling tools face significant limitations in their predictive capabilities for chemical processes: current models are often insufficiently accurate or require extremely high computational power. Therefore, this year’s cSBO topic aims to stimulate fundamental research towards improved digital innovation-accelerating tools that can be used to develop new or optimize existing chemical processes (i.e., more efficient, safer, less solvent use, less energy consumption, better predictability, etc). Moreover, data quality and data availability remain major challenges. As a result, the topic requires close collaboration between for instance modelling groups and research teams with specialized chemical expertise.

How to reply to this request: timing & selection procedure

Project ideas can be submitted using the three-pager form (download). Each project idea will be reviewed by Catalisti’s Innovation Committee, and feedback will subsequently be provided to the consortia. The selected project idea will then need to prepare a fully elaborated project proposal using the VLAIO cSBO project template. 

• Please send the completed three-pager to Martijn Roosen (mroosencatalisti.be (mroosen[at]catalisti[dot]be)) and Aron Deneyer (adeneyercatalisti.be (adeneyer[at]catalisti[dot]be)). The deadline for submitting the three-pager is 25/03/2026. 

• The consortium that can prepare a full proposal will be selected on 22/04/2026 by the company members of the Catalisti Innovation Committee based on the submitted three-pager.

• Feedback on the three-pager, based on the outcome of the Catalisti innovation committee, is foreseen on 29/04/2026.

• If your project idea is selected, the full project proposal must be submitted by 31/08/2026.

Contact

Please contact Martijn Roosen (mroosencatalisti.be (mroosen[at]catalisti[dot]be)) and Aron Deneyer (adeneyercatalisti.be (adeneyer[at]catalisti[dot]be)) in case of questions or to obtain more information.

Download the template

Catalisti cSBO 2026 template (docx)