Trilateral Innovation Summit brings chemistry innovation across borders

29/09/2025

News

On Monday 29 September, the ‘Trilateral Innovation Summit – United by Chemistry’ was held at WATT17 in Heusden-Zolder (BE). The summit gathered industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers from Flanders, the Netherlands, and North Rhine-Westphalia to exchange insights and explore cross-border collaboration for a more sustainable, competitive chemical industry. 84 different organisations participated in the event.

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Building on the Trilateral Strategy for the Chemical Industry, the summit aimed to boost innovation and collaboration in the trilateral region. With its mix of plenary presentations and interactive breakout sessions, the event offered a unique opportunity for matchmaking and knowledge exchange.

Highlights

The day opened with a welcome from Tine Schaerlaekens (Catalisti) and an introduction by Colette Alma-Zeestraten (VNCI), framing the discussions on cross-border collaboration in the chemical sector. Dirk Carrez (Bio-based Industries Consortium) delivered a keynote on the current state of bio-based innovation, highlighting both the opportunities and the structural challenges in the Trilateral Region and beyond. In addition, Kelly Servaes (VITO) presented the COUNTLESS project, a cross-border collaboration demonstrating the potential of lignin-derived bio-based chemicals across multiple application areas.

Participants then engaged in Challenge and Thematic Tables. The Challenge Tables, structured as small-group discussions, allowed participants to present concrete innovation needs and explore potential solutions with industry and academic experts. The Thematic Tables offered participants the opportunity to discuss the benefits of AI/digitalisation and SSbD, and learn how to align their projects with European and regional support mechanisms. Both formats provided valuable forums for co-creation, knowledge exchange and connecting with international partners.

Colette Alma-Zeestraten (ChemistryNL): “The multitude of novel sustainable initiatives presenting themselves in this summit gives us inspiration and hope for the future. We are proud that we can help to establish new contacts and collaborations across the three regions so that these initiatives can further mature and grow.”

Dennis Herzberg (CLIB): “Co-organising this event was a natural step for us. It was the logical consequence of our long-standing collaboration with our partners in Flanders and the Netherlands. The chemical industry and the bioeconomy are cross-border sectors that thrive on cooperation between stakeholders in this region. This cooperation was again successfully catalysed by the Trilateral Innovation Summit. It showcased the innovative strength and creativity that exists in this region and which will ensure that it remains the chemical powerhouse in Europe.”

Tine Schaerlaekens (Catalisti): “For Catalisti, coordinating the Trilateral Innovation Summit has been very valuable. It helps us bring our members in the spotlight internationally. This event gives them the chance to attract new partners and to position their innovation projects in a broader, international setting. The challenges we face in the chemical sector don’t stop at the border. With this event we hope to stimulate collaboration with our partners in the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia and will continue these efforts.”

Catalisti members presented their challenges

Several Catalisti members played a leading role in the event by hosting Challenge Tables: Cargill, BASF, Indaver, Effex, Evonik and Zeopore. Their active participation in these challenge tables allowed them to present concrete innovation challenges and receive targeted feedback from industry experts from the trilateral region. This helps identify potential opportunities for international collaboration.