The vital role of innovation clusters

The future of the chemical industry is poised for transformation as it races toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. A recent evaluation by the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) sheds light on the progress, challenges, and potential pathways for this ambitious goal. Drawing insights from 15 key studies and 24 scenarios, the report highlights the critical role of renewable feedstocks, recycling innovations, and technological breakthroughs.

The new Flemish Government is determined to strengthen the position of Flanders as the European leader in innovation and even to advance to the world top, by increasing the public investment in innovation to 1% and together with the business community increasing the joint investment in R&D to 5% of the gross domestic product.

In today's rapidly evolving world, innovation is increasingly seen as a key driver for addressing grand societal challenges, such as climate change, inequality, and sustainability. The dissertation "Transformative Innovation Ecosystems - Fostering Innovation to Address Grand Challenges" by Nadja Nordling explores how innovation policies can be reoriented towards fostering transformative change, beyond economic growth, to create solutions for these pressing issues.

The chemical industry must move beyond fossil fuels to embrace renewable carbon. This shift is essential to achieving a sustainable and circular economy. A Nova-Institute study entitled ‘Renewable Carbon is Key to a Sustainable and Future-Oriented Chemical Industry’ from 2018 developed a scenario for the chemical industry based on renewable carbon. Here are some key takeaways.

As the world races to meet the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal, the chemical industry is at a crucial crossroads. To ensure the transition to a climate-neutral, circular and toxin-free society by 2050, the European Commission has introduced the concept of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). This approach, rooted in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, represents a paradigm shift in the way chemicals, materials and processes are developed, assessed and regulated.

Researchers at the University of Ghent have reached a significant milestone in CO2 recycling, with the successful scale-up of a groundbreaking process. The super-dry reforming (SDR) pilot plant was unveiled to the public, showcasing the potential for large-scale impact on reducing carbon emissions. Tine Schaerlaekens, director of Catalisti highlighted the role of the Moonshot program in bridging innovation roadblocks.

Last week Catalisti's Dieter Ruijten attended an Advanced Master Class on Sustainable Transition Strategies. Together with 40 participants from the chemical and life sciences industry and academia, they explored sustainability from a scientific, engineering and business perspective. The 5-day programme featured inspiring keynotes and thematic presentations from international industry experts, financial and research institutions, policy makers and consultants.

The six Flemish spearhead clusters have formulated their consolidated advice in response to the Green Paper “De toekomst van het Vlaamse clusterbeleid” (The Future of Flemish Cluster Policy) presented by Minister Jo Brouns (Work, Economy, Innovation and Agriculture). This advice is the result of intensive collaboration and thorough analysis of the proposed scenarios for the renewal of the cluster policy in Flanders.

Catalisti was invited to the inauguration of the Pillar II pilot plant at VITO's in Mol, a project that was supported with Moonshot-funding through a Later Stage Innovation project (LSI). Catalisti director Tine Schaerlaekens was invited to speak at the event and sketched the broader context of different research and innovation programs, involving more than 20 companies, that led to the Pillar II project and placing Flanders in the forefront of developing lignin as a viable replacement for oil-based chemistry. You can read the remarks here. 

Spearhead clusters are driving forces for innovation and growth in a future-oriented Flanders. Recent studies by the ECOOM expertise center and VUB demonstrate this. The six Flemish spearhead clusters Catalisti, De Blauwe Cluster, Flanders' FOOD, Flux50, MEDVIA and VIL request in a joint memorandum to further assume their essential role.

Six Flemish spearhead clusters gathered yesterday in Lamot in Mechelen for Innovfest 2.0. We were looking forward to the results of VUB professor Elvira Haezendonck's research into the importance and role of spearhead clusters in the innovative region of Flanders. Flemish Minister of Work, Economy, Innovation & Agriculture Jo Brouns confirmed his support for the spearhead cluster policy during his speech.

In November 2020, Catalisti updated its Innovation Agenda. Through concrete innovation programs and focus topics, this agenda captures our ambition to actively contribute and give rise to a sustainable and competitive chemical and plastics industry in Flanders. The agenda forms the guideline for all our activities, not in the least for the initiation and evaluation of our innovation projects.

What does the future hold for the Flemish chemicals and plastics sector? Are ecological and economic realities reconcilable? And how does Catalisti view the future? Jan Van Havenbergh, managing director at Catalisti, and colleague Luc Van Ginneken share their views on cooperation in the sector, sustainability and the ambitious Moonshot programme in the latest edition of NPT Magazine.

Flemish minister Philippe Muyters is launching a 'Moonshot', an innovation programme worth no less than 400 million euros to focus on promising technological innovation with an unambiguous ambition: to make a major contribution to a CO2-neutral Flanders by 2050 and to conquer the world with this technology.

Catalisti, the spearhead cluster for chemistry and plastics, today officially signed the cluster pact together with Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois, Flemish Minister of Innovation Philippe Muyters and Flemish Minister of Mobility Ben Weyts.