Advice from Flemish Spearhead Clusters following Green Paper
Building on strengths to develop solutions to future challenges.
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.
On March 27, 2024, the spearhead clusters (Catalisti, VIL, Flanders' FOOD, Flux50, DBC, Medvia) received from the Minister of Innovation the request for a consolidated opinion on the Green Paper “De toekomst van het Vlaamse clusterbeleid” (The Future of Flemish Cluster Policy). After ten years of spearhead cluster funding, started in 2017, Flanders is on the eve of a renewed cluster policy approach. In this Green Paper, VLAIO examines the possible options for anchoring valuable initiatives or activities.
In their opinion, the spearhead clusters stress the importance of their unique role as central and neutral actors in the innovation ecosystem, and evaluate the scenarios proposed in the Green Paper. They argue for maintaining the essence of cluster operation, which is largely focused on economic competitiveness and growth, while also supporting the evolution toward a more transformative innovation policy focused on complex societal challenges.
With this advice, the spearhead clusters stress their willingness to contribute to a future-oriented policy that further strengthens Flanders as an innovation region and prepares it for the challenges of tomorrow. The advice can be consulted in full via the link below:
📎 Geconsolideerd advies vanwege de vlaamse speerpuntclusters (pdf, Dutch)