FISCH becomes spearhead cluster Catalisti

Flanders is committed to an innovative, market-oriented chemical and plastics industry, ready for the sustainability challenges. This is where the opportunities for the industry lie. Innovating and valorizing through cross-sector collaboration are paramount, says Jan Van Havenbergh, general director of the new spearhead cluster organization Catalisti. This is the continuation of the competence pole Fisch. "The important thing is to start from the competences of the industries and knowledge institutions with support from the government."

So far, more than a hundred companies, sector federation essenscia vlaanderen, all Flemish universities, the knowledge institutions Vito (Flemish Institution for Technological Research), Centexbel (the research center for the textile industry) and Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant have joined Catalisti. Its managing director Jan Van Havenbergh explains that this new spearhead cluster takes up the thread of the past competence pools Fisch, Flanders Innovation hub for Sustainable Chemistry and Flanders' PlasticVision (FPV).

Added value

Catalisti was christened a week before Christmas under wide interest, from industry and knowledge institutions. Industry was clearly in demand for a follow-up to Fisch. "The need for market-oriented, innovative, collective and cooperative (with only a few companies) research was clear," knows Van Havenbergh, who was Fisch's general manager until the end. "We had been working within Fisch for several years on research projects that delivered innovative and economic added value." 
According to him, the reduction of the government subsidy from 80 percent to 50 percent is of minor importance. Confidence in the spearhead cluster is also evident in the willingness to pay significantly higher, annual membership fees, up to 25,000 euros. "Companies can therefore rightly continue to expect the necessary from us," Van Havenbergh emphasizes. "We can see that: we have the necessary resources and nice sustainability goals. Such as the further development of renewable chemicals, the valorization of residual streams, the development of sustainable products and materials and process intensification."

The circular economy is the driving force here, which additionally connects the various spearhead clusters for logistics, materials, smart energy and agri-food. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)