Belgium

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Welcome to Belgium, the heart of Europe!

Why choose Belgium?

The Kingdom of Belgium has a lot to offer to researchers and scientists. Although the country is a relatively young state, Belgium has an international key position, being the headquarters of the European Union’s institutions and NATO, but also the centre of the world’s most industrialized region. It has an eventful history characterized by cultural intermixing, a broad commercial base and a strong tradition of artistic skill, scientific endeavour and craftsmanship. Its economy is one of the strongest: specialized in the importation of raw materials and semi-finished goods for further progressing and re-exporting, Belgium is the 4^th exporter of goods worldwide. Belgian research has a world-wide reputation in fields like medicines (vaccins, cancer treatment,…) chemicals, and technology in general. All of this makes Belgium the place to be and have contacts with.

Political actors

It is necessary to understand who the different actors in the field of Research are, as the institutional structure of Belgium is complex. Since 1993, Belgium is a Federal State counting a Federal Authority, three Communities (French, Flemish and German) and three Regions (Walloon, Brussels-Capital, and the Flemish Region). Research is therefore organised according to those different level of power. “Prime” responsibility in the field of scientific research is assigned to the communities and regions within their respective areas of activity. However, the Federal Authority still withholds certain “exclusive” responsibilities. Some of these are subject to co-operation agreements signed with the federated authorities concerned.

The Federal State

The federal Authority deals mainly with domains such as foreign affairs, national defence, justice, finance, social security, part of the public health and internal affairs policies. The state, assisted by the Minster Council, decides the big lines of the scientific policy. The Federal Authority, besides supporting research required for the fulfilment of its own assignments, also finances the federal scientific institutions, space research conducted in an international context, data transfer networks between scientific institutions as well as several other activities requiring uniform implementation at national or international level.

The three Communities

The Communities are responsible for the general support of research carried out in higher education institutions.

The three Regions

The Regions are responsible for economic policy, energy policy (except the nuclear fuel cycle), civil engineering works, transport and the environment, and are responsible for the industrial and technological research for innovation.

Map of the different entities
Regions	Communities
The Flemish Region forms one official entity with the Flemish Community	The Flemish Community (Dutch speaking) forms one official entity with the Flemish Region
The Walloon Region	The French Community
The Brussels-Capital Region	The German Community

R&D players

Most of the research is executed by three groups of R&D players:

Public research

The universities (which come under the responsibility of the Communities) perform most of the fundamental research. Besides, each authority funds and runs several own research and public-utility institutions.
Research and public-utility institutions, funded by the Federal Authority and the Regions.

Industrial Research

The sectoral collective research centres meeting the specific needs of the companies in terms of scientific and technological research, is jointly funded by the companies.

Research Funding

Traditionally, there are various systems of financial support for research in Belgium.

Funding of public research

Part of this budget is directly allocated to the researchers by the competent administrations (state and federated entities). The remainder is granted indirectly, by means of funds or autonomous funding institutions (federated entities) which decide for which purposes the funds should be used.

Funding of industrial research

2⁄3 of the R&D activities in Belgium are funded by the industrial sector. Such programmes are mainly (95%) being channelled towards in-house research. If one adds public funding, the R&D research carried out in firms levels up to 70% of the gross domestic expenses for R&D.

Public funding of industrial research and the promotion of technologies is primarily a responsibility of the Regions. Various approaches have been adopted by the Regions, according to their own priorities and taking account of the specific characteristics of the regional industrial scenario. Public support comes in the form of grants for basic industrial research and refundable loans for the R&D of prototypes, new products and manufacturing processes. Particular attention has been given to SMEs and innovation in the context of these financial support schemes.

Research Actors

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