VARIO Independent advice for the Flemish Government The Flemish Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – VARIO – acts as the highest advisory body to the Flemish Government and the Flemish Parliament with regard to Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy. In 2020 VARIO had the publication of seven advisory reports on its agenda. These are characterized by VARIO’s distinctive approach: evidence-based, taking the international context into account and based on a system perspective. To the top 5 innovation and knowledge regions
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In the midst of the corona crisis, VARIO presented a triptych advisory report to Minister-President of the Flemish Government Jan Jambon and Vice-Minister-President Hilde Crevits on how to steer Flanders towards a top position of knowledge and innovation regions by 2030. “We ask the Flemish Government not to be tempted by short-term politics because of the crisis. We must keep the long term in mind and focus on what is strategically important” explains VARIO director Danielle Raspoet. “As a result of the sustained financial efforts of the past decades, Flanders has become one of Europe's top R&D spenders (according to the latest figures, 2.92% as a percentage of GDPR, private and public). Despite this, Flanders only ranks 40th in the latest European Regional Innovation Scoreboard and therefore remains in the category of ‘strong innovators’. Particularly in terms of the impact of its investments, Flanders needs to raise the bar: from strong innovator to innovation leader.”
VARIO chairman Lieven Danneels
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VARIO chairman Lieven Danneels: “We are very pleased that the new Flemish coalition agreement has adopted the ambition of our VARIO memorandum to push Flanders to the top 5 innovation and knowledge regions. This ambition remains stronger than ever in the current corona crisis. Science, innovation and entrepreneurship are indispensable for solving this unprecedented health, social and economic crisis.”
VARIO director Danielle Raspoet
bachelors to strengthen the STEM-programmes, both short reports in reaction to a concept note. Furthermore VARIO carried out a study on the prospects for a Flemish hydrogen economy. The study shows that Flanders has a unique diversity of players located in different links of the hydrogen value chain, and therefore has all the assets to play a leading role in Europe in the field of hydrogen, provided the right support. Based on this study, Minister Crevits has developed a Flemish hydrogen vision. VARIO has also been working on scenarios to involve citizens more closely in science and innovation policy. All advisory reports can be found on vario.be.
A first advisory report of the triptych selects the countries and regions with which Flanders must benchmark itself on the way to the top in the coming years: innovation leaders Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, and more particular thirteen regions within these countries, complemented by four German regions. The second advisory report provides a quality set of 20 key indicators to monitor Flanders’ progress in science and innovation. The third advisory report deals in greater depth with seven weak links in the Flemish innovation system that need to be tackled over the next ten years in order to raise the system to a higher level: (1) shortcomings in STEM; (2) lifelong learning; (3) ambitious entrepreneurship; (4) integrated vision of innovation; (5) regional impact of public R&D investments; (6) high-tech exports; (7) efficient and effective innovation policy.
VARIO council composition The chairman and nine members are appointed by the Flemish Government in a personal capacity. Members come from academia or industry and are selected based on their expertise, experience and knowledge of the field.
Other advisory reports of 2020
Lieven Danneels, managing director of Televic Group, chairs VARIO. The other members are Katrin Geyskens (Capricorn), Wim Haegeman (UGent), Johan Martens (KU Leuven), Leen Van den Neste (vdk bank), Koen Vanhalst (De Clercq & Partners), Vanessa Vankerckhoven (Novosanis), Dirk Van Dyck (UAntwerpen), Marc Van Sande (Umicore) and Reinhilde Veugelers (KU Leuven).
Other topics VARIO dealt with in 2020 are lifelong learning and the allocation of additional resources for the professional
The council is supported by a permanent staff directed by Danielle Raspoet. 40
