Science and Innovation in Flanders Els Compernolle Senior Researcher VRWI EUROTECH 6 May 2013
FLANDERS IN BELGIUM Communities and Regions in a federal Belgium Distribution of competences
DIVIDED COMPETENCES IN A FEDERAL BELGIUM The communities and regions: principal responsibility for science and innovation All academic research at universities Industrial research and development, innovation Total budget Flanders for STI: 1.9 billion euro (of which 1.2 billion for R&D) Federal authorities: specific residual responsibilities Space research Membership fee for international research infrastructures (CERN, EMBL, ) Total budget for STI: >500 million euro Fiscal measures for R&D: ± 500 million euro Cooperation across regions is difficult Slow decision-making process towards Europe Position papers e.g. Belgian position paper on Horizon 2020 Position taking in European councils
INNOVATION LANDSCAPE Key actors
FLEMISH SCIENCE AND INNOVATION SYSTEM: KEY ACTORS HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM Data end 2012 5 Associations 5 universities 21 university colleges academic bachelor/master academic bachelor/master professional bachelor 84.267 29.932 103.417 Integration HE (2013) universities university colleges 5
FLEMISH SCIENCE AND INNOVATION SYSTEM: KEY ACTORS STRATEGIC RESEARCH CENTRES (SOC S) Top-down prioritised research centres, mainly with interuniversity teams Interuniversity Micro-Electronics Centre (IMEC) ( 1984)» total budget: 300 mln., public: 46 mln.» employees:1 980 Flemish Institute for Technological Research VITO ( 1993)» total budget: 103 mln., public: 41 mln.» employees: 577 Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) ( 1995)» total budget: 68 mln., public: 38» employees: 1 268 Institute for Broadband Technology (iminds) ( 2004)» public budget: 24 mln.» employees: 18 members of staff and 600 researchers (in 2009) Data 2011
FLEMISH SCIENCE AND INNOVATION SYSTEM: KEY ACTORS COMPETENCE CENTRES Competence centres aim at building a substantial knowledge base on innovation, within industry segments of importance to Flanders Flanders Drive (Automotive) VIL (Logistics) FMTC (Mechatronics) Flanders Food (Food) Flanders InShape (Product Development and Industrial Design) VIM (Mobility) Flanders Synergy (Innovative Labour Organisation) Flanders PlasticVision (Plastics/Synthetics) FISCH (Flanders innovation hub for sustainable chemistry) I-Cleantech
FLEMISH SCIENCE AND INNOVATION SYSTEM: KEY ACTORS ENTERPRISE - INDUSTRY Top 50 is responsible for 2/3 of R&D expenditures Chemical and pharmaceutical sector: largest share (38%) Few genuine Flemish R&D-intensive companies, many are part of a multinational Centre of decision-making not in Flanders Flanders: SME country mix of innovation-driven and non-innovation driven SMEs Shift towards services
INNOVATION POLICY Outlines of STI Policy Instruments
POLICY FRAMEWORK ViA & Flanders Pact 2020 (19 January 2009) 3 priorities: Creating prosperity Inclusion Sustainability Europe 2020 Strategy (3 March 2010) 3 priorities: Smart growth Inclusive growth Sustainable growth Translates into 7 ViA Breakthrough Actions Innovation centre Flanders NIB Translates into 7 EU Flagship Initiatives Innovation Union An industrial policy for the globalisation era... Innovation centre Flanders 6 Innovation nodes: Transformation through innovation Eco-Innovation Green Energy (Health)Care innovation Sustainable mobility and logistics Social innovation Innovation Union Grand challenges 10
POLICY FRAMEWORK - Flanders in Europe Flemish STI policy aims to position Flanders at heart of Europe: Smart Specialisation Strategy: March 2013: Concept Paper on Smart Specialisation Strategy for Flanders 2 OECD case studies: FISCH Nano for Health VRWI and Belgian Position Paper on Horizon 2020: Concerns about uniform introduction of 20% flat rate for indirect costs Missed opportunities for cross-border collaboration between knowledge institutions from different Member States KETs Target 3% of GDP on R&D (by 2020) 11
POLICY FRAMEWORK OUTLINE OF POLICY FUNDING Competence centres Top-down Bottom-up FWO, BOF, Block grants HE, Odysseus, Methusalem, Strategic Research centres SBO-IWT IOF, Hercules IWT R&D projects industry, IWT SME-support, IWT-EU initiatives Supply side Demand side source: prof. Koen Debackere, KU Leuven
INNOVATION LANDSCAPE Fact and figures
FACTS AND FIGURES R&D EXPENDITURES R&D-expenditures: 5.1 billion euro = 2.40% GDP in 2011 Industry (BERD): 2/3 Public (non-berd): 1/3 2011
FACTS AND FIGURES GOVERNMENT R&D BUDGET (GBAORD) The increase of the science budget was an absolute priority the past 15 years Innovation pact 2003: Flanders subscribes to achieving 3%-target Total Flemish governmental budget for science policy in 2012: 1.891 billion euro, of which 1.20 billion euro for R&D S&T Budget has more than doubled since 1995
FACTS AND FIGURES GOVERNMENT R&D BUDGET (GBAORD) Flanders at the bottom end in international perspective 200 million euro extra needed annually
FACTS AND FIGURES HUMAN CAPITAL: R&D LABOUR FORCE R&D personnel : 39,282 FTE in 2011 +15% compared to 2005 13,2 of overall labour force (in 2009) % researchers R&D-personnel Private sector jaar 2009 2009 Enterprise 50,5 Public sector Higher education (gewest) 80,0 Public research centres 59,9
FACTS AND FIGURES HUMAN CAPITAL: PHD DEGREES PhD degrees awarded: 1 228 (academic year 2008/2009) Strong increase; doubled during the last 10 years: 595 in 1998/1999 1428 in 2010-2011
FACTS AND FIGURES HUMAN CAPITAL: DRAWBACKS Relatively high share of graduates in maths, sciences and technology in population 20-29 year; Share of graduates in maths, sciences and technology in total of graduates is below EU-average 2009
FACTS AND FIGURES HUMAN CAPITAL: DRAWBACKS Lack of private sector absorption of researchers: 46% of total researchers in the EU 69% in China, 73% in Japan 80% in US Lack of industry experience for researchers Lack of entrepreneurship
FACTS AND FIGURES OUTPUT Positive: Number of scientific papers Impact (citations) Dynamics world class Growing number of patents
FACTS AND FIGURES OUTPUT: DRAWBACKS Negative Innovation paradox: go-to-market from research to industry 53% innovative enterprises (2011) CIS-3 CIS-4 CIS-2007 CIS-2009 CIS-2011 Alle bedrijven 58% 59% 56% 52% 53% KMO's 58% 57% 54% 51% 52% Grote bedrijven 83% 88% 82% 80% 79% Low tech 55% 55% 53% 49% 49% High tech 71% 78% 71% 70% 73% Industrie 69% 64% 64% 56% 60% Diensten 49% 54% 49% 49% 47% Labour market is not sufficiently absorbing the growing number of highly educated in Flanders
companies Knowledge institutions
QUESTIONS?