Member Profile

Wallonia

Presentation of the Region

Wallonia is one of the 3 Regions of Belgium, which is a Federal State. Wallonia is a region that is naturally open to the world, a place where languages and cultures meet. It is very export-oriented and particularly welcoming. The region has a strong industrial tradition, and has developed strong industrial specialisations based on the one hand on reconversion of traditional industrial sectors (e.g. advanced manufacturing, new materials) and on the other hand on cutting-edge research excellence (biotech and life science). Strong axis of our regional policies are the development of Competitive Clusters (http://clusters.wallonie.be/federateur-en/) in key sectors (life sciences, agri-food, engineering and new materials, transport and logistics, aeronautics and space, and environmental technologies), a comprehensive strategy for digitalisation - Digital Wallonia (https://www.digitalwallonia.be/en) and more recently the Region has endorsed strong ambitions in deploying circular economy through Circular Wallonia (https://economiecirculaire.wallonie.be/sites/default/files/2021-02/Rapp…).

RIS3 Priorities

Wallonia has recently adopted a renewed Smart Specialisation Strategy (2021-2027) - An innovative, competitive, collaborative Wallonia at the service of affirmed economic and societal ambitions. It took as its starting point the response through innovation to the main societal challenges for Wallonia and the analysis of its distinctive strengths. Five strategic innovation areas have been identified :
- Circular materials
- Innovations for enhanced health
- Innovations for agile and safe design and production methods
- Sustainable energy systems and housing
- Agri-food chains of the future and innovative management of the environment

More info : https://s3.wallonie.be/

Willy Borsus Vice-President of the Walloon Government

With its new smart specialization strategy, Wallonia aims to strengthen its innovation ecosystems and its competitiveness, with a strong international perspective. Collaboration with other European partners, and in particular the members of the Vanguard Initiative, is therefore a priority.

Political Representatives
Willy BORSUS

Vice-President of the Governement

Regional Contact Persons
Vincent Lepage

Director

Florence Hennart

Senior advisor

Regional Address

Place de Wallonie 1
5100 Namur
Belgium

Brussels Office Address

Rue Belliard 65
1040 Brussels
Belgium

Our Pilots

New Walloon S3 adopted by the Government

On the 19th of March 2021, the Walloon Government adopted its S3 2.0.

3DP Pilot implements process to ensure the Pilot’s agility, readability and resource efficiency

Over the last months, extensive efforts have been made to continuously adapt the 3DP Pilot activities to emerging industrial needs.

printer, 3d, print
3D-printing Pilot gathered for online plenary meeting on 2 April

On April 2nd, the 3D-printing (3DP) Pilot of the Vanguard Initiative held its 11th Plenary Meeting.

entrepreneur, idea, competence
ESM and Bioeconomy Pilots successful in TAF-applications

Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), launched by the European Commission as a tool to support Smart Specialisation Platforms (S3P) -Industry investment projects has been open for a second assessmen

event, auditorium, conference
Wallonia participated at the first European Cluster Policy Forum

On 22 February 2018, national representatives from 25 EU member states, Commission officials and cluster policy experts met in Brussels during EU Industry day to share experiences and discu

IND TECH 2024 - Conference on Industrial Technologies

The European Union flagship event bringing together stakeholders from research organizations, industry, SMEs, and policymaking to discuss the state-of-the-art, technological challenges, as well as 

Research to Reality – Digital Solutions to European Challenges

Research to Reality – Digital Solutions to European Challenges is organised under the Belgi

Circular Wallonia Days

Carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050 is a pressing goal, requiring substantial resources, particularly essential metals like Lithium, Cobalt, Manganese, and Nickel for batteries.

Circular Wallonia Days

The “Circular Wallonia Days – Materials and Metals in a Cross-Border Economy” will gather the Walloon Metallurgy Value Chain ecosystem from the 16th to the 18th of Novemb

New Walloon S3 adopted by the Government

On the 19th of March 2021, the Walloon Governement adopted its S3 2.0. Based on an inclusive and participatory process, the new strategy defines 5 strategic priority areas, and will be implemented on the basis of a totally reviewed governance setting, and improved policy mix. A strong focus is put on the international and European dimension. Wallonia will aim at enhanced participation in European programmes and networks, and in particular through the Vanguard Initiative.

The full text (in French) is available via the link below, see also the presentation in English below.