The Belgian blue economy is in full development. Currently, the sector already accounts for an annual economic added value of 13.47 billion euros and almost 154,000 jobs. With the opening of the Ostend Science Park, a site of no less than 16ha in the middle of the Flanders 'Blue Valley', Flanders wants to further support and stimulate the growth of the blue economy. The park positions itself on the interface between policy, science and industry and wants to focus on companies with research and development activities in the blue economy as a high-tech knowledge hub.
To achieve this, the Ostend Science Park makes world-class research and testing facilities available to researchers and companies. They will also have the opportunity to feed back their ideas and findings with the broad expertise of Marine@UGent's scientists, who are permanently based at the site.
Ostend Science Park also has a strong international network, enabling it to offer its services to international companies. Furthermore, Ostend Science Park is committed to major international themes and hopes to make a significant contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Want to find out more about the new Ostend Science Park? Take a look at the website.
Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee | InnovOcean Campus | Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, België
Tel.: +32-(0)59-33 60 00 | e-mail: compendium@vliz.be
