Ingrid Lieten Flemish minister for innovation, asks the VRWI for advice on the Green Book 'A new industrial policy for Flanders'. The VRWI will deliver its advisory report by early November 2010.
During the VRWI council meeting of September 23rd 2010, dr. Martin Lyes, Divisional Manager for the Research and Innovation Business Unit within Enterprise Ireland, gave a presentation on the Irish research and innovation policy. The Ambassador of Ireland to Belgium, Tom Hanney, made this meeting possible was present as well.
The VRWI-spearhead for Sustainable Chemistry (FISCH) organizes an event on September 24th 2010, in close collaboration with the Flemish Government and Essenscia Flanders. Theme of this meeting will be related to 'cluster intensification' and 'sustainable chemistry innovation' in the Antwerp Harbor region.
Minister Lieten considers it useful that the VRWI formulates its recommendations on the Flemish Environmental Policy Plan 2011-2015, given the strong interfaces that exist with the policy fields of science and innovation.
Within the Flemish Parliament an ad hoc Committee on Higher Education was established. The VRWI was asked to participate in the work of this committee. At the hearing today, the VRWI gave his view on this issue, from the 'research perspective'.
Final approval of the bill accepting the Agreement establishing the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) and the bill accepting the Agreement establishing the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
On April 23, 2010 the Flemish Government approved a one-time investment of 8 million euro grant to the Centre for Medical Innovation (CMI), following the proposal of Minister of Innovation Ingrid Lieten. Previously, on 18 December 2009, the Flemish Government adopted the structural funding agreement with the CMI.
Dirk Van Melkebeke and Micheline Scheys were appointed by the Flemish Government as new Secretary-General of the department of Economy, Science and Innovation and the department of Education and Training respectively.
VRWI-president Dirk Boogmans received a demand by minister Kris Peeters to response to the White Paper on agricultural research. The VRWI will formulate its response by July 15, 2010.
In its meeting of 23 February 2010 the VRWI decided to start a working group on the preparations of Eighth Framework Programme (FP8) of the European Commission. This project was included in the VRWI Working Programme 2010-2014 and in the VRWI Year Programme 2010. The VRWI in its meeting of 25 March 2010 gave the working group on FP8 its assignment.
