The VRWB distilled a powerful message for the Flemish Parliament and the new Flemish government from a broad and interactive consultation process in the form of a memorandum 'Science and Technological Innovation 2004-2010 - twenty-one key issues in five topics' created with the actors in the domain 'Science and Technological Innovation' via the Council and commission members.
Some 200 experts from universities, university colleges, companies, research institutes, intermediary organisations, etc., were involved in the process and gave their vision on the desired Flemish policy in the matter of science and technological innovation for the 2004-2009 legislature.
The five large topics of the memorandum span over the entire science and innovation events in Flanders and deal with:
- a committed and strategic Flemish policy on innovation;
- the different links within the innovation chain;
- human and financial resources;
- a pro-active and internationally oriented research policy;
- the annual evaluation of the policy on innovation.
The VRWB further focuses on 21 central key issues around which the Flemish government will need to carry out priority policy actions during the 2004-2010 period. With this, the VRWB provides an ambitious plan to the Flemish government for developing a strong policy on science and technological innovation.
A more extensive report included in the memorandum contains recommendations about the resources, instruments and organisational aspects of the future Flemish policy on innovation as established by the Memorandum 2004-2010 dated 15 April 2004.
Both documents, the memorandum and extended report, are published in this study series. This publication has turned out to be a valuable contribution in outlining the future policy on science and technological innovation in Flanders (cf. Policy Comments 2004-2009 'Economy, Enterprises, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade' of vice minister-president Fientje Moerman).