onderzoek

Research

Building knowledge together

onderzoek

Building knowledge together

The transition to a circular economy entails various challenges. Not just at the technical level, but above all at the level of systems, policy and habits. 

There is a need for knowledge that goes beyond technology. As such, the strategic lever 'research' combines the supply and demand of knowledge into a research agenda. This agenda serves as a compass: it shows where we are strong currently, where there are gaps and where it is best to invest.

CE Center and VITO leading the way

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CE Center and VITO leading the way

The initiators of this strategic lever are the CE Centre and VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research. 

The strategic lever is implemented by the knowledge needs from the strategic agendas and other levers, and is a collaboration between:

 

Towards a Flemish research agenda

The strategic lever 'research' first maps out:

  • which research themes are already ongoing in Flanders;
  • where there are still needs from the field.

Based on this, we can identify three types of themes:

Hotspots

Themes that are already being researched and which respond to questions from practice. Flanders can pick up on these and take them further.

Blind spots

Themes that are relevant in the field, but on which little or no research is currently being conducted. We identify them and look for ways to encourage research into them, such as through targeted calls.

Future explorations

Themes that are already being researched but have not yet been widely picked up in practice. They can inspire and prepare the field for future challenges.

Focus of the strategic lever 

The focus is on long-term socio-institutional questions. Think about systems issues, policy research, behavioural change, value chains and economic analyses. 

Technical and technological challenges are outside this agenda. The reason? There are already other initiatives such as MateriNex for these broad fields. 

Where possible, we link up with existing Flemish and European programmes. We share some of the same objectives with the Circular Economy Support Centre, although the latter focuses more on knowledge needs from Flemish policy.

Matchmaking: bringing people together around research

Matchmaking: bringing people together around research

The strength of the research agenda is in connecting people rather than in the purely academic development of themes. As such, the agenda grows organically from the bottom up.

On 10 September 2024, we organised a successful matchmaking event in the form of a poster fair. Participants from various knowledge institutions and actors from policy and practice came together. 

The next step? A more thematic approach. On 3 March 2026, we will host a matchmaking event on textiles and circular economy.