On Monday 29 September, the ‘Trilateral Innovation Summit – United by Chemistry’ was held at WATT17 in Heusden-Zolder (BE). The summit gathered industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers from Flanders, the Netherlands, and North Rhine-Westphalia to exchange insights and explore cross-border collaboration for a more sustainable, competitive chemical industry. 84 different organisations participated in the event.

 

Building on the Trilateral Strategy for the Chemical Industry, the summit aimed to boost innovation and collaboration in the trilateral region. With its mix of plenary presentations and interactive breakout sessions, the event offered a unique opportunity for matchmaking and knowledge exchange.

Highlights

The day opened with a welcome from Tine Schaerlaekens (Catalisti) and an introduction by Colette Alma-Zeestraten (VNCI), framing the discussions on cross-border collaboration in the chemical sector. Dirk Carrez (Bio-based Industries Consortium) delivered a keynote on the current state of bio-based innovation, highlighting both the opportunities and the structural challenges in the Trilateral Region and beyond. In addition, Kelly Servaes (VITO) presented the COUNTLESS project, a cross-border collaboration demonstrating the potential of lignin-derived bio-based chemicals across multiple application areas.

Participants then engaged in Challenge and Thematic Tables. The Challenge Tables, structured as small-group discussions, allowed participants to present concrete innovation needs and explore potential solutions with industry and academic experts. The Thematic Tables offered participants the opportunity to discuss the benefits of AI/digitalisation and SSbD, and learn how to align their projects with European and regional support mechanisms. Both formats provided valuable forums for co-creation, knowledge exchange and connecting with international partners.

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