Minister Brouns reacts to the joint VARIO-AWTI country review on ‘Transformative Innovation Policy’

Last week, minister Brouns answered a request for clarification in the Flemish Parliament following the recently published country review on transformative innovation policy by VARIO and the Dutch Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (AWTI). The study will be used to substantiate the VARIO advisory report on transformative innovation policy. This publication is planned for soon. According to minister Brouns, a pact for innovation-driven transformation is necessary to create an effective approach, and make innovation policy contribute substantially to the necessary societal transitions. “In this pact, as far as I am concerned, the quadruple helix actors should make choices together about the priorities for the next legislature and how to follow up on these priorities, and above all agree on cooperation.” The minister wants to avoid additional structures in the innovation landscape and fragmentation of resources when addressing societal problems. He further referred to the fact that with the President's College in Flanders, a higher coordinating body already exists as in Austria and Switzerland.