Work program 2025
VARIO advises the Flemish Government and the Flemish Parliament on science, innovation, and entrepreneurship policy. In early 2025, VARIO made a preliminary work program, pending discussions with the newly constituted council that takes office as of March 15, with two ending projects and one new advisory project already on the multi-year program. VARIO also already received one request for advice and expects at least one more.
Stakeholders Forum
With a view to outlining a multi-year work program with the new council, VARIO organized a stakeholders forum at the beginning of 2025.
1. Finalizing work program 2024
1.1 New business forms
In our society, new dynamics are emerging, where commercialization and financial profitability on the one hand, and social and ecological objectives on the other, thus profit and non-profit, seem to be at odds with each other. However, in its advisory report 20, VARIO already pointed out that profit and purpose are perfectly compatible.
In this advisory trajectory, VARIO maps out the business forms for Flanders and tests them against a number of characteristics. VARIO's hypothesis is that there are business forms that are particularly suitable for entrepreneurs who pursue societal impact, but are currently underutilized because they are less known. Specifically, we are thinking of steward-owned enterprises and cooperatives. Moreover, much more can be shaped within the BV (private limited company) than is currently standard. Additionally, our research also shows that impact enterprises generally face a number of difficulties, mostly in the area of financing. In its advisory report, VARIO will formulate a number of recommendations to create a level playing field for all business forms.
1.2 Strengthening creative destruction as a lever for internationally oriented ambitious entrepreneurship
Complementary to foreign knowledge-intensive investments (see advisory report 28), we must continue to focus on ambitious companies with decision-making power in Flanders that have the potential to grow into international ‘flagships’ in the long term.
For this advice, we start from the paradigm of creative destruction by Joseph Schumpeter, which places the dynamic ambitious entrepreneur at the center to create economic and social added value. We refer, among others, to the book by Philippe Aghion and colleagues (2021) 'The Power of Creative Destruction,' which formed the basis for this advice. The advisory process is therefore strongly linked to the recent paper by Mario Draghi on the future of European competitiveness.
This advisory process was initiated in 2024 and has reached its final phase in the spring of 2025. About ten levers for broad government policy (i.e. science and innovation policy, labor market, taxation, legislation…) will be selected to stimulate the dynamics of creative destruction and the renewal of the economic and social fabric in Flanders. In interaction with partners from home and abroad, an extensive literature review and a concise analysis of three well-chosen indicators were conducted, namely patents, the life cycle of new enterprises, and company- and employment dynamics.
2. Work program 2025
2.1 Groundbreaking research in Flanders
Improvements in productivity in the long term mainly arise through technological changes. This requires a combination of disruptive and incremental R&D&I efforts. Disruptive innovations cause a shift in the technological paradigm and business routines by creating new products that replace existing ones. Incremental innovations strengthen existing technologies and business routines and their diffusion. Internationally, there is attention to the apparent increasing difficulty in achieving disruptive innovation.
In its advisory process, which started in early 2025, VARIO aims to investigate the trend around groundbreaking research in Flanders and the potential underlying factors. Based on this, recommendations will be formulated.
2.2 Advisory Request on AI in the Workplace
In the Committee for Social Affairs, Employment, and Pensions of the Federal House of Representatives, a resolution proposal is currently being discussed with the aim of a proactive policy and a coherent strategy regarding the use of algorithms, data, and artificial intelligence in the workplace. In this context, VARIO, along with several other institutions/actors, was asked for advice on this proposal.
2.3 Advisory request Climate Leap
In 2021, the Flemish industrial climate transition program – Klimaatsprong – was established and legally anchored. The Climate Leap program guides the transition to make the energy-intensive industry in Flanders carbon-circular and low-CO2 by 2050 without losing its competitiveness. This transition program is driven by a program note based on a roadmap to 2050. The Flemish Government approved the first program note in June 2023. This note runs until 2025 and includes short- and long-term actions until 2050. Every five years, a new program note is submitted with an evaluation of the previous note and an approach for the next five years. The next program note is scheduled for the fall of 2025. VARIO, as well as the SERV and MINA Council, will be asked for advice on this.