Wallonia to boost research and innovation
The Government of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, has adopted a series of measures to boost research and innovation in the region to create more growth and jobs. The regional Government's first step is to reform the decree on 'research' dating back to 1990, granting additional funds to research and development (R&D) and innovation. As the Government would like to encourage partnerships between research centres, it has announced that it would increase its financial support to partnership projects from 50% to 75%. The region said it would cover the costs of applying for a patent, which can reach up to €15,000, according to some estimates, and would also support the costly 'extraordinary equipment' needed to undertake certain types of research. Other measures include a Question & Answer (Q&A) service to be set up for use by the region's competitiveness cluster on engineering materials to help companies with the development of their products. The service will aim to answer any question within a 48 hour timeframe. The pilot project will initially be put in place for a two-year period. The exploitation of research results will also be intensified and a first contract has already been signed between the Agency for Technological Stimulation (Ast) and the Walloon Government. In terms of innovation, the Walloon Government has decided to set up an expert group to present concrete proposals and actions that micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can employ. Additional funds for innovation will also be made available. These will be accessible to companies investing in research projects with an international dimension to their work.
Countries
Belgium