Making the economy and society more sustainable

That is why the Government of Flanders is investing in the transition to increased sustainability:

• With the Blue Deal it is adopting a forceful approach to tackle drought issues and water scarcity. It is investing almost half a billion euros in infiltration to turn Flanders back into a sponge, so that water is given space and is used optimally.
• It will start a large-scale programme to speed up the sustainable renovation of dwellings and other buildings.
• In addition, it is investing in sustainable transport modes (e.g. by making De Lijn’s fleet greener), an accelerated roll-out of charging station infrastructure for electric cars, LED lighting on regional roads, etc.
• It is fully committed to renewable energy, and is investing in CO2 capture and reuse.
• The Government of Flanders is investing in the hydrogen economy and wants to make Flanders a leading hydrogen region.
• The transition to a maximum circular economy needs to be accelerated. That is why the Government of Flanders is developing Flanders as a recycling hub and supporting innovations in the building sector that are aimed at circular construction. It is also promoting research and providing assistance to companies that are making the transition to a circular economy.

The Government of Flanders is also increasing its investments in innovation:

• It is accelerating the R&D growth path.
• It is using Flanders Future Tech Fund for innovative research in the field of (high-risk) platform technology. Flanders Holding Company is managing this fund with an available capital of EUR 75 million.
• It is putting Flanders on the map as the world’s chip lab with additional capital for IMEC and investments in promising nanotech spin-offs.
• The Government of Flanders is offering one-off investment incentives to respond to potential European subsidy envelopes.
• It is investing in flagship projects of Flanders’ ports for CO2 capture and reuse.
• In addition, it is promoting the sustainable production of biogas and biomass for bio-based products. It also wants agricultural waste streams to be reused as raw materials in the bio-economy instead of fossil fuels.

• Finally, the Government of Flanders is strengthening investments by the Flemish Agricultural Investment Fund in solutions for drought and climate issues, innovative techniques in agricultural and horticultural businesses and in the agri-food sector.