Innovation

Innovation is essential for creating a future-proof and competitive industry in our region. New technologies, smart processes and groundbreaking collaborations form the basis for the transition to a climate-neutral, sustainable and circular economy. Within Smart Delta Resources, innovation is not an end in itself, but a structural part of the way we collaborate on themes such as hydrogen, electrification, circularity, heat, water and CO₂ reduction.

Innovation in a strong industrial cluster

Our region boasts a diverse industrial ecosystem with scope for experimentation, pilot projects, upscaling and knowledge sharing. By actively linking innovation to existing infrastructure, industrial activities and logistics networks, sustainable growth is accelerated.

In addition, knowledge institutions, innovation clusters and networks support our members’ innovation ambitions.

Innovation in practice

Successful innovation requires more than just technology. Enabling conditions such as targeted investment, a supportive regulatory framework, access to talent and active public-private collaboration are crucial. By bringing these elements together, the region acts as both a testing ground and an accelerator for industrial solutions that are also of international value.

Smart Delta Resources brings together businesses, research institutions and public authorities around specific innovation initiatives within Flemish, Dutch and European programmes, with a focus on industrial applicability and impact. A key example of this is the Moonshot programme in Flanders, alongside other innovation and research initiatives that support the same transition ambitions. You can find more information about these initiatives on the Innovation Initiatives page.

North-C Innovation Hub (NCIH)

The North-C-Innovation Hub (NCIH) was established as a follow-up to the ad-hoc initiative of the North-CCU-Hub. That initiative was a collaboration in which public authorities, knowledge institutions and local businesses worked together to set up a carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) network. Following the completion of that project, the collaboration was extended to cover all SDR themes.

Today, the NCIH connects our members with current research themes and, in collaboration with CAPTURE, the City of Ghent, the Province of East Flanders and POM, works to disseminate the latest scientific insights within the SDR community.