Flanders Make supports companies with research and innovation to be successful

Companies that want to be successful are best betting firmly on innovation. Innovating is like running a marathon: it takes fitness, preparation and a well-dosed effort until the finish line is reached.

Being innovative is also an attitude. You are never really done with it and every step you take also creates new opportunities. Innovation leaders, unlike in the past, are not just large companies. Small companies often have the advantage that they are very agile and can take quick steps with great focus.

The challenges are great for both innovation leaders and followers: the industry 4.0 transformation is still ongoing, everyone knows by now that the transition to a sustainable industry is a top priority. In addition, the war for talent is also still on and companies are fighting to bring in and keep talent.

cOOPERATION IS THE SOLUTION

Cooperation is the key to answer this. Cooperations between different companies and with knowledge institutions such as Flanders Make that supports companies in their product and production innovations.

Together with some 200 companies, our 800 researchers form an ecosystem. Here we work together on research that leads to concrete solutions for companies. The Flemish government provides financial support and sets up living labs to bring new technologies to companies.

• VINTIV - Timen Floré, Director, about the cooperation for machine upgrading: “Through Flanders Make, we always have access to objective knowledge and expertise in technological evolutions such as vision, artificial intelligence and digitalisation. The partnership with Flanders Make is a very conscious choice for VINTIV and is crucial in our constant development as machine developers and builders."

• CNH Industrial - Paul Snauwaert, VP Advanced technology and Innovation, about winning the Agritechnica 2022 Silver Medal with their automated baler: "The automatic baler increases yield and sustainability. This prestigious award for our baler automation clearly demonstrates the strength of the cooperation with Flanders Make."

• Rhinox - Leonard Tam, Managing Partner, about adaptive training support in virtual reality: “This project led to new functionalities in the Rhinox VR training framework. It allows us to take a better market position and also offer these features to new and existing customers."

• VCST - Yannick Meerten, Team Leader R&D, about customised innovation: “The simulation tool removes the need for physical tests. Time-consuming physical tests are a thing of the past thanks to Flanders Make's thoughtful simulation model.”

• Janssen Pharmaceutica - Isabel Vanlinthout, Senior Manager Supply Chain Strategy, about the road to a digital pharmaceutical industry: "Thanks to the collaboration with Flanders Make, the Beerse-based pharmaceutical production strengthens its pioneering position within the global Johnson & Johnson network in terms of automation and innovation."

• VITALO - Anne-Laure Lannoo, R&D-manager, about the optimisation of thermoforming: “By combining our technical knowledge with project-based support from Flanders Make, we significantly improved our design methods."

• Procter & Gamble - Andre Convents, Open Innovation specialist, on optimising business decisions through an inventory management simulation model: “Thanks to this study in inventory management, we can avoid a cost impact of more than five million dollars a year."

• Aminolabs - Bert Aerts, Production manager, on a feasibility study around deploying cobots in their manufacturing environment: "Thanks to this study, we gained the confidence to invest in cobots."

Curious for more testimonials?

Then be sure to download our annual activity reports. You will find even more experiences of satisfied Flanders Make customers.