Wallonia

Presentation of the Region

Wallonia is one of the 3 Regions of Belgium, which is a Federal State. Wallonia is a region that is naturally open to the world, a place where languages and cultures meet. It is very export-oriented and particularly welcoming. The region has a strong industrial tradition, and has developed strong industrial specialisations based on the one hand on reconversion of traditional industrial sectors (e.g. advanced manufacturing, new materials) and on the other hand on cutting-edge research excellence (biotech and life science). Strong axis of our regional policies are the development of Competitive Clusters in key sectors (life sciences, agri-food, engineering and new materials, transport and logistics, aeronautics and space, and environmental technologies), a comprehensive strategy for digitalisation – Digital Wallonia, and more recently, the Region has endorsed strong ambitions in deploying circular economy through Circular Wallonia.

RIS3 Priorities

Wallonia has recently adopted a renewed Smart Specialisation Strategy (2021-2027) – An innovative, competitive, collaborative Wallonia at the service of affirmed economic and societal ambitions. It took as its starting point the response through innovation to the main societal challenges for Wallonia and the analysis of its distinctive strengths. Five strategic innovation areas have been identified :
– Circular materials
– Innovations for enhanced health
– Innovations for agile and safe design and production methods
– Sustainable energy systems and housing
– Agri-food chains of the future and innovative management of the environment

More info can be found here.