EnergyVille officially included in the Flemish government Science and Innovation decree
The W&I-decree (decree of 30 April 2009 on the organization and financing of science and innovation policy), which coordinates and finances the institutions of the Science and Innovation policy fields, was recently amended with some substantive changes. For instance, a chapter was added relating to the structural financing of EnergyVille.
The inclusion of EnergyVille in the W&I decree from now on makes it possible to work with five-yearly covenants for its financing and substantive follow-up. Following the policy for other institutions in the W&I decree, a covenant will be concluded for EnergyVille that will be evaluated and renegotiated every 5 years and linked to an annual subsidy. With this subsidy, the Flemish Government contributes to the functioning of EnergyVille to promote and coordinate scientific research into sustainable energy and energy systems at national and international level.
The five-year covenant will include the modalities under which the subsidies are granted and what the objectives of EnergyVille and the expected results are. The Flemish Government will evaluate the activities on the basis of the established strategic and operational objectives and indicators. The objectives of EnergyVille concern scientific results, collaboration with industry, digitization of the energy system, STEM initiatives, (international) training of PhD students and dissemination of knowledge within the sector and with the general public.
“We would like to thank the Flemish Government for this step, which very soon will enable us to continue to support EnergyVille, so that we can continue to work together with citizens, industry and government to accelerate the energy transition and thus achieve an energy-efficient, CO2 -neutral and sustainable society in which comfort and affordability for citizens take centre stage,” says Gerrit Jan Schaeffer, General Manager of EnergyVille.