The OECD.AI Policy Navigator

Through its Prospective Researchprogramme, Innoviris is financing projects led by academic researchers at a Brussels university or college which focus on the future and cover areas of importance to the Brussels Capital Region.

Digital Wallonia 4 Edu's initiatives aim to enhance digital literacy and inspire interest in STEM among students. These actions include collaborations with educational institutions, creating digital learning resources, and organising workshops and events. Students receive hands-on experience in coding, robotics, and other STEM areas, equipping them with skills for a digital economy (Digital Wallonia, 2024).

Flanders has made available EUR 32 million per year for an AI-impulse program that will be centered around three main pillars: basic research, technology transfer and industrial applications, and supporting activities.

The AI Expertise Center supports and guides the use of artificial intelligence within the Flemish government and local authorities to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and innovation of their (digital) services. The AI Expertise Center takes on the role within the Flanders Digital agency of providing the framework, supporting the knowledge sharing and stimulating the innovative application of AI in government.

Imec is a globally renowned research centre based in Flanders, specialising in semi-conductors, digital innovation, and AI technologies. It plays a pivotal role in advancing hardware solutions for edge AI and quantum computing. Imec collaborates with industry and academia to drive innovation and technological leadership in the global semi-conductor field (Imec, 2024[21]).

This project aims to enhance the capacity of AI governance within Flemish public administrations through a comprehensive approach that includes organizational, policy, and human capacity building. Through the implementation of UNESCO's Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) as well as related measures, the Flemish public administrations are assisted in adapting their AI governance frameworks and in swiftly implementing current and upcoming digital legislation, particularly the AI Act.

Innoviris, the regional institute for research and innovation in Brussels, is currently working on a framework of ethical guidelines, which would help orienting the regional R&D strategy, including a regional AI strategy, towards an ethical and responsible R&D policy.

Policies to support AI-related research and innovation.

This plan aims to boost ICT entrepreneurship in the Brussels capital region.

The program Research platforms, a program previously known as Bridge, supports collaborative and multidisciplinary academic projects that guarantee the transfer of knowlegde to industry, the non-profit sector, or the public sector.

The R&D projects (Industrial research) program (previously: Explore) enables companies or research institutes to acquire scientific knowledge in order to achieve a predetermined industrial or commercial goal. The result of this project leads to the development of a proof of business or a prototype.

Experimental development may be defined as the activity which targets the application of the results of industrial research in the form of prototype products, processes, or services, which may not be used for commercial purposes before the end of the project.

The Joint R&D project call (previously known as Team-up) involves an active participation of both academic units and industrial teams with an aim of strengthening knowledge, transferring IP from academic research to the industry and turning it into prototypes that lead to new business opportunities.

The Flemish Government aims to provide advice and raise awareness to stimulate the diffusion of knowledge on AI.

The Flemish Region of Belgium launched an action plan on artificial intelligence (AI).

Belgian Federal Public Service Mobility and Transport published a "code" for companies that want to test driverless cars in the country.

As part of the Flemish Action Plan AI, the Knowledge Centre Data & Society (Kenniscentrum Data & Maatschappij) was created to focus on the interplay between data, artificial intelligence and society.

Publication of a free monthly magazine Athena aimed at popularising science and making it accessible to everyone, along with raising the public's and especially young people's awareness, of the challenges, prospects and professions in the fields of research and new technologies.

The Regional Innovation Plan for 2014-20 sets out the new role of clusters (strengthening the regional cooperation and the rest of the R&I ecosystem) and the internationalisation of clusters.

Experts have written AI guidelines for Belgian policy makers.