The Belgian Science Policy

Helping to progress towards the Barcelona objective (devoting 3% of the GDP to research and development), participating in job creation and well-being through innovation, optimising the running of the Belgian research area, fighting against climate change: such are the major stakes Belgium has to face. With its 2,800 employees, the Federal Science Policy department contributes significantly to meeting these objectives.

Through the major research programmes we manage, we also offer the government reliable, validated data, allowing it to take decisions with full knowledge of the facts in areas such as sustainable development, the fight against climate change, biodiversity, energy, health, mobility and the information society.

We also manage the Belgian contribution to the European Space Agency. Since Belgium is the fifth net contributor to the ESA, this participation is strategic for our country and crucial for our companies. At the same time, we offer R&D aid to companies with the desire to participate in various AIRBUS programmes, which is essential to their positioning in the ruthless battle raging in this sector on a global level.

The 10 federal scientific Institutes offer scientists an exceptional framework and research materials. They also house artistic and historical collections, which are visited by more than 1.2 million people every year.

BELNET, the Belgian national research network, provides high-speed internet access to Belgian universities, colleges, research centres and public services. STIS completes the system by offering an information brokerage service to the scientific community, the economic and social world and public services.

The Federal Science Policy also co-ordinates the research effort lead by all the country’s authorities and is responsible for introducing our researchers into international research networks. In this sense, it lies at the heart of the Belgian research space and represents a major centre in the European Research Area.

The Federal Science Policy alone represents almost 30% of the entire Belgian public budget in terms of research.

The Federal Science Policy is also a network of prestigious institutions such as the Academia Belgica in Rome, the Biermans-Lapôtre Foundation in Paris, the Junfraujoch in the Alps, the Académie Royale des Sciences d’Outre-Mer, the Royal Belgian Film Archive, the Euro Space Center and the Institut Von Karman. Through these infrastructures, the Federal Science Policy offers our researchers an international reputation.

The department's interventions cover a very broad area. It manages an annual budget of about 513 million euro. Today, it has some 2.700 staff, 33% of whom are university graduates (Federal average: 19%) and 55% of whom are contractual staff. There are more or less equal numbers of women and men. Our values: impartiality, the service of common interest, a long term vision, efficiency, knowledge and competence... are our core values. The Federal Science Policy Office wants to be a Federal innovative administration with respect of the environment, where creativity and excellence are at their best in supporting the policy decision making and the services to the citizens. Source: Website, as acessed in October 2009