08 / 05 / 2020
Photo: The 2019 Annual Report (VLIZ)
The annual report focusses for instance on the 20th anniversary of VLIZ. At the end of 2019 VLIZ kicked off the festive year with ‘VLIZ breaks boundaries’ as the central theme. Since its establishment 20 years ago, the number of VLIZ employees has increased no less than tenfold. Moreover, the institute owns a hypermodern research vessel (RV Simon Stevin) and three unique marine robots in addition to lots of other highly specialised equipment. In 2019 the construction of the InnovOcean Campus, a brand-new complex was approved. VLIZ will move to the campus together with its (inter)national partners and the Ostend office of ILVO in mid-2022. Further, the annual report highlights the increase of the VLIZ budget by € 2,000,000 by the Flemish government to conduct basic research linked to innovation aspects of the blue economy, and the reformation of the internal organisation focusing on three pillars: scientific support, valorisation & innovation, and research. Other highlights in the 2019 annual report are the official launch of the Marine Robotics Centre. The role of VLIZ in innovation project with the blue economy. The organization of no fewer than 42 events, the majority of which took place in Ostend and boosted the coastal region’s local economy. The release of a variety of publications, ranging from A1 publications in renowned journals to books, digital information graphs and animations. In the run-up to the celebrations for the 20th anniversary, VLIZ published the 50th issue of ‘De Grote Rede’, the information magazine on coastal and marine research.
Both the English and Dutch version of the 2019 annual report can be consulted digitally (pdf) via the VLIZ website.