In 2022, a new five-year covenant between the Flemish government and VLIZ entered into force. The covenant defines the mission, the strategic and operational objectives, the funding of the institute and the key performance indicators (KPIs). VLIZ’s mission remains unchanged: to promote the accumulation of marine knowledge and excellence in marine research in Flanders. The marine research areas are the ocean and seas, the coast and the tidal systems. The target groups for knowledge accumulation are the marine research community, educational institutions, the general public, policymakers and the industry (within the scope of the blue economy).
Although VLIZ’s basic mandate has remained largely unchanged, the covenant with the Flemish government contains two important new accents. As far as its research activities are concerned, VLIZ will primarily focus on collaborative research with its own contributions promoting interactions between actors and disciplines, research contributing to the accumulation of knowledge in the climate-ocean-biodiversity nexus, and research that adds value to the research infrastructure (including databases). For this purpose, VLIZ restructured its Research department in 2022 (see highlight about VLIZ research).
A second important focus is that VLIZ, as a network organisation, will further intensify its interactions within the marine research and innovation system over the course of the covenant, both in general and specifically in line with the institution’s mission. To this end, VLIZ will always consider whether and how the newly acquired expertise can be best imbedded into the Flemish marine research landscape (or exploited economically). Within this scope, VLIZ already takes the strengthening of external marine research groups (MRGs) into account to promote the Flemish research landscape. Not only other scientists and the blue economy/industry, but also policy makers and the general public will be closely involved. The 3-pillar model of VLIZ, with research, valorisation and services being equally valuable and mutually reinforcing activities, is highly appreciated and continues to form the institute’s backbone in the period from 2022 to 2026.
With the new covenant for the 2022-2026 period, the Flemish government consolidates the trust in and the proper functioning of the Flanders Marine Institute.
VLIZ not only renewed its covenant with the Flemish government, but also those with the province of West Flanders and the UNESCO-IOC Project Office for IODE. Within the scope of the blue economy, VLIZ and the province of West Flanders involved the Provincial Development Agency (POM) of West Flanders in their new covenant. The UNESCO-IOC Project Office for IODE and VLIZ reoriented their covenant with a view to reinforcing the activities from Flanders and Belgium in support of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (see Highlight 8).