About Moonshot: from Ambition to Action

As a significant source of CO₂ emissions, the Flemish industry has a key role to play in shifting to a more sustainable society. Through innovation, the Flemish industry can create entirely new raw materials, products and production processes that help to curb CO₂ emissions. Through breakthrough technologies, the Flemish industry can translate climate ambitions into climate actions. This is where the idea for a long-term industrial innovation programme, a Moonshot initiative, took off.

Targets 2040/2050

Through innovative research, the Moonshot initiative seeks to develop breakthrough technologies by 2040. With these technologies, the Flemish industry will be able to implement new processes, develop new products and reduce CO₂ emissions. This reduction is critical to avert a climate crisis. The EU, for example, has set itself a long-term target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050, compared to 1990 emission levels. Flanders has also adopted this 2050 target.

Taking into account ten-year investment cycles, the combined 2040 and 2050 targets give the Flemish industry a ten-year window to implement breakthrough technologies, become carbon circular and low in CO₂ by 2050, and support Flanders in fulfilling its climate commitments.

To meet these targets, the Flemish Government will invest 20 million euros in the Moonshot initiative every year from 2020 to 2040, totalling 400 million euro.

Three Target Sectors: refining, chemical and iron & steel

Flanders faces a unique challenge in transitioning towards a carbon circular and carbon smart industry. Flanders is a highly developed, densely populated and intensively industrialized region. At present, most of its industries are energy-intensive and deeply dependent on non-renewable raw materials. To ensure a sustainable shift by 2050, existing industries will have to be converted and new industries will have to be created. The Moonshot initiative seeks to support Flanders’ industry innovation and transition towards a carbon circular and carbon smart industry.

As the Flemish refining, chemical, and iron & steel sectors are a significant source of CO₂ emissions, these three sectors are the main target of the Moonshot initiative. Over the last few decades, these target sectors have already dramatically reduced their own CO₂ emissions and helped other companies reduce theirs through new product and/or process development. In future, the refining, chemical, and iron & steel sectors will remain critical to achieve a sustainable shift.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

The refining, chemical, iron and steel industries occupy a central position in the Flemish industrial landscape. Their large range of products is used in almost all downstream sectors (e.g. for the production of lightweight transport materials, installations, insulation materials for homes, transport fuels, etc.).

Yet, in order to achieve a sustainable shift by 2050, their engagement has to be extended to other sectors as well. Starting from these three target sectors, new value chains and new business models can be created. Synergies with downstream sectors can be exploited (including textiles, paper, food, logistics, non-metallic minerals, etc.) and positive spill-overs can be maximized.

In short, cross-sectoral cooperation beyond the three target sectors will be indispensable to make the Flemish industry carbon circular and low in CO₂ by 2050.

For Flanders and beyond

Flanders faces a unique challenge in transitioning towards a carbon circular and carbon smart industry. Flanders is a highly developed, densely populated and intensively industrialized region. At present, most of its industries are energy-intensive and deeply dependent on non-renewable raw materials. To ensure a sustainable shift by 2050, existing industries will have to be converted and new industries will have to be created. The Moonshot initiative seeks to support Flanders’ industry innovation and transition towards a carbon circular and carbon smart industry.

Through the Moonshot initiative, Flanders can remain a competitive and attractive region for the businesses of tomorrow. Flanders can also help other countries address climate challenges and meet climate commitments as the Flemish breakthrough technologies can be put in place internationally. This allows Flanders to position itself on the international stage as a top region for research and innovation.

Background

In 2019, the Flemish Moonshot program was launched, with the objective of stimulating research and innovation to contribute to low-carbon Flemish industry within an economically viable context. Specifically, innovative research within this Moonshot will ensure that by 2040 breakthroughs will be realized in order to optimize processes by 2050 that will allow essential building blocks or products to be manufactured in a low-carbon and carbon-circular manner. The Moonshot program should thus make a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in Flanders and worldwide.

This initiative aims to build knowledge with a longer time horizon, with an annual budget of 20 million euros for 20 years. The Moonshot program is composed of four essential and closely linked research tracks.

These four research tracks are supported by and can build on five competencies ('enablers') for which there is top expertise in Flanders, viz:

Conversion technology
Separation technology
Predictive technology
Energy storage
Energy transport

Given the importance and urgency of valorizing scientific results, the flow of basic research to industry is becoming an increasingly important focus. Until now, activities have concentrated mainly on development of the technology itself. Accelerating the throughput from basic research to more industrial valorization is essential to move toward a low-carbon industry. The interaction of scientific consortia and industry and the evaluation and exploration of the necessary tools for this are prominent on the agenda from 2023.

Source: Ontwerp Vlaams Energie- en Klimaatplan 2021-2030