Moonshot Flanders at Klimaatsprong launch in Mechelen as Flemish Government announces €2 billion industry support
Today in Lamot (Mechelen), VLAIO launched the new ‘Programmanota 2026–2030, Klimaatsprong voor de industrie’ with a strong line-up of policymakers, industry leaders and knowledge institutes. Moonshot Flanders contributed to the programme, with interventions from Director Tine Schaerlaekens and President Peter Roose.
On the day of the Klimaatsprong launch, the Flemish Government announced a new support programme of €2 billion for Flemish industry. ‘It is crucial that the investment engine of our Flemish industry starts up again,’ says Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele (N-VA). The support will start in 2028 and it is intended to help companies invest and thus find a way out of the acute crisis that hits our industry.
Accelerating climate innovation
The new Klimaatsprong programme note (2026–2030) sets out a coordinated approach to support the energy‑intensive basic industry in its transition towards a low‑carbon and carbon‑circular future, while safeguarding competitiveness. Among the five operational objectives is explicitly accelerating climate innovation in and for the Flemish basic industry. VLAIO coordinates the Klimaatsprong programme, which aims to facilitate the transition of energy‑intensive industry in Flanders towards 2050.
Moonshot Flanders on stage
Moonshot Flanders Director Tine Schaerlaekens joined the panel discussion “Navigating challenges and innovation”, alongside industry leaders from essenscia, Air Liquide and ArcelorMittal Europe. During the discussion, Tine argued for continued strong support for early-stage innovation, and deeper ties between industry and research institutes, to help breakthrough technologies move faster from research to industrial impact.
“A very powerful Klimaatsprong event this morning, organised by our partner VLAIO - Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship. We are keen to contribute to the implementation of the concrete actions set out in the new programme memorandum, in particular the structural support for breakthrough research in climate technology, the circular economy and energy innovation with Moonshot Flanders”, said Tine Schaerlaekens afterwards.
Moonshot Flanders President Peter Roose highlighted that making the industrial transition happen also requires people: developing talent through education and strengthening STEM pathways.
A call for ambition
The programme also featured an impressive European policy keynote by Kurt Vandenberghe (Director-General, DG CLIMA) who called for more pride among all Europeans for what we achieve while convincingly demonstrating the strength of the region in impact and results. “Climate policy is now industrial policy”, Vandenberghe said.
VLAIO's general administrator Mark Andries concluded with a clear message of confidence and ambition: “With 300 enthusiastic people in the room and a top-class line-up of speakers, it is clear to me that Flanders wants to move forward. What we need to achieve net-zero is not doom and gloom, but courage and ambition. Innovation and continued investment. With strong knowledge institutions, companies and promising projects in the pipeline, we can make this happen. And VLAIO will continue to support that ambition.”
Moonshot Flanders looks forward to continuing its collaboration with VLAIO and the broader ecosystem to help realise the ambitions of Klimaatsprong—by supporting breakthrough research, strengthening industrial uptake, and accelerating solutions in climate technology, circular economy and energy innovation.
