Flemish research institutes strengthen focus on sustainable farming
The Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and the Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) have renewed and expanded their collaboration agreement to accelerate research into sustainable agriculture. Key areas include climate-resilient crops and improved nitrogen efficiency.
"Research is currently only possible through collaboration," says ILVO Administrator General Joris Relaes. "We have the fields, they have the greenhouses. We are deeply embedded in agriculture, and VIB has an international network. Together, we are looking for solutions, including for soy. Europe is currently more than 90 per cent dependent on imported soy, and we want to break that cycle."
© VIDEO JAMES D'HOLLANDER
VIB Director Jérôme Van Biervliet also highlights the complementarity between the two institutes: "It's not just about basic research, but also about putting it into practice. Through our collaboration, we can create the ecosystem to truly bring solutions to market. That's how we jointly founded the spin-off Protealis."
Protealis develops protein-rich crops and inoculants, with a focus on soybean cultivation tailored to European conditions.
Since 2016, the partnership has produced around twenty research projects, nine doctorates and four patent applications. The new agreement will focus on themes such as plant phenotyping, growth process modelling and innovative breeding techniques.
#FlandersNewsService | The signing of a renewed cooperation agreement between the Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO) and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) after nearly a decade of collaboration in agro- and biotech research. The partners, together with Ghent University, are also conducting Flanders' largest soybean trial, testing 320 varieties to make soy a sustainable, profitable local crop, in Merelbeke-Melle, on Wednesday 20 August 2025. © BELGA PHOTO JONAS D'HOLLANDER
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