Flanders

Accelerating AI innovation in Flanders

The Flanders AI Research Program helps organizations identify relevant funding opportunities and connect with the right researchers and partners to turn AI ideas into collaborative innovation projects.

We work closely with public innovation actors in Flanders, including VLAIO, while focusing on our core strength: connecting organizations with cutting-edge AI expertise and research-driven innovation opportunities. Our role is complementary to existing funding agencies. We help organizations explore opportunities, shape project ideas, identify suitable researchers and prepare strong collaborations before entering formal funding trajectories.

How we support organizations

We can help you:

identify relevant Flemish funding instruments;
connect with researchers and potential project partners;
refine project ideas and innovation ambitions;
build strong collaborations around AI challenges;
prepare for proposal development and submission.

Funding opportunities

Organizations can collaborate with FAIR researchers through a variety of innovation and research funding instruments available in Flanders. While VLAIO manages and evaluates these funding instruments, FAIR helps organizations identify relevant opportunities, connect with researchers and develop strong project ideas.

The Flanders AI Policy Plan aims to accelerate the successful adoption of AI in Flanders. To support this ambition, dedicated funding is available for projects that help transfer and valorize results from the Flanders AI Research Program towards Flemish companies and organizations.

Projects applying for dedicated VAIOP funding must:

demonstrate a clear link with FAIR research results;
involve at least one FAIR research group as a project partner;
contribute to knowledge building or knowledge dissemination for companies.

FAIR verifies whether these conditions are met. The evaluation, funding decisions and project follow-up remain the responsibility of VLAIO and the relevant evaluation committees.

Dedicated VAIOP funding is available through several existing VLAIO instruments, including:

VAIOP.ICON: collaborative research projects involving research organizations and companies;
VAIOP.TETRA: practice-oriented research and knowledge transfer initiatives;
VAIOP.COOCK+: collective knowledge dissemination and technology transfer projects;
VAIOP.LATR: innovation projects focused on agriculture and horticulture.

For the latest procedures, conditions and templates, please consult the VLAIO website.

VLAIO ICON TETRA COOCK LATR (Agricultural Trajectories)

Baekeland Mandates are an important mechanism for transforming industrial challenges into collaborative research projects. FAIR supports the early stages of these trajectories by bringing together companies, researchers and academic supervisors and helping them align research objectives, expected impact and collaboration models.

As a neutral facilitator, FAIR helps organizations navigate the AI research ecosystem and prepare strong foundations for future Baekeland projects. Once a project concept has matured, the formal trajectory continues through the established VLAIO processes.

Baekeland Mandates

Looking for support?

Whether you are exploring a new AI opportunity, looking for academic expertise or preparing an innovation project, FAIR can help you identify the most suitable pathway and connect you with the right partners.