Moonshot: searching for the golden idea to turn Flanders into a carbon-neutral region by 2050
To take climate ambitions to the next level, the Flemish government launched its Moonshot initiative, aimed at making our industry carbon-neutral by 2050. Together with universities, knowledge institutions and companies, the Flemish chemistry and plastic industry’s spearhead cluster Catalisti has energized our climate objectives. Many applied for the Moonshot programme, but only nine projects have been selected so far.
The Flanders Industry Innovation Moonshot makes €20 million available for projects to boost innovation in the area of carbon circularity and CO2 reduction.
What’s Moonshot all about?
Moonshot is a futureproof industrial innovation programme launched by the Flemish government in 2019. Its main objective: making our industry carbon-neutral by 2050 by using breakthrough technologies designed to create climate-friendly products and processes. The Flemish government will invest €20 million into the programme every year until 2040.
Where does Flux50 come in?
Together with Catalisti, Flux50 is actively involved in linking the knowhow of sustainable energy solutions with innovations and core companies from the chemistry and steel industry in Flanders. Flux50 participates in the governance board, provides energy experts for the scientific advisory council, facilitates the involvement of energy research groups, and implies companies on their long term vision for innovations with a high CO2 impact.
Four main topics
The initiative focusses on four main topics:
- Bio-based chemistry: research into renewable and climate-friendly resources that can replace fossil fuels.
- Carbon circularity in materials: research into the recycling and re-use of plastics
- Electrification and process transformation: research into the electrification of industrial processes, and making them carbon smart
- Energy innovation: researching a wide range of topics, from the transport and storage of hydrogen to advanced heating systems, energy flexibility, and a cross-sector framework for energy-intensive industries.
Want to take a closer look at the projects selected? VLAIO has them all lined up for you. Visit the VLAIO-website.