Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee

EUROCEAN
Vlaams Europees Verbindingsagentschap VLEVA
European Marine Board

please check our overview page on international mandates:


The Flanders Marine Institute is the coordination and information platform for marine and coastal research in Flanders. It also promotes and supports the international image of Flemish marine scientific research and international marine education as a partner in various projects and networks.

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is an autonomous institute with the legal status of a non-profit organisation under Belgian law that receives an annual allowance from the Government of Flanders, in particular from the department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI), and from the province of West Flanders.

The highest ruling organ of VLIZ is the General Assembly. The organisation is administered by a Board of Directors, and its daily operations are overseen by the General Director, assisted by the Coordination division. A permanent team of scientists in the Scientific Committee, which advises the Board of Directors on all scientific aspects of the VLIZ operations, is consulted several times a year to define and adjust its scientific support tasks. This committee consists of three interconnected and mutually reinforcing components. The Scientific Board is a compact steering committee giving high-quality and scientifically sound advice to the Board of Directors. The Guidance Committee is convened annually for a plenary meeting open to a wide group of marine scientists to discuss important new and planned activities. Expert Groups are thematic working groups composed of the most relevant experts from Belgium and abroad and are established for a limited or longer period of time.

As a supporting institution for coastal and marine scientific research, VLIZ concludes cooperation agreements with national and international universities, research institutions and individual research groups.

The Government of Flanders has also made VLIZ responsible for a number of particular assignments to support international organisations. These capitalise on the international experience and reputation VLIZ has built up. They also provide the opportunity to embed important European initiatives in Flanders.

None declared

Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

150,000€

2,776,793 € (Source: Horizon2020)

n/a

none

SEARICA
Biodiversity and Climate

Eurocean Declarations
European Ocean Observing Systems
European Marine Observation and Data Network
(North) Atlantic Cooperation
JPI-Oceans
Ocean Science Reporting (global and local)
Ocean Literacy
VLIZ is involved in many projects and networks, organising meetings, conferences and scientific awards, issuing publications, mapping relevant expertise in Flanders, and promoting and presenting this expertise both in Belgium and abroad. List is too long, but overviews are included in the website.

*Detecting challenges and opportunities for marine research in Flanders, including collaboration with industry. VLIZ develops research agendas and aims to implement (incl. prospection, projects, partnerships, financing) the identified priorities.
*Supporting marine scientific research by providing the research vessel ‘Simon Stevin’ and other research equipment and infrastructure for common use.
* Managing and further developing the VLIZ data centre. Within international networks, the data centre contributes to the development of data infrastructures to promote the flow of marine data to and from scientists, industry and policy makers. The data centre collects data , develops innovative data processing, data analysis and –mining techniques and effective infrastructures for multidisciplinary 'big data' calculations.
*Managing the VLIZ library which is developing the most extensive collection of marine literature in Flanders for which it is the central point of contact.
*production of the 'Compendium for Coast and Sea'.
*Taking up mandates to represent the Flemish marine research community in the international marine scientific circles.
* Representing the Flemish marine research community and/or assisting as an advisor in formal networks related to the Blue Economy.
*Accommodating and supporting international organisations for the Flemish government such as the UNESCO/IOC Project Office for IODE, the European Marine Board secretariat and the EMODnet secretariat at the InnovOcean site in Ostend and the Joint Programming Initiative on Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans (JPI Oceans)secretariat in Brussels.
*(Co-)organizing the Flemish contribution to marine research infrastructures of the ESFRI list

Flanders Marine Institute supports and provides science advice to the recently established (2018) Maritime Cluster 'Blue Cluster' in Flanders. It has been mandated by the Flanders authority (Science Economy and Innovation) to fulfill this role.

None declared