Maurice Hoffmann

INBO has approximately 260 researchers and technicians, of which ca. 60 work on externally financed projects through its own capital (EVINBO). Given the largely fixed research agenda of INBO, we are increasingly looking for opportunities for projects that are externally funded. A further increased participation in (international) projects should allow us to better anticipate new research needs to answer present-day and future questions on nature, forest, ecosystems, ecosystems services, society and environment. The challenge is to find opportunities that are situated in applied, policy relevant and solution-aimed research rather than in fundamental research. Our descriptive research and monitoring remains a major task for INBO, species and habitat trend-explaining research is presently under-represented. It is evident that INBO has a very important role to play in underpinning nature, forest and environment related policy in the Flemish region through its permanent research and monitoring activities and - through external funding - at the Brussels, national and European level. A shift towards more society-, agriculture-, urban-and climate-related research is urgent.

 

INBO has a long-lasting, close and vital co-operation with the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, e.g. through part time employment of three scientists that are acting in close co-operation with several research teams at INBO. We share common goals in open data of species and habitats, and we are both strongly involved and focused on the science-policy interface. INBO is focusing more at the regional (Flemish) and at the European level, while the Belgian Biodiversity Platform rather focuses on the federal and European level. Both combined, gives perfect match and coverage of monitoring data. The co-operation with the Belgian Biodiversity Platform also helps INBO to pay increasing attention to nature-human health related issues, and on natural capital accounting (in development and to be further developed). The Belgian Biodiversity Platform is a vital instrument for networking of national and international scientists regarding existing and newly emerging scientific disciplines and could further reinforce its link with policy. A remaining challenge is to bring science and business together.

 

In an ideal Belgium, different players on the research market would better co-operate then compete for the same (international) research funding, making us stronger and competitive compared to foreign players and consortia. The Belgian Biodiversity Platform might play a role in organising a further elaborated co-operation between regional, federal and academic players, each with their specific qualities. The complicated funding structures in Belgium do not help to promote this type of co-operation. Another task that the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and INBO could share is to further develop permanent research infrastructure.