The West Flanders Development Agency is responsible for the socio-economic policy of the Province of West Flanders. In order to give businesses in West Flanders every possibility to grow regionally and internationally via innovation, the West Flanders Development Agency established five cluster platforms to proactively prepare its industries for the future: blue energy, agro-food, new materials, mechanical engineering & mechatronics, and health care economy. From practical services to promotion, research, training and infrastructure: the cluster platforms help companies in West Flanders to successfully do business in a continuously changing world. This is possible thanks to a combination of knowledge, experience and know-how from different domains working in close collaboration with education, science, industry and local government.
West Flanders supports its dynamic blue energy cluster by focusing on offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. The West Flanders Development Agency actively supports the ambitions of this industry by helping SMEs to make connections in the sector and by stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation. This is done by organising events, initiating and stimulating projects, and developing and providing access to adequate testing facilities, both onshore and offshore, as well as closely cooperating with renowned knowledge centres.