Leuven International Forum: a day of high-level networking

A scientific, political and economic summit all in one day: that is how Rector Mark Waer described Leuven International Forum in the lead-up to the premier networking event. Indeed, the guest list reads like a who's who of the diplomatic, political, academic and business world. The co-sponsors – KU Leuven, the city of Leuven, the province of Vlaams Brabant and Chamber of Commerce Leuven – sought to provide guests with a unique opportunity to establish contacts and build bridges, and they took full advantage: "Organising an event like this with the 'driving forces' of the city was a wonderful idea. I hope it becomes a fine tradition."

Networking began early in the buzzing Museum Hall and Province Hall, where the five hundred participants gathered to register. The guests were welcomed with a continental breakfast before heading to various locations around Leuven for the morning's keynote lectures.

In the Promotion Hall, Rector Waer described the university as an ‘international knowledge nexus’ driven by openness, cooperation and inclusion. He emphasised that international cooperation provides the key to creating platforms for this. KU Leuven managing director and LRD executive director Koen Debackere (pictured above right) highlighted the central importance of knowledge as the basis of innovation. He emphasised that a new concept of knowledge transfer – not as an isolated pursuit but as an integral part of the work of the university – plays a crucial role in meeting the needs of industry, government and the university alike.

Talk attendee and Israeli learning transfer specialist Gavriel Salomon, who received a KU Leuven honorary doctorate in 1999, agreed. “I’m extremely interested in and even a little envious of the institutionalised forms of international cooperation KU Leuven has actualised. We can learn a lot from that in Israel, where international contacts tend to occur on a more individual level. KU Leuven is also far ahead with respect to cooperation between universities and industry. In any case, I was happy to accept the university’s invitation to participate in this day as an doctor honoris causa."

Healthy gadgets
At the university hospital on the Gasthuisberg campus, University Hospitals Leuven CEO and professor Johan Kips discussed the university hospitals’ strategy for maintaining and strengthening its position as a leading academic healthcare system and described the challenges this entails. He also gave a progress report of the integrated Health Sciences Campus, scheduled to open in 2015.

At the Imec research centre, which specialises in nano-electronics and technology, CEO Luc Van den hove discussed new developments in solar panels and LED lighting as well as new uses for tablet computers and smartphones as tools for diagnostic medicine. "The technology we now consider 'gadgets' – iPads, Blackberries, etc. – will become the devices with which we tackle pressing social, health-related and environmental problems."

"I was very impressed by all the new technological possibilities for healthcare that are being developed,” said Professor Katrien Kesteloot, financial director of University Hospitals Leuven, after the talk. “Healthcare faces major challenges: the way we deal with diseases and patients will change dramatically. We are moving towards a type of desktop medicine and it is very stimulating to hear how we might prepare for it from a technological perspective."

Crème de la crème
At the Province Hall, business leaders from six leading companies in the Leuven region – Werner De Wolf (TE Connectivity), Jo Van Biesbroeck (AB InBev), Rudi Weekers (LMS International), Patrik De Haes (ThromboGenics), Luc Vriens (WATERLEAU) and Yves Servotte (Beneo) – shared how their companies apply innovation in daily practice.

“You hear their stories and you think, ‘these are things I can apply in my company,’” says Jean-Pierre Rammant, CEO of SCIA Group International and president of Sint Lucas University College of Art and Design. “One of the speakers spoke about social responsibility – what it really means in a business context – and I immediately made some parallel decisions for my company. I see many people I know and work with here, but at the same time I’ve made several new contacts. It is a truly special setting, and that makes for an enriching exchange.”

"As co-organiser, I was very pleased with the turnout,” says Peter Van Biesbroeck, general director of Chamber of Commerce Leuven – Voka. “ I was proud to have been present and to have listened to this remarkable group of innovative and socially committed businesses – the crème de la crème of Leuven’s business leaders. Voka is certainly willing to collaborate on this project again in the future. "