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The Belgian Science Policy

Who are we?

The Belgian Science Policy is one of the main actors of scientific research in Belgium. It brings together many prestigious research programs and manages ten federal scientific institutes.

The 10 Federal Scientific Institutes managed by BELSPO are full of assets. They offer not only exceptional environment and research materials for scientists but also world-class artistic and historical collections.

Thanks to its research programs, its federal scientific institutes and with 2300 employees, BELSPO brings together a wide range of expertise in various fields such as astronomy, astrophysics, meteorology, history, art history, paleontology, meteorology, mineralogy, musicology, seismology,  gravimetry, climatology, anthropology, earth sciences, archivistics, conservation, restoration, information sciences, codicology, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, cartography, molecular biology...

Science and culture are in BELSPO interconnected to develop a more sustainable and harmonious society. So, contributes BELSPO to the knowledge of the environment in order to improve the well-being of society and ensure its sustainable development.


Our Values

The Federal Science Policy Department strives to cultivate rigor, excellence, scientific performance, expertise, professionalism, integrity and equality in all its components.
BELSPO aims to be an institution that constantly seeks relevance, effectiveness and efficiency in its performance.


Gender Mainstreaming and Gender Equality Plan

As a federal administration, BELSPO is committed to fighting all forms of discrimination. Since 2016, BELSPO has had a General Gender Mainstreaming Coordinator, who is also in charge of equal opportunities, disability and diversity issues.
Read more about Gender Equality Plan...
Read more about Gender Mainstreaming in Dutch or French

Our mission

BELSPO's mission is to optimize and strengthen the workings of the Belgian, European and international research area.        
According to this, the Belgian Science Policy coordinates the research efforts of all public authorities in the country and is responsible for inserting our researchers in international research networks.

We also provide reliable and validated data to the government, enabling it to make informed decisions in areas such as the fight against climate change, biodiversity, polar research, digitization, heritage science and all federal societal issues. The Belgian Science Policy is therefore a permanent expertise capacity at the service of the federal authority in various scientific and technical fields.    

We also manage the Belgian contribution to the European Space Agency. Belgium is the sixth net contributor to the ESA. This regular and long-term participation is strategic and crucial for our country and allows us to consolidate a network of highly specialized companies and research centers.

BELSPO also represents BELNET, which is the IT partner for research, universities, hospitals and public administration. BELNET provides and maintains high-quality, innovative network infrastructures and related services. Its employees strive to remain at the cutting edge of the constant evolution in telecommunications and Internet.

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