AQUASPECT
Advancing QUality Assessment of Spatial Patterns and Ecosystem Characteristics through Technological Advancements

• Budget: 274 995€
• Period: 31/08/2025 - 30/11/2028
• Partner: Carlota Muñiz (VLIZ)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

AQUASPECT aims to develop regional DTOs to understand plankton dynamics in the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Balearic Sea by using in situ imaging sensors. A new plankton imaging sensor (the UVP6m) will be developed as part of AQUASPECT. The UVP6m expands the observable size range of plankton monitoring by continuously counting particles from 10–1000 µm and capturing in situ images of microplankton from 100–1000 µm. The UVP6m will be deployed in the three study areas along with UVP6 sensors.
The imaging output and associated environmental data will be integrated into the EU Digital Twin and regional Digital Twins of the Ocean (DTOs). In addition, using this data, we will assess the potential of UVP6 and UVP6m observations to complement established methods for calculating OSPAR and HELCOM plankton diversity indicators used in Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) assessments. To achieve this, we will develop automated data flows to ensure seamless integration of the UVP6 data into the EU DTO, aiming to deliver tailored products for ecosystem managers and other stakeholders.  
The objectives of AQUASPECT are to:

1. Augment existing monitoring efforts with high temporal resolution sampling of plankton using imaging, in the eutrophic North Sea;
2. Develop automated dataflows for the taxonomic classification of plankton detected with the UVP6 and UVP6m;
3. Integrate datasets of Essential Ocean/Biodiversity Variables and concomitant environmental data into regional DTOs, as well as the European DTO;
4. Offer stakeholders relevant information on biodiversity and ecosystem state of the BPNS.

Documentation

• Fedra
• Project website
• Social media: linkedin

CodeBlue
Harmonised ocean data sets for blue sustainable eutrophication management of the North-East Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea

• Budget: 274.974€
• Period: 31/08/2025 - 30/11/2028
• Partner: Arthur Capet (RBINS)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

The CodeBlue project addresses the growing challenge of eutrophication in the North-East Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea, where decades of nutrient enrichment, combined with accelerating climate change, have degraded marine ecosystems. Although international conventions such as HELCOM and OSPAR have defined maximum nutrient inputs to achieve good environmental status, existing data systems and assessments remain fragmented, inconsistent across regions, and insufficient for modern policy needs. Against this backdrop, CodeBlue provides a coherent, transboundary scientific framework to understand how climate change, long-term nutrient cycling and transboundary fluxes shape present and future eutrophication. 

The project’s overarching objectives are to determine the relative roles of anthropogenic nutrient loads and climate change in shaping current eutrophication patterns; to assess whether “Maximum Allowable Inputs” remain adequate under projected environmental change; and to analyse how mitigation measures influence blue-economy sectors such as aquaculture and local marine management. The research is guided by fundamental questions such as whether climate change has already altered the effectiveness of current policies and how future scenarios may require revised thresholds or new management approaches. 

Methodologically, CodeBlue deploys a multi-model, multi-basin approach unprecedented in scope. By integrating observations, satellite data, hydrological information and model outputs from national and international repositories, the project will develop harmonised atmospheric and riverine nutrient forcing and robust biogeochemical data layers. Long-term hindcasts will assess sediment nutrient storage and cycling, while forward-looking simulations will evaluate future conditions and nutrient reduction scenarios. These outputs will be merged using a weighted ensemble modelling framework to quantify uncertainties and produce consistent eutrophication diagnostics across both basins. Stakeholder participation is embedded through a co-design board, involving key policy stakeholder groups such as OSPAR, HELCOM enabling continuous communication between scientists, environmental agencies and policy bodies, and ensuring that the scientific outcomes respond directly to decision-makers’ needs. 

The project’s potential impact spans science, society, economy, and policy. Scientifically, CodeBlue will deliver the first inter-comparable, basin-wide datasets and modelling tools capturing biogeochemical processes from local to regional scales. Economically and societally, the project supports sustainable blue-economy development by analysing how nutrient management affects aquaculture, coastal management, and food security. Environmentally, improved assessments and scenarios will underpin more effective restoration of marine ecosystems, contributing to global and European targets including the EU Green Deal, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. For public authorities, the project will harmonise assessment methods across conventions, strengthen policy coherence, and provide updated evidence to revise definitions of good environmental status. CodeBlue also adds value culturally and institutionally by enabling coordinated stewardship of Europe’s marine environment and enriching the data holdings of major scientific institutions. 

The expected final results include large-scale, harmonised multi-model datasets; long-term and future scenario simulations; refined assessment tools; methodological guidelines; a suite of policy briefs; scientific analyses and peer-reviewed publications; and a user-oriented Decision Support Tool accessible through EMODnet and aligned with Digital Twin of the Ocean initiatives. Short-term valorisation will arise through direct integration into ongoing HELCOM and OSPAR processes, as well as stakeholder workshops and blue-pilot case studies. Medium-term benefits include adoption of improved nutrient thresholds, better spatial planning for aquaculture and coastal industries, and transferable modelling and assessment approaches applicable to other European seas. Ultimately, CodeBlue will deliver a durable scientific and governance framework to guide effective, climate-resilient eutrophication management across interconnected marine regions. 

Documentation

• Fedra
• Project website

MSP4MORE
MSP tools for integrating Multiple sustainability objectives under expansion of Offshore Renewable Energy

• Budget: 498.220€
• Period: 01/08/2025 - 01/11/2028
• Partners:
  • Steven Degraer (RBINS)
  • Daan Delbare (ILVO)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

MSP4MORE responds to the urgent challenge of maritime spatial planning (MSP) to enhance offshore renewable energy production while balancing this goal with parallel policy targets. These include expanding marine protected areas (MPAs), promoting ecosystem restoration and minimising competition for space with other sea uses. Currently, efforts to achieve these multiple policy objectives often lack coordination. There is a clear need to consider their trade-offs, associated risks for sustainable development, and potential synergies.

The project aims to optimise the design and location of offshore wind farms (OWFs) to align with diverse policy goals across the Baltic, North, Mediterranean, and Barents Seas. Through integrative research in seven study areas and by leveraging findings from various ongoing initiatives, MSP4MORE fosters innovation through collaborative efforts with stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and civil society. To support sustainable OWF planning and decision-making, the project explores how OWF can provide added value through nature-inclusive designs and multi-use applications. It also examines socio-cultural factors that influence OWF implementation and acceptance and advances tools to assess the cumulative effects of various OWF different designs and levels of expansion at the sea basin scale. 

Integrated into its research plan, the project develops stakeholder-inclusive knowledge, tools and approaches for optimising planning solutions. The goal is to enable the sustainable co-existence of various sea uses through identifying and dealing with trade-offs and enhancing synergies, based on effects on net impacts on species, habitats and a range of ecosystem services, while also considering the implications of climate change. Strategies for minimising negative impacts and enhancing positive outcomes are emphasised, guided by the principle of "mitigating the bad, promoting the good".  

MSP4MORE will synthesise findings into best practices and practical decision support for local, national, and regional MSP challenges related to OWF expansion. These outcomes will  advance  the efficiency of MSP in reaching targets for renewable energy and support EU policies on nature conservation and restoration, aligning with the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the Habitats and Birds Directives, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and Nature Restoration Law, and the goals of the EU Blue Growth strategy, ultimately promoting goals for climate mitigation and biodiversity.

Documentation

• Fedra
• Project website

MiningImpact 3
Assessing the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules and seafloor massive sulphides

• Budget: 350.000€
• Period: 01/08/2025 - 01/11/2029
• Partenaire: Steven Degraer (RBINS)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

Under the joint European JPI-Oceans research call “Ecological Aspects of Deep-Sea Mining”, a third phase has been funded across seven participating countries, including Belgium. The research plan of MiningImpact 3 (MI3) will build on the outcomes of the first two phases (Project webpage), by extending the scientific basis for assessing the ecological implications of deep-sea resource mining, reducing uncertainties surrounding deep-sea ecosystems and their potential vulnerabilities. In doing so, MI3 aims at informing the ongoing regulatory discussions on deep-seabed resource mining.
The objectives of the MI3 project are:

• Assess the spatial and temporal variability of the deep-sea environment
• Understand genetic connectivity of deep-sea populations
• Study the effects of mining-induced toxicity and pressures on benthic and pelagic communities
• Compare the impacts of deep-sea mining with those of terrestrial mining
• Advance governance and management tools, including digital twin technology
• Support the development of indicators of ecosystem health and thresholds for serious harm

The results of MI3 will directly inform the ongoing development of international regulations at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and also support evidence-based policymaking for deep-sea resource management.
As a research partner funded through Science4Policy, RBINS contributes to MI3 via an integrated programme of environmental baseline research including faunal trace metal analyses, water column and sediment characterisation, complemented by stakeholder consultation.
The objectives of RBINS within MI3 can be divided into three pillars:

1. Trace metal baseline development and data harmonisation
   RBINS contributes to strengthening the environmental baseline needed to assess deep-sea mining impacts, by drawing on expertise established in MiningImpact phases 1 and 2. RBINS will support MI3 through harmonisation and integration of existing datasets, with a particular focus on trace metal characterisation in scavenging amphipods from polymetallic nodule areas. This work will help extend the temporal coherence of baseline evidence and support the ecotoxicological assessment of mining-related disturbance. This work aligns with the wider project objective of developing faunal trace metal baselines which are relevant to environmental monitoring and impact assessment and the eventual development of normative thresholds.
2. Physical oceanography and benthic-pelagic coupling
   RBINS also contributes to MI3 through oceanographic study of the water-column that helps to characterise baseline conditions of water masses in polymetallic nodule ecosystems. Using vertical profiling and water sampling across depth gradients, RBINS will support the assessment of chemical and physical composition of suspended particles and its environmental variability, both throughout the water column and across geographic regions. This will help to improve the understanding of how pelagic processes connect to seafloor conditions, but also to build a reference baseline to assess future effects arising from the return of mining water. This contribution will also support the project’s wider effort to evaluate benthic-pelagic coupling and to place mining-related impacts in a broader ecosystem context.
3. Stakeholder consultation at the science-policy interface
   RBINS will contribute to MI3 by helping to align scientific research with societal concerns addressing emerging regulatory needs in the field of deep-sea resource mining. Building on experience developed through stakeholder interaction at the Belgian national level, RBINS will co-organise an international stakeholder consultation workshop together with UGent and GEOMAR, to examine how environmental concerns raised by stakeholders relate to the available scientific evidence, ongoing data collection, and requirements under the ISA Mining Code. This work is timely as the deep-sea-mining governance landscape is still evolving, and there is a clear need to identify where scientific knowledge is already sufficient and where future targeted research is still required. In this way, within MI3, RBINS contributes to a more transparent and policy-relevant dialogue on marine environmental management at both national and international levels.

Documentation

• Fedra
• Project website
• Funding joined action JPI-Oceans webpage
  Degraer, S., E., Patel, T., Vanreusel, A., Pape, E. (eds). 2025. Perspectives from the Belgian round-table meetings about deep-seabed polymetallic nodule mining pressures and impacts, 50 pp. ISBN: 978-9-0732-4285-2 (online version of report)
• Sociale media: 
  • https://www.instagram.com/jpioceans/?hl=en
  • https://be.linkedin.com/company/jpi-oceans?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name

PAGES:
Process-based Assessment for the Good Environmental Status

• Budget: 300.000€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2029
• Partner: Isa Schöne (RBINS)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

Documentation

• Fedra

MAIJobCare
Managing job quality and labour shortages with AI/AM in long-term care

• Budget: 265.300€
• Period: 01/12/2024 - 30/04/2025
• Executor: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
• Contact: Christophe Vanroelen (VUB)
• BELSPO programme manager: Aziz Naji

Description

The MAIJobCare project (Managing Job Quality and Labour Shortages with AI/Algorithmic Management in Long-Term Care) addresses the growing sustainability challenges facing long-term care (LTC) systems across Europe. These challenges include demographic ageing, persistent labour shortages, limited productivity growth in a highly labour-intensive sector, and increasing pressure on traditional care arrangements in the context of rising female labour market participation. At the same time, LTC work is often characterised by low wages, poor working conditions, high turnover and limited worker voice, despite its central societal importance. Recent advances in digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic management (AM) are increasingly promoted as potential solutions to these challenges, yet their implications for job quality, care quality and power relations within LTC remain insufficiently understood.

The project is grounded in the observation that AM and AI are becoming more pervasive in LTC, particularly in areas such as scheduling, task allocation, performance monitoring, recruitment and care coordination. While proponents argue that these technologies can optimise work organisation, improve care delivery and support recruitment and retention, critics warn of risks including work intensification, heightened surveillance, reduced autonomy, deskilling and new forms of inequality. Existing research has largely focused on platform work and management–worker relations, leaving significant gaps in understanding how AM/AI operate in LTC settings, how they affect job quality across different welfare and industrial relations regimes, and how care recipients and families are involved in their deployment.

The overarching objective of MAIJobCare is to examine how AM and AI shape job quality, labour shortages and care quality in LTC, and under what conditions they may contribute to more sustainable and high-quality care systems. The project pursues this objective through a comparative study of five countries (Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom), representing distinct care, welfare and industrial relations regimes. It focuses on three LTC subsectors, with particular attention to home (domiciliary) care services, while also including more traditional and emerging platform-based care providers. Special emphasis is placed on job quality dimensions that are particularly relevant in algorithmically managed environments, including intrinsic aspects such as occupational health and safety, work intensity, surveillance, autonomy and voice, as well as extrinsic aspects such as wages, working hours, and skills development.

The project is structured around five interrelated work packages and aims to produce several key outputs while adopting a multidisciplinary and mixed-methods research design. Work Package 1 focuses on a structured literature review and the development of an analytical framework including key concepts, and indicators linking job quality and AM/AI in LTC. It combines desk research and secondary analysis of existing survey data. Work Package 2 maps national models of care, regulatory frameworks and labour market contexts through desk research and stakeholder interviews – which will result in five national stock-taking reports. Work Package 3 conducts in-depth qualitative fieldwork based on company case studies. Across the five countries, a total of fifteen company case studies will be conducted, involving interviews with management, supervisors, workers, workplace representatives, care recipients and family members. Work Package 4 undertakes comparative analysis and synthesis across the national case study reports, resulting in a cross-national comparative report. The comparative case study approach allows the project to analyse how national institutional contexts, care models and regulatory frameworks mediate the effects of AM/AI on job and care quality. Work Package 5 is dedicated to stakeholder engagement and dissemination, including a project website, national workshops, and a final international conference. Based on the work in all Work Packages, peer-reviewed academic publications and policy-relevant outputs will be created. Together, these work packages aim to generate robust, policy-relevant and socially grounded knowledge on how AI and AM can be governed to support job quality and care quality, and address labour shortages in LTC.

Documentation

• Fedra 
• Project website

BEL-AI:
Leveraging AI for Belgium: challenges, opportunities and policy solutions

• Budget: 598.782€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2029
• Coordinator: Laura Nurski (CEPS)
• Partners:
  • Stijn Vanormelingen (KU Leuven)
  • Vincent Vandenberghe (UCLouvain)
• BELSPO programme manager: Emma Moerman

Description

This project supports Belgium's ambition to become a globally competitive Smart AI Nation by generating actionable evidence on how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the economy and labour market, contributing to the objectives in Belgium's National convergence plan for the development of artificial intelligence. Responding to the request for scientific evidence on AI-driven productivity, employment, job quality, and working conditions, the project combines economic and labour market analysis in a coherent, policy-oriented framework. It investigates how AI adoption affects firms, occupations, and workers, ensuring that competitiveness and workforce resilience are considered jointly rather than in isolation.
The research follows a three-pronged approach. First, it delivers a comprehensive state-of-play analysis of Belgium's AI ecosystem. This includes mapping AI research, innovation, investment, and industrial strengths, identifying gaps in adoption and knowledge diffusion, and analysing workforce exposure across sectors, occupations, and demographic groups. Belgian trends are systematically benchmarked against European and global developments.
Second, the project conducts targeted causal deep dives. At firm level, it assesses whether AI adoption raises productivity and how firms adjust their workforce through training or hiring. At occupational level, it analyses how AI reshapes skill requirements. At worker level, it examines bottom-up AI use and job crafting, focusing on autonomy, efficiency, and job quality.
Third, the project translates its empirical findings into evidence-based policy recommendations through close collaboration with policymakers, social partners, and industry. The resulting guidance balances innovation with social inclusion, supporting AI diffusion while mitigating labour market and job quality risks.

Documentation

• Fedra

BE-SEDEP:
Belgian Strategic Economic Dependence

• Budget: 129.354€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2027
• Coordinator: Glenn Magerman (ULB)
• Partner: Jozef Konings (KU Leuven)
• BELSPO programme manager: Emma Moerman

Description

As a small, highly open economy, Belgium is deeply embedded in global value chains. This global integration fuels its prosperity, but also creates economic vulnerabilities: disruptions abroad –from natural events to geopolitical tension – can generate critical shortages or price hikes at home. BE-SEDEP develops a robust framework to identify Belgium's strategic economic dependence, assess its resilience against shocks, and provide concrete policy recommendations. By integrating advanced trade and network analysis with economic modelling, this project aims to inform Belgian policymakers and support Belgium's alignment with the EU's Open Strategic Autonomy agenda. To achieve this goal, the project pursues three objectives.

The first objective is to assess and extend existing indicators of strategic dependence, tailored to the Belgian context.
We provide a detailed account of the intuition, strengths, and limitations of each product- and sector-level indicator currently proposed by the FPS Economy. We extend these indicators beyond direct imports to capture indirect trade flows, quantifying dependencies that run through intermediate suppliers and are invisible to standard measures. We then map product-level trade flows onto the strategic sectors defined in EU and Belgian Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regulations, identifying where supply vulnerabilities concentrate. Linking these risks to global trade policy instruments, we provide policymakers with the necessary insights to protect Belgian economic interests against international shocks.

The second objective is to develop new indicators based on network analysis, incorporating supply chain complexity and substitutability.
This new class of measures comprises both product-level and country-level centrality and clustering measures. These measures provide additional insights into the strategic importance of goods not captured by current indicators. The centrality measures that we will develop are fully consistent with economic theory, hence allowing for quantitative policy and welfare analysis. In collaboration with the FPS Economy, we will select and calculate a set of composite indicators that map Belgium's exposure across imports, indirect trade, and the position of trading partners in the global product space.

The third objective is to support the analytical and policy capacity of the FPS Economy to foster cooperation between federal administration and international partners.
We will model multiple scenarios of supply-chain disruption arising from natural or geopolitical changes in the trade environment, and assess how Belgium's dependencies respond. This yields concrete, evidence-based recommendations for mitigating strategic dependencies and improving supply-chain resilience, and it deepens cooperation between the federal administration and international partners.

By turning trade and network data into theory-consistent, policy-ready indicators and disruption scenarios, BE-SEDEP gives policymakers the tools to anticipate vulnerabilities rather than react to them, protecting Belgian economic interests and reinforcing the EU's Open Strategic Autonomy.

Documentation

• Fedra

BE-SHIFT:
Belgian SociopsycHological Interventions for Future Transformation

• Budget: 537.783€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2029
• Coordinator: Michiel Ritzen (VITO)
• Partners:
  • Léo Coppens (UMONS)
  • Jean-Michel Decroly (ULB)
• BELSPO programme manager: Chloë Rogiers

Description

BE-SHIFT aims to support Belgium’s transition to climate neutrality by 2050, emphasizing "sobriety" as a cornerstone of this effort, and positioning the country as a frontrunner in this policy domain. The project investigates the psycho-social drivers that must be activated to promote and accelerate the implementation of policies and measures (PaMs) essential for this transition. From a systemic perspective, BE-SHIFT seeks to generate valuable insights into how PaMs should be effectively designed and implemented to foster sufficiency across key sectors. The analysis also includes an assessment of readiness levels, identifying which PaMs can be implemented more rapidly or which may require societal changes and support before deployment.
To identify the most relevant sectors (e.g., mobility) where sufficiency can be activated and their associated interventions (e.g., modal shift) for Belgium, BE-SHIFT leverages the expertise of a diverse pool of experts within the consortium. These experts cover a range of domains, incl. housing, mobility, diet, and material use. For each selected sector, the project will focus on understanding behavioural change and social dynamics to identify and quantify the psycho-sociological levers that influence the implementation of sufficiency measures. To capture the data needed to understand these sufficiency dynamics, the project combines citizen engagement through surveys and panels to evaluate the social acceptability of proposed sobriety measures, the creation of sufficiency lifestyle profiles to categorize and analyse behavioural patterns, and the use of fuzzy cognitive mapping to quantify the psycho-sociological levers impacting sufficiency policies. By developing a systemic view of each intervention field, BE-SHIFT will enable the simulation of scenarios that activate key socio-behavioural drivers such as social pressure, knowledge literacy or risk aversion. These simulations will reveal the context and interplay of these elements, providing policymakers with actionable insights on which aspects to target and how best to intervene for long-lasting and effective implementation of associated PaMs. Finally, the TIB3R energy system model will be used to evaluate the long-term impact of sobriety policies on greenhouse gas emissions and energy demand for Belgium. This approach will integrate qualitative insights with quantitative modelling to define actionable, sector-specific policies that align with Belgium’s climate goals.
This approach ensures that policymakers have a comprehensive understanding of the actions and systemic and long-term changes required to support sufficiency measures effectively, enabling informed and impactful decision-making.
A key output of BE-SHIFT will be the development of a potential mix of PaMs, designed to assist policymakers in identifying and implementing viable strategies. This mix will be supplemented by a detailed report that outlines the levers and triggers necessary to overcome barriers to the successful implementation of sufficiency policies. The core of the project lies on its robust strategy to identify psycho-social levers and related sufficiency profiles, integrating systemic analysis to understand the dynamics between these. This ensures that the analysis not only identifies theoretical barriers but also provides effective PaMs tailored to the context of each intervention.

Documentation

• Fedra

BE WISE:
Belgium Wellbeing Indicators for Self-Employed

• Budget: 645.639€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2029
• Coordinator: Wouter Vleugels (ULiège)
• Partners:
  • Gosia Kozusznik (UGent)
  • Martim Euwema (KU Leuven)
• BELSPO programme managers: Emmanuèle Bourgeois, Aziz Naji

Description

Self-employed workers are a pillar of our Belgian economy, but face complex administrative and fiscal pressures and a low workability, often affecting their mental wellbeing. BE WISE aims to develop evidence-based strategies to improve this mental wellbeing by examining the effect of regulatory frameworks and policies on a representative sample of Self-Employed Workers in Belgium. Over the course of three years, we will conduct three complementary studies that will provide comprehensive insights into this critical issue.

• Study 1 focuses on international best practices, employing literature review and expert interviews to understand transnational differences and successful approaches in self-employed policies. Through in-depth case studies and expert consultation, we will identify effective policy frameworks that support independent workers' wellbeing. This foundational study will illuminate how different regions approach the challenge of balancing regulatory requirements with mental health considerations.
• Study 2 builds upon these insights through a large-scale qualitative investigation of policies affecting independent workers. We will first construct a detailed policy inventory through Belgian expert interviews, then conduct multiple in-depth interviews with self-employed individuals to assess the frequency and impact of their encounters with these policies through time. This study aims to collect multiple waves of data from a representative sample of Belgian independent workers, enabling us to create comprehensive tables documenting different policies' fiscal and administrative burdens. The analysis will specifically examine how these policies affect various wellbeing outcomes and identify which have the most adverse impacts on independent workers' mental health.
• Study 3 examines the directionality of policy effects through a longitudinal quantitative investigation. This study will follow self-employed individuals over 1 year to understand how specific policies influence wellbeing over time. We will investigate various elements that may decrease the negative effects of policies on wellbeing (incl. personal factors, coping style and network). Our focus on a wide set of wellbeing parameters (incl. perceived wellbeing and physiological parameters) provides comprehensive and novel insights. This approach will help us identify which factors might diminish negative policy impacts and understand the state of current coping mechanisms among independent workers.

The comprehensive nature of our approach, combining international best practices analysis with both qualitative and quantitative longitudinal studies, will provide robust evidence for policy recommendations. Furthermore, our focus on coping mechanisms and moderators will support preventative care strategies, offering valuable insights for future policy development and monitoring. Together, our three studies will: (1) establish directionality in relationships between policies and wellbeing, (2) identify policies with the most adverse impacts, (3) cast a wide net on a large sample of different types of independent workers, and (4) develop evidence-based recommendations in collaboration with FPS social security and its partners. Our research design ensures representation across various sectors, geographic areas, and business types, incorporating both established and starter independent workers, and with differing perceived wellbeing.

This research will culminate in clear, actionable insights about which policy parameters are most crucial for independent workers' wellbeing, enabling the development of targeted indicators for ongoing monitoring of policy impacts on mental health. The project’s dissemination strategy ensures that findings on self-employed workers’ mental wellbeing reach both scientific and non-scientific stakeholders through a coordinated multi-channel approach. For the scientific community, results will be shared via open-access publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and presentations at leading national and international conferences, ensuring academic visibility and ongoing dialogue. For policymakers, professional associations, and self-employed worker networks, the project will produce a policy report with a lay summary and concrete legislative recommendations. A final closing event will present the findings, a policy toolbox, and monitoring indicators, combined with training sessions to facilitate practical uptake. Additional outreach—through podcasts, video materials, social media, press releases, and user-friendly infographics—will maximize awareness, support evidence-based policymaking, and ensure long-term impact beyond the project’s duration.

Documentation

• Fedra

CHaRM-BE:
Heat, health and hazards: Understanding and mitigating compound environmental risks for health in Belgium

• Budget: 672.889€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2029
• Coordinator: Gijs Van Pottelbergh (KU Leuven)
• Partners:
  • Inne Vanderkelen (RMI)
  • Xavier Fettweis (ULiège)
  • Veerle Buffel (VUB)
  • Vanessa Gorasso (Sciensano)
  • Christel Faes (UHasselt)
• BELSPO programme manager: Emma Moerman

Description

Documentation

• Fedra

DAMASCUS:
Data management and Impact Evaluations to Inform Policymaking on the Labour Market Integration of Precarious Groups

• Budget: 874.805€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2030
• Coordinator: Karolien Lenaerts (KU Leuven - HIVA)
• Partners:
  • Bart Cockx (UGent)
  • Ilan Tojerow (ULB)
• BELSPO programme managers: Emmanuèle Bourgeois, Aziz Naji

Description

DAMASCUS contributes to advancing inclusive labour market policies by integrating robust evaluation methods, enhancing institutional capacity, and improving data infrastructures. By aligning with international best practices, it aims to foster more effective, equitable, and evidence-driven policymaking in Belgium, particularly for vulnerable populations.
The DAMASCUS project aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking in Belgium by improving the evaluation of labour market policies targeting precarious groups, with a particular focus on people with disabilities and the green transition. At its core, the project addresses the limited systematic use in Belgium of rigorous ex-post policy evaluation methods, despite international, academic advances in empirical economics. DAMASCUS seeks to bridge this gap by equipping federal administrations with tools, skills, and frameworks to conduct high-quality causal impact evaluations using administrative data. The project is structured around several interconnected work packages. First, it develops a comprehensive evaluation toolkit, tailored to the Belgian institutional and data context. This toolkit provides practical guidance on conducting causal evaluations, including methods such as randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental techniques. It also incorporates legal and ethical considerations, particularly GDPR compliance, and offers guidance on data access, indicator development, and evaluation planning.
Second, the project emphasises capacity building through two intensive autumn schools and additional targeted training sessions for civil servants. These activities aim to enhance analytical skills within federal administrations, enabling them to conduct evaluations independently or to commission and assess external studies effectively. The training integrates methodological, technical, and thematic components, including labour market inclusion and disability.
Third, DAMASCUS applies its tools in empirical case studies. Two main studies are planned: (1) an evaluation of the 2024 reform of disability-related income replacement allowances, analysing its impact on labour market participation; and (2) an assessment of the expansion of working-from-home practices following COVID-19, examining both employment outcomes for people with disabilities and environmental implications. These case studies demonstrate the practical application of rigorous evaluation methods and generate policy-relevant evidence.
A critical component of the project is improving data access and governance. A systematic mapping of available administrative and survey data shall be conducted, identifying gaps and developing strategies for improved data accessibility. This shall be complemented by analysing the legal and ethical framework governing data use, including GDPR constraints, and comparing Belgian practices with other EU countries. Together, these efforts aim to enable more effective and legally compliant use of data for policy evaluation.
The project also prioritises awareness raising and long-term impact, promoting a culture of evidence-based policymaking within Belgian institutions. Dissemination activities ensure engagement with policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders, while a data management plan and governance framework support sustainability and reproducibility.

Documentation

• Fedra

EM4definingNM:
Development of optimized and validated EM-based methods to support the implementation of the nanomaterial definition for (novel) foods and to facilitate control

• Budget: 357.931€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2030
• Coordinator: Jan Mast (Sciensano)
• BELSPO programme managers: Emmanuèle Bourgeois, Chloë Rogiers

Description

EM4definingNM is a 4-year project focusing on the development and validation of EM-based methods for the physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials applied in food to support the legislation.
The project is carried out by the electron microscopy (EM) unit of Sciensano. As the Belgian reference laboratory for nanoparticles in food and the European reference laboratory for food improvement agents, Sciensano supports the federal public service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment implementing the (novel) foods regulation for nanomaterials, and specifically the definition of nanomaterials in foods by developing and applying optimized electron microscopy-based analysis methods. A collaboration with Prof. Sara Bals from UAntwerp allows access to advanced infrastructure and expertise in analysis of (nano)particles.
Hereto, a series of particulate materials with a relevance for food, covering a wide variety in size and shape, is examined focusing on insoluble, manufactured, inorganic particulate materials.
Specific sample preparation procedures are evaluated. To examine sampling bias, EM specimen preparation using drop deposition and on-grid ultracentrifugation of dispersed materials with narrow and broad size distributions are compared. Ultramicrotomy of resin-embedded samples is evaluated as a sample preparation method to measure the minimum external dimension of (plate-like) materials with a preferential orientation on the EM-grid. The possibilities of different imaging modes such as SEM, TEM, and STEM, and more advanced EM-based approaches (e.g. 4D STEM) and conventional and AI-assisted image analysis approaches  are evaluated. This approach allows to propose a guidance for selecting the most suitable approach for each type of material, detailing the sample preparation, imaging mode and image analysis routines.
For the optimized conditions, standardized methods, provided as standard operating procedures (SOPs), and validation studies are delivered providing the measurement uncertainties for particle size and shape measurements.
All acquired measurement results with associated metadata are systematically reported in line with EFSA’s instruction for reporting the results of EM analysis. They are stored in a format allowing eventual later re-use and public access, following the FAIR principle. Existing information and developments from other (Sciensano) projects will be integrated.
The results of the project allows commercial operators and control laboratories to select the most suitable EM-based methods, presented as validated SOPs, for characterizing a specific material, depending on its physicochemical properties. This allows competent authorities to evaluate whether legal obligations associated with the regulatory definition are respected. The approach is also useful for nanomaterial characterization in the context of risk assessment according to the EFSA guidance. Moreover, the estimated measurement uncertainties will contribute to evaluate the setting of a quantitative threshold (e.g. 50%) applied in definitions of nanomaterials supporting on experimental data.
The dissemination of the outcomes on a EU-wide level will be assured in European nano-related work groups (CEN, EFSA), through the organization of a scientific symposium and the participation to conferences. They will be published and shared with organizations such as JRC, EFSA and CEN.

Documentation

• Fedra

Fish4Thyroid:
An AOP network-based approach for assessing thyroid hormone system disruption in fish

• Budget: 174.998€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2030
• Coordinator: Dries Knapen (UAntwerpen - Zebrafish Lab)
• Partner: Adrian Covaci (UAntwerpen - Toxicological Centre)
• BELSPO programme manager: Chloë Rogiers

Description

In the area of endocrine disruption there is an urgent need for new methods and assessment approaches to identify chemicals with thyroid hormone system disruption (THSD) potential in the context of, among others, REACH, CLP and the EU pesticides and biocides regulations, with a focus on integrated, mechanistically supported assessment strategies in a One Health approach, while reducing animal testing.
For regulatory environmental assessment of THSD, only amphibian tests are currently available. Both in vitro assays and augmented OECD fish Test Guidelines (TGs) (using protected and non-protected life stages) for the identification of chemicals with THSD properties have been developed and are currently under formal validation. This project will build upon these ongoing initiatives, and has the following objectives: (1) Further development of fish New Approach Methods (NAMs) for THSD: expanding the current set of THSD endpoints (thyroid histopathology, TH measurement, swim bladder inflation, eye development) for addition to the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) test (OECD TG 236) with new endpoints for assessing THSD-induced developmental neurotoxicity (DNT), (2) Development of a method for measuring THs (3-3’-5-triiodothyronine [T3] and thyroxine [T4]) in the FET test using Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Especially the measurement of low levels of 3-3’-5-triiodothyronine (T3) in fish embryos continues to be a challenge in the international community. (3) Development of adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for THSD-induced DNT, building upon our existing THSD AOP network across vertebrates which will allow us to assess the potential of the use of fish to inform on both environmental and human health. (4) Development of an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for THSD: We will perform case studies that integrate in silico, in vitro and fish data for a set of regulatorily relevant chemicals that will be selected in collaboration with EU regulators and national competent authorities. On the one hand, the generated data will fill gaps for the case study chemicals. On the other hand, a decision-tree logic, aligned with the recently published ‘Application of the CLP Criteria’, will be developed to assess the different data types and conclude on the endocrine disrupting properties of a chemical within the different regulatory frameworks.
The work in this project addresses several action sheets of the National Action Plan on Endocrine Disruptors (NAPED) including the development of new scientific studies on THSD and the development of new methods for the identification of endocrine disruptors. The work builds on activities that have been performed in the first three years of the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) and will be supported and co-funded by three new PARC activities running in parallel.

Documentation

• Fedra

PRO-ACTIF:
Investigating the NTU of social rights through simulation at the federal level and experimentation at the municipality level

• Budget: 772.667€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2030
• Coordinator: Philip Verwimp (KU Leuven)
• Partners:
• Ilan Tojerow (ULB)
• Gerlinde Verbist (UAntwerpen-CSB)
• BELSPO programme managers: Emmanuèle Bourgeois, Aziz Naji

Description

Documentation

• Fedra

SEDICAST:
A SEdiment DIspersion foreCASTing system for sand extraction in the Belgian part of the North Sea

• Budget: 199.880€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 15/03/2028
• Coordinator: Emmanuel Hanert (UCLouvain)
• BELSPO programme manager: Koen Lefever

Description

Sand extraction in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS) is essential to meet the growing demand for marine aggregates, but it generates sediment plumes that increase turbidity and can affect benthic habitats far from the extraction site. The far-field dispersal of these plumes remains poorly constrained, and acoustic monitoring (e.g. multibeam echosounders) is too costly for routine, large-scale surveillance.
SEDICAST aims to develop and validate an operational forecasting system to predict the dispersion of sand-extraction plumes in the BPNS. The system couples the unstructured-mesh ocean model SLIM3D with the coastal wave model SWAN, achieving sub-100 m resolution over sandbanks and ripples, together with a dedicated Lagrangian (particle-based) sediment model tailored to dredging operations. Running on GPU-based high-performance computing, it will produce daily one-week forecasts of the sea state and enable near-real-time simulations of sediment plumes from planned dredging activities.
Model calibration and validation will rely on existing datasets and new in-situ measurements (ADCP profiling, overflow sampling) provided by DEME Dredging. The outputs will be made accessible through a user-friendly, cloud-based web interface developed by SeaLab. The system will deliver actionable insights to support the FPS Economy in the sustainable management of Belgian sand extraction.

Documentation

• Fedra

BET ALC
Research on scenarios regarding the affordability of alcoholic beverages

• Budget: 30.000€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 31/03/2026
• Executor: Sciensano
• Contact: Brecht Devleesschauwer
• FPS/PPS involved: FPS Health
• BELSPO programme manager: Aziz Naji

Description

The project aims to assess alcohol pricing measures as a tool to reduce harmful alcohol use in Belgium, as outlined in Action 68 of the Alcohol Plan 2023–2025 within the Interfederal Strategy 2023–2028. National as well as international evidence, including the Superior Health Council, supports such policies. Nevertheless, information is missing on their feasibility and applicability in the Belgian context. Minimum unit pricing (MUP) and excise taxes will be analysed through policy scenarios to estimate their potential effects on alcohol consumption and health outcomes. Based on this analysis, the study will deliver concrete, policy-ready scenarios, identify the most effective pricing options to reduce alcohol consumption, together with their benefits and drawbacks as evaluated by stakeholders.

Documentation

CIPRESA
Comparing Innovative Practices Regarding Ethical and Sustainable Approaches within Food Systems – Elaboration of a methodology and socio-economic evaluation criteria

• Budget: 80.368€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 31/08/2026
• Executor: ILVO
• Contact: Veerle Van linden
• FPS/PPS involved: :
• BELSPO programme manager: Aline van der Werf

Description

Policymakers need a tool to integrally assess innovations in the food system by weighing various sustainability dimensions using appropriate (fit for purpose in the context of use), transparent, and clear criteria. The tool must be applicable to both technological and other types of innovations (e.g., policy-related), must be applicable in the relatively short term (up to a few months), and must be able to assess various alternatives (cases) side-by-side to put the innovation into perspective and to offer a mix of solutions that can withstand the sustainability test. Interaction with stakeholders is important and will be facilitated. Feedback loops are advisable, and stakeholders will be involved from the very beginning.

Documentation

DeepIn
Technico-economic potential of deep decarbonisation options in the industry: survey and lessons for Belgium

• Budget: 43.413€
• Period: 01/12/2024 - 30/04/2025
• Executor: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
• Contact: Tomas Wyns
• FPS/PPS involved: FPS Environment
• BELSPO programme manager: Aline van der Werf

Description

The European Union and its Member States, including Belgium, will have to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. A process is underway to adopt reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. As such, the European Commission proposed a 90% reduction target compared to the 1990 level. The analyses currently available at both European and Belgian level indicate that the two sectors in which it will be particularly difficult or costly to achieve a net zero emission target (“hard-to-abate sectors) are industry and agriculture. Industry is a particularly heterogeneous sector for which a good overview of the technical and economic potential is sorely lacking in Belgium. Existing scenarios indicate a wide range of residual emissions in industry that will need to be mitigated with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS/CCUS) or offset by removals.
This project will bring a much more detailed analysis, taking into account the latest technological developments and their costs, to reach a better understanding of federal, regional and even local policies to support the decarbonisation of industry in Belgium. It will also allow to better anticipate the needs in terms of CCS and connect with public policies relating to carbon removals. The objective is also to better understand, from a macro point of view, the implications of the technological options for the long-term decarbonisation of the main industries in Belgium (including steel, cement and lime production, refining, chemistry, etc.).

Documentation

• Publications
  • Report presentation: DEEPIN - Deep Industrial greenhouse gas reductions in Belgium
  • Final Report: DEEPIN - Deep Industrial greenhouse gas reductions in Belgium
    
    
• Media
  • L’Echo: La Belgique doit agir vite si elle veut décarboner son industrie dans 20 ans
  • De Tijd: Industrie vergroenen lukt niet zonder CO₂-afvoer en goedkopere stroom
    
    
• Event
  • 18.09.2025 | DEEPIN - Report presentation
    Deep Industrial Emission Reductions for Belgium
    More information

ENIGME
Fighting energy poverty: Indicators for the evaluation of federal measures

• Budget: 38.290€
• Period: 15/12/2025 - 30/04/2026
• Executors:
  • Université Libre de Bruxelles
  • Universiteit Antwerpen
• Contact: Sandrine Meyer
• FPS/PPS involved:
• BELSPO programme manager: Aziz Naji

Description

The study aims to establish a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of four federal measures aiming at reducing energy poverty in Belgium (Social Tariff, Social Heating Fund, Social Energy Fund, and Social Tariff Premium). By mobilising national surveys and available administrative data (identified in a detailed inventory) and elaborating indicators from these data, the study will deliver a broad data inventory and a methodological guide to assess the effectiveness and efficiency (take-up) of these measures in lifting beneficiaries out of energy poverty. It will also monitor which socio-economic profiles (including people in energy poverty) benefit or not, by suggesting a Best Solution, Second-Best Option, or Proxies Data depending on availability and quality.

Documentation

WLSW
Workload of social workers

• Budget: 110.503€
• Period: 01/12/2024 - 15/12/2025
• Executor:
  • Odisee University College
  • KU Leuven
  • Arteveldehogeschool Gent
• Contact: Kaat Van Acker
• FPS/PPS involved: PPS Social Integration
• BELSPO programme manager: Aziz Naji

Description

It is well-known that the job content of social workers often does not correspond to the needs of the Public Centre for Social Welfare’s target groups. It often turns out that a too high (administrative) workload prevents social workers from devoting the optimal amount of time to the personal guidance of the target group.
One of the reasons for the problem would be that the “content” part of the social worker's job is under pressure. In other words, the social worker has to devote too much worktime to “administrative tasks”.
This Flash study will map the administrative processes as well as their impact, which lead to the high workload of social workers. The project should determine whether it is possible to reduce part of this administrative workload. Consequently, this would allow more attention to be paid to personal counselling of the target group, and thus to higher socio-economic integration.

Documentation