VITO Reducing the risk of sustainable innovation for companies

VITO & Companies VITO is working together with companies, either directly or in partnership with industry networks such as the spearhead clusters and employers’ organisations, to reduce the risk of sustainable innovation for companies. In Flanders and by extension internationally.

VITO & Science VITO has a strong reputation in the Flemish and European scientific communities and works together with internationally renowned institutions.

VITO & Society VITO provides objective and scientific information for policy makers and citizens in order to have an impact on social debates on the transition to a sustainable society and achieving climate goals.

Turning waste into value Every year, four billion tonnes of cement is used worldwide. However, the production of cement causes a high degree of pollution. If we can reduce the proportion of cement in production processes and replace it with waste that would otherwise be processed in an unsustainable way, we could kill two birds with one stone. We could reduce cement production and thus CO 2 emissions, and give waste materials a sustainable future.

Personalised healthcare The evolution in healthcare is almost phenomenal. New medicines are making fatal diseases chronic. But the greatest benefit to health could be achieved if we could better predict who has an increased risk of developing a condition, detect conditions more quickly, and make medicines that are tailored to the patient. Preventive and personalised medicine are the terms of the future.

Smart energy grids Energy consumption not only varies during the day and at night, but is also dependent on other factors such as the seasons. As a result, there are peaks and troughs in energy consumption. It would therefore be useful if we could use the energy we have left over at peak times during off-peak times or if we could adapt our energy consumption to these fluctuations. What is more, we are no longer merely energy consumers, but are also increasingly becoming energy producers. In order to use this energy economically and sustainably, we need smart applications.

Carbon capture and reuse CO 2 , or carbon dioxide, is indispensable for life on earth. But too much of it can be a bad thing. Mass CO 2 emissions are now a threat to our climate. Reducing emissions is one way of tackling the problem. But we can also capture CO 2 and use it in the production of sustainable materials.

Remote sensing technology Nothing speaks to the imagination like images of our earth from space. The images our satellites take are simply stunning. But there is a whole story behind these images – and the comparison of images over time. VITO has been researching the earth from space for 20 years now.

Battery technology Fossil fuels have one big advantage: you can store them and use them when you need them. If we want to make the transition to other forms of energy, we need to look for systems in which we can store (renewable) energy efficiently in batteries. What is more, we are opting for batteries that are themselves more sustainable.

Mapping climate change When we talk about our climate, we usually think of global climate change that can impair our future. But climate is more than that. Climate is also what surrounds us, the city in which we live, the conditions in which we, as citizens, feel comfortable.

Alternative feedstock We need to find a solution to the mass use of fossil resources. Not just because we realise that these resources are finite and that we in Europe are very dependent on these, but also, and more importantly, because fossil resources impose a heavy burden on the climate.

Sustainable construction and renovation Any form of economic activity can be made more sustainable in one way or another. But if there is one sub-economy where the circular economy can be applied in a relatively simple way, it is in the construction sector.

VITO NV Boeretang 200 -B-2400 MOL Tel.: +32 (0)14 33 55 11 E-mail: vito@vito.be http://www.vito.be