The Evaluation of 'Behavioural Additionality' - IWT

WHAT IS IWT-FLANDERS
The Institute for the promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Flanders)
was established in 1991 by the Flemish government as a regional public institution to provide R&D
and innovation support in Flanders. In order to execute this task IWT has several financial tools
available and an annual budget of 235 million EUR (in 2003) available to support projects. In addition
to direct funding, a variety of services is provided to the local industry in the field of technology
transfer, partner search, information about international subsidy options, etc. IWT has also an
important mission as co-ordinator, aiming for a strong co-operation between all organisations in
Flanders offering technological innovation services to companies.
Over the years IWT has expanded into the knowledge center for R&D and innovation in Flanders.
WHAT IS THE IWT-OBSERVATORY
The IWT-Observatory functions as an analytical unit, supporting the role of IWT as a Knowledge
Centre for R&D and Innovation in the Flemish Innovation System.
The Observatory has a supporting function towards IWT’s operational activities in evaluation and
service support, supplying analytical information concerning aspects of innovation and companyspecific
data and developing systems for performance measurement.
Being a part of Innovation-monitoring by the Flemish Government, the IWT-Observatory analyses
collects and analyses indicators on the R&D and innovation activities of companies and other actors
in the Innovation System in Flanders.
The analytical capacity of the Observatory is built upon a multitude of internal and external sources,
the results of innovation studies and IWT specific data about companies, and recombined into knowledge
components for stimulating innovation and innovation policy in Flanders.
As an information provider, frequent demands for information by policy-makers and interested third
parties are being answered about benchmarks from foreign (policy) experiences, introduction of new
policy concepts within the innovation theory, and other matters in the field of innovation. Results are
published in periodic reports and IWT-Studies.