IBBT: Research with impact

Focusing our efforts to tackle challenging times ahead

Dear Partner,

First and foremost I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year on behalf of the IBBT team. This is the time of the year to reflect on both past and future. The first five years of our existence we have seen rapid growth and a proliferation of our activities. IBBT has matured into an established research organization in Flanders as illustrated by our partner network of over 300 companies and institutions. We are very pleased you are one of our partners.

The recent financial crisis had led both government and industry to reduce investments in research & development, while the challenges ahead require an extensive effort. We are therefore in the middle of a reorganization to streamline our operations and reduce the overhead costs. Our goals for the future are to grow our international reputation, achieve worldwide excellence in a limited number of fields and increase the economic impact of our research even more.

Our initial focus on areas such as e-health, digital media and mobility has proven to be the right one. These areas show increasing economic and social relevance. Green ICT has joined their ranks as one of our top priorities. We are well positioned for groundbreaking research into the technological challenges posed by the Internet of the Future. In this regard, the iMinds conference in December 2010 will prove to be a new milestone for IBBT as an organization.

We are looking forward to cooperating in 2010.

Wim De Waele, Chief Executive Officer

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