The Flemish Government holds the ambition to territorially anchor local knowledge, technology and innovation, and grow into the reference region in Europe through new initiatives. In addition to data, health, or energy-related technology and innovation, the entertainment cluster is put forward as a spearhead. Already today, our festival and media companies, as well as some digital education programmes, are international frontrunners. The prime breeding ground to build an innovative entertainment cluster around?

This research project examines the innovation and development potential of the Rupel Region as a hub of the entertainment industry. Design Sciences Hub, commissioned by the Department of Culture, Youth & Media, is exploring ways to link the ambition to become a reference region for an entertainment cluster to broader societal challenges, such as unemployment, deprivation and diversity of local communities in the region. Taking a territory-oriented approach, political silos are surpassed and key stakeholders identified in order to explore the viability of preliminary plans around the making, research and entertainment site in the Rupel Region with an open and creative gaze.

The track is designed around three concrete areas of expertise at the University of Antwerp: economic geography (Professor Joris Beckers), policy and spatial planning (Professor Tom Coppens) and mobility (Professor Dirk Lauwers). Professor Guy Vloebergh will lead the way throughout the process.