ACTIVITies

Together with companies and the government, Flanders’ DRIVE is building the future and the success of the automotive industry. This is done in different ways.

Initiate and coordinate innovation

Flanders’ DRIVE supports companies with their innovation projects by:

helping to define a tangible technological approach
contacting knowledge partners for the execution of a project
forming consortia for cooperation
providing advice about subsidies
explaining the IP regulations and options for the chosen subsidy
bringing in our own competencies
project management

Strengthening competencies

Flanders’ DRIVE builds up permanent competencies for the development of products and processes within the context of the industry's trends and needs. This takes place in four domains:

Lightweight Materials
Clean Powertrains
Active Safety
Manufacturing

Infrastructure management

Flanders’ DRIVE offers a complete infrastructure for vehicle research, development and testing. Specialist workshops and tools are available for adapting vehicles and building prototypes.

Stimulating knowledge transfer

Flanders’ DRIVE stimulates the exchange of experience between partners through newsletters, workshops, seminars, company visits, cross-referral within the knowledge network and help with doctorates and theses.

Disseminating expertise

Flanders’ DRIVE disseminates its expertise through training sessions, workshops, consultancy work for companies, technology forums and round tables, the publication of 'public' results of research projects and participation in expert commissions.

Identifying trends and developments

In order to provide innovations with optimum guidance and support, Flanders' DRIVE follows developments and trends in the sector. This development of a future vision is managed through:

Flanders' DRIVE's Industrial Advice Board (IAR), a multidisciplinary group with representatives from Agoria, Bekaert, Bosal, EIA Electronics, LMS Int, Materialise, Punch, Recticel, Tenneco, Umicore and Volvo Group
a think tank with top experts from the industry, the research and financial worlds
participation in management forums
research in cooperation with renowned consultancy companies such as Roland Berger and ADLittle.

Quality monitoring

Flanders’ DRIVE offers different quality guarantees:

our ISO9001:2000 certificate forms the basis of our quality monitoring activities
our ISO9001:2008 certificate offers guarantees in the quality of design and process development
Furthermore, Flanders’ DRIVE has competencies in terms of the Functional Safety Standard IEC61508