Exclusive evening session
‘Brilliant’ Talk show and Flanders Cleantech Internationalisation Awards’

To start the 5th i-SUP conference in style, Brilliant and Flanders Cleantech Association are hosting an exclusive evening of insight, entertainment and celebration.  All i-SUP attendees are welcome to join.

On October 16, cleantech thought leaders from around the world will meet for a lively discussion during a live talk show, moderated by experienced TV journalist Ann De Bie. The participants, each expert in their field, will discuss 2 key topics in the evolution towards a sustainable society:

• Finite resources as a source of re-thinking business models
• Innovation acceleration through international knowledge dissimenation and collaboration

During the event the Flanders Cleantech Internationalisation Awards will come to a climax. After hearing from the finalists of the three categories Energy, Materials and Chemistry&Environment, you will have a final chance to vote for the companies you consider the most impactful on international sustainability. The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony that evening.

Belgian singer, songwriter and producer Ozark Henry will debut his brand new live performance accompanied by a string quartet of the National Orchestra of Belgium.

Exclusive evening session
‘SDG : the international role of Brand-owners and knowledge institutes’

In New York, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, September 25–27, 2015, heads of state from over 150 countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its associated Sustainable Development Goals.

To achieve these goals, the so-called triple helix of governments, large corporations, and knowledge institutes must work together. To this end, VITO has invited some important large international companies to highlight how their strategies contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and help combat climate change. These companies, world-renowned brands, are reaching millions of consumers with their message and products.

Technology innovations and dissemination are also of the utmost importance for this transformational change to happen. To support this technological transition, VITO and international partners are setting up a series of Global Science Technology and Innovation conferences (GSTI) in order to scientifically underpin international negotiations pertaining to technology development and dissemination. GSTI, which will convene in the fall of 2017, is designed in cooperation with relevant UN agencies and international expert bodies.

Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd, former director of environment and energy at UNDP, will describe how the GSTI conference series will strengthen the global discourse on cleantech and technology transformations needed to achieve the SDGs and climate goals.

Please join us to discover how to bring messages, technologies, and the products of sustainability to the global community of consumers and companies. 

Bert Stevens

Vice President Operations

Nike Europe / North America

Biography

Caroline Gastaud

Head of Sustainability

IKEA Belgium

Biography

Veerle Vandeweerd

ex UNEP, UNDP and UN Global Compact

Biography

Francesca Vanthielen

Biography

Exclusive evening session
PlanC Community night - The clash of ideas about a circular future?

On Tuesday 18 October Plan C hosts its yearly Plan C Community Day, this time a ‘Night’.  The Community Night will be a clash of ideas about a sustainable future. We want to show that there are many angles to look at materials management in the future and that there is no ‘one size fits all solution’. Does the sharing economy really change the way we consume? Will the circular economy fundamentally solve our problems with finite material resources? Will technology save us?

Six speakers accepted the challenge to defend their views on stage, in three seperate clashes. Each clash wil be sharp, concise and thought-provoking.

The Plan C Community Night is integrated within the i-SUP2016 conference, organized by VITO.

Francesca van Thielen moderates the clashes.

The event is English-spoken