Belgian Federal Science Policy Office

Logo of BELSPO

The Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (Dutch: Federaal Wetenschapsbeleid; French: Politique scientifique fédérale) or BELSPO is a Belgian government institution responsible for coordinating science policy at a federal level. It designs and implements research programmes and networks and manages the participation of Belgium in European and international organisations. BELSPO supervises Belgian federal scientific organisations.

History

BELSPO was previously known as the Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs (OSTC), which name was changed following the Copernic reform of Belgium's federal administration.

In 1959 the structures were created for the political and administrative coordination of the Belgian science policy. These structures included the Interministerial Commission for Science Policy (ICSP) and the National Council for Science Policy (NCSP). In 1968, the Science Policy Office (SPO) was established as a Belgian State administration.

Federal scientific and cultural institutions

• Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
• Belgian Co-ordinated Collections of Micro-organisms
• Center for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society
• Geological Survey of Belgium
• National and Provincial State Archives (State Archives in Belgium)
• Planetarium
• Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
• Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage
• Royal Library of Belgium
• Royal Meteorological Institute
• Royal Museum for Central Africa
• Royal Museums for Art and History
• Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
• Royal Observatory of Belgium

Federal scientific and cultural partner institutions

• Academia Belgica at Rome
• Euro Space Center
• Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences
• Cinematek
• Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

See also

• Science and technology in Belgium
• Science and technology in the Brussels-Capital Region
• Science and technology in Flanders
• Science and technology in Wallonia
• Belgian Academy Council of Applied Sciences (BACAS)
• Francqui Foundation
• National Fund for Scientific Research
• Agoria

References

• BELSPO

External links

• Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
• Belgian Portal for Research and Innovation
• Presentation of R&D policies in Belgium (European Commission website, ERAWATCH)
• Presentation of innovation policies in Belgium (European Commission website, ProInno TrendChart for Innovation)