Flanders reappoints the VARIO board and names Lieven Danneels as chairman

The Flemish government has reconstituted the Flemish Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VARIO), appointing Lieven Danneels as chair and nine other members. The decision was made on September 11, 2026, and published in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 28, 2026, under reference [C − 2026/006773], page 52068. It enters into force on the date of the decision.

The act is a decree of the Flemish Government, published under the Dutch title “Hersamenstelling van de Vlaamse Adviesraad voor Innoveren en Ondernemen (VARIO)” in the “Vlaamse Overheid” section of the Belgian Official Gazette. It also appears in the table of contents of the same issue, with a reference to page 52068. The text consists of only three articles: the list of members, the entry into force, and the designation of the minister responsible for execution.

The title of the decree announces a “hersamenstelling,” meaning a complete reconstitution of the council: Article 1 lists all members anew rather than making punctual modifications to an existing composition. VARIO is the Flemish advisory body competent for innovation and entrepreneurship; its composition therefore determines the individuals who will present its opinions to the Flemish Government.

Ten people appointed, one chair at their head

Article 1 of the decree establishes the composition of the council. The following persons are designated as members:

• Lieven Danneels, chair;
• Katrin Geyskens;
• Koen Vanhalst;
• Vanessa Vankerckhoven;
• Ann Caluwaerts;
• Stijn Kelchtermans;
• Veroniek Collewaert;
• Silvia Lenaerts;
• Dieter Deforce;
• Lorenz Bogaert.

The list contains ten names in total, only one of whom is explicitly designated as chair. The published text mentions neither the term of office, nor alternates, nor the sectors or organizations represented.

Entry into force and execution

• The decree enters into force on the date of the Flemish Government’s decision, namely September 11, 2026.
• Execution is entrusted to the Flemish minister competent for the Economy.
• Official publication occurs in the Belgian Official Gazette on September 28, 2026, page 52068, reference [C − 2026/006773].

An issue also focused on innovation

The same issue of the Belgian Official Gazette publishes another Flemish decision in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship: the ministerial decree of September 18, 2026 [C − 2026/006954], which repeals the ministerial decree of February 25, 2022, establishing the list of incubators and accelerators eligible for collaboration. This repeal enters into force on October 1, 2026, as the exhaustive list is no longer considered suitable for an evolving landscape of incubators and accelerators.

For companies, research centers, and stakeholders in the Flemish innovation ecosystem, this reconstitution establishes the members of the advisory board for the coming period. The composition published in the Belgian Official Gazette is authoritative: it determines who will sit on the VARIO and who will convey its opinions to the Flemish Government.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette of September 28, 2026, decree of the Flemish Government of September 11, 2026, [C − 2026/006773], p. 52068.