Forging the Future – BE-US Joint Effort in Science for a Safer World

One year after the workshop “Forging the Future – BE-US Joint Effort in Science for a Safer World” : a fruitful scientific collaboration

On 15 October 2024, the second edition of the workshop “Forging the Future – BE-US Joint Effort in Science for a Safer World” took place at campus Renaissance in Brussels, bringing together over a hundred researchers, industrials and institutional representatives from Belgium and the United States. One year later, the event stands out as a milestone in international scientific cooperation and has already led to several concrete research projects.

A platform for exchange and collaboration

Organised by the Royal Higher Institute for Defence (RHID) in partnership with the US Army DEVCOM and the US Office of Naval Research – Global (ONRG), the workshop aimed to bring together the Belgian scientific community with research and innovation stakeholders from the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Its ambitions were:to promote the available bilateral funding mechanisms, and to stimulate the exchange of bold and disruptive ideas for science that serves a safer world.

Five research themes structured the discussions: :
🔹 Quantum
🔹 Material Sciences
🔹 Biotechnology
🔹 AI & Autonomy
🔹 Hypersonics

These high-potential technological domains generated strong interest, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence and biotechnology, where the highest number of proposals were made and the most dynamic exchanges took place.

Record participation

With more than a hundred participants, the 2024 edition exceeded expectations and confirmed the growing enthusiasm for this type of event. Academic researchers, start-ups, large companies and public institutions have found it to be a unique platform for dialogue and networking.

The increasing involvement of the industrial sector – and of companies from the space domain in particular – was one of the major successes of this edition. The bilateral networking sessions generated numerous contacts between Belgian and US participants, several of which have since evolved into joint research collaborations and projects currently underway.

Tangible outcomes: ideas turning into projects

Since the workshop, several Belgium–US research initiatives have been launched, particularly in the following areas:

  • artificial intelligence applied to tactical decision-making;
  • autonomous systems ;
  • quantum and photonic technologies;
  • materials for extreme environments .

Belgian researchers have submitted white papers to their American counterparts, paving the way for collaborative funding through US Army DEVCOM and ONRG programmes.

These exchanges foster a renewed dynamic of scientific and technological cooperation between Belgium and the United States.

Discover the workshop aftermovie

We are delighted to unveil the official aftermovie of “Forging the Future – BE-US Joint Effort in Science for a Safer World”.

The video revisits the highlights of the day, the inspiring presentations, the networking moments and the collaborative energy that enlivened the event.

Looking ahead to the next edition

Building on the success of 2024, the organisers are already considering the next edition, with the ambition of making it an unmissable event to further strengthen synergies between research, defence and innovation stakeholders.