Technology conference Big Science Business Forum 2026 heads to Maastricht
Belgium and the Netherlands will jointly organise the so-called European Big Science Business Forum (BSBF) at the MECC in Maastricht in October 2026. An expected 1,000 participants from leading high-tech companies will meet Europe’s larger research organisations at this conference to share knowledge on high technology and innovation. They will also engage in research and development collaborations.
Improving knowledge position
Belgium and the Netherlands already cooperate in many technology areas. For example, in nuclear research, semiconductors, nanotechnology and photonics. Both countries are also striving to bring the Einstein Telescope to the Euregio Maas-Rhijn (EMR). The BSBF conference gives high-tech companies the opportunity to improve their knowledge position and use it to develop technological products in new markets.
High-tech business partnerships
The largest European research organisations – such as CERN, ESA, ESRF and Fusion4Energy – inform entrepreneurs during the biennial BSBF about new technological developments, issues, procurement possibilities and opportunities for cooperation. Together, these European institutes account for billions of euros in investment plans. This makes them interesting for the Dutch and Belgian high-tech business community to collaborate with.
Minister Dirk Beljaarts (Economic Affairs): “We are in a global technological race. Cooperation between (SME) entrepreneurs and major research institutes is crucial in maintaining our position as a leader in knowledge and innovation.”
ILO-net and NWO-I
The Dutch Network of Industrial Liaisons (ILO-net), together with the Belgian technology trade association Agoria, took the initiative to bring the conference to the high-tech region Aachen-Leuven-Eindhoven with funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The ILO network consists of 9 industrial liaison officers, most of whom are part of one of the NWO institutes. The Belgian entrepreneurs’ umbrella organisation Agoria has 2,000 technological (SME) companies affiliated to it. The province of Limburg is also supporting the organisation of BSBF 2026.
BSBF
From 1 to 4 October, BSBF 2024 took place in Trieste, Italy. More information about BSBF can be found on the organisation's website.