FAQ

Through innovative research, the Moonshot initiative seeks to develop breakthrough technologies by 2040. With these technologies, the Flemish industry will be able to implement new climate-friendly processes, develop new climate-friendly products and reduce CO₂ emissions. This reduction is critical to avert a climate crisis and meet the Flemish (and European) climate commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050, compared to 1990. You can learn more about the high-level targets here.

For each MOT, a number of concrete quantitative goals and KPIs have been formulated. These goals and KPIs are academic ambitions. They do not include specific reduction targets for CO2 emissions. You can learn more about these goals and KPIs on the dedicated MOT page in the Moonshot Research Trajectories section of this website.

Within the Moonshot initiative, there are Early-Stage Innovation (ESI) and Later-Stage Innovation (LSI) projects. You can learn more about the these two project types in the project procedure section of this website.

In principle, all experts from Flemish universities and Strategic Research Centres (Strategische OnderzoeksCentra or SOCs) can submit project proposals within the Moonshot initiative. There are, however, two important caveats. Firstly, applicants must be independent from the sector and/or spearhead cluster relevant to the research topic. Secondly, project ideas should be discussed within a MOT pool before they can be further developed into full project proposals. You can learn more about project ideas and project proposals in the Project Procedure section of this website.

After consultation with the relevant MOT pool, applicants summarize their project idea in a two-pager. This two-pager captures the research goal and the way in which this goal is to be achieved. It describes the proposed consortium and the impact of the proposed research on the overall Moonshot targets and the MOT KPIs.

This two-pager is submitted by the Moonshot operational representative to his or her MOT core team and to the Catalisti Board of Directors (or the Flux50 Board of Directors in case of energy-related projects). This Board of Directors decides whether to project idea can be further developed into a full project proposal.

You can learn more about the submission of project proposals in the Project Procedure section of this website.

You can learn more about the evalution of project proposals in the Project Procedure section of this website. The evaluation procedure can also be accessed schematically in the Documents & Downloads section

MOTs are closely connected pathways towards the overall Moonshot targets. These pathways are interrelated. Breakthrough technologies, for example in biomass (MOT1), circularity (MOT2) or process transformation (MOT3), will only lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions of the Flemish industry has cheap access to carbon-free energy, like electricity, heat or hydrogen (MOT4).

You can learn more about the the different trajectories in the Moonshot Research Trajectories section of this website.

The Moonshot budget of 20 million euro a year is divided flexibly between the four Moonshot research trajectories, depending, amongst other considerations, on the scientific quality and the expected impact of the submitted project proposals.

Support from the industrial community is essential for the Moonshot initiative to be succesful. This is why the Moonshot initiative conducted a strategic survey among industrial partners to map their needs, identify 5 core competencies and determine the Moonshot Research Trajectories. This approach ensures industries will be able to effectively and efficiently implement business-driven breakthrough technologies from 2040 onwards.

Moonshot project proposals, however, are the remit of the knowledge partners. Yet, companies can join the user group or advisory board of a Moonshot project through a letter of intent (LOI). This way, companies can participate in regular project meetings, give feedback and guide the research that is being pursued.

Via the user group/advisory board of a project, companies are aware of the project results from an early stage. When strategic basic research grows and develops to a higher TRL, companies will have to be closely involved. This can be achieved, for example, through bilateral cooperation or a larger consortium like in an ICON project in the regular operation of Catalisti or any other spearhead cluster. This approach guarantees fast implementation of breakthrough technologies by the Flemish industry.

As the Moonshot initiative is a collaborative and community-wide programme that includes governmental, industrial and academic partners, support from all stakeholders is key. A Moonshot Day will be organised once a year, will provide an information platform to highlight the activities and ambitions of the Moonshot initiative, and will spark, through constructive dialogue, broad support for the current Moonshot research trajectories (MOTs).