POM West-Vlaanderen

Overview

POM West-Vlaanderen is the provincial development agency for West Flanders. Its registered name is Provinciale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij West-Vlaanderen and its start date in the Belgian enterprise register is 1 June 2006, the day the five Flemish POMs began as legal successors of the former Gewestelijke Ontwikkelingsmaatschappijen under the Flemish POM decree of 2004. In West Flanders the province also folded its own economic affairs department into the new organisation. The seat is at Koning Leopold III-laan 66 in Bruges, and the register records 14 establishment units. The agency organises its work in five areas: innovation, entrepreneurship, talent, space and infrastructure, and information. Innovation clusters cover food, blue energy, new materials, machine building and mechatronics, drones, digital health, sustainable construction and sustainable transport. Start&GO is its programme for guiding new businesses. Sites it has developed include Ostend Science Park with the Bluebridge incubator, Drone Dock in Ostend, Food Innovation Park in Roeselare, Circular Concrete Center in Veurne, and Circular Materials Center and House of Manufacturing in Kortrijk. Through its logistics subsidiary DLW it is tendering 25-year concessions for River Terminal Wielsbeke and Rail Terminal L.A.R. in Menen. Staff numbers grew from 23 at the start to nearly one hundred, some of them working at subsidiary organisations. Lieven Tack is algemeen directeur. Jean de Bethune chairs the 25-member board of directors and Johan Vande Lanotte is vice-chair. Nancy Moyaert is program manager Business Infrastructure in the Blue Energy team.

Stated facts & numbers

• Founded: 2006 (register start date 1 June 2006)
• Legal name: Provinciale Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij West-Vlaanderen
• Enterprise number: 0881.702.779
• Headquarters: Koning Leopold III-laan 66, 8200 Bruges
• Employees: Nearly 100, up from 23 at the start
• General director: Lieven Tack
• Chair: Jean de Bethune
• Vice-chair: Johan Vande Lanotte
• Board: 25 voting members: 13 provincial council members, 6 employer and 6 employee representatives
• Predecessor: GOM West-Vlaanderen, converted under the 2004 Flemish POM decree
• Subsidiary: DLW (logistics)
• Sites: Ostend Science Park and Bluebridge, Drone Dock, Blue Accelerator, Food Innovation Park Roeselare, Circular Concrete Center Veurne, Circular Materials Center and House of Manufacturing Kortrijk
• Terminals: River Terminal Wielsbeke and Rail Terminal L.A.R. in Menen
• Policy framework: Economisch masterplan 2020-2025 voor West-Vlaanderen
• Partners: KU Leuven, UGent, Howest, VIVES, Centexbel, Sirris, Flanders' FOOD, Flanders Make, De Blauwe Cluster, Buildwise, TUA West