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Sirris

TLDR

Sirris is the collective centre of the Belgian technological industry, founded in 1949, operating eight labs across Belgium and supporting over 1,300 industrial innovation projects per year for manufacturing and technology companies.

Overview

Sirris is a non-profit scientific organisation founded in 1949 by Fabrimetal, now operating as Agoria, the Belgian federation of technology industries. It functions as the collective innovation and research centre for Belgian manufacturing and industrial technology companies, complementing university research with applied industrial expertise.

The organisation operates with a multidisciplinary team of over 150 engineers, scientists, and technicians across eight locations in Belgium. Its headquarters is in Brussels at Boulevard Auguste Reyers 80. Sirris executes approximately 1,300 innovation projects per year, spanning advanced manufacturing, product innovation, Digital Transformation, green transition, and energy optimisation. It maintains relationships with more than 200 partners across industry, academia, and government.

Sirris programmes have played a notable role in Belgian startup development. Nick Boucart, Peter Verhasselt, and Vladimir Blagojevic co-launched Startathlon from Sirris, one of Belgium's first formal accelerator programmes. Peter Verhasselt ran the Mistral programme at Sirris, guiding more than 70 companies in technology strategy. Vladimir Blagojevic also organised the first Lean Startup Circle Brussels from a Sirris base, helping introduce lean startup methodology to the Belgian community.

Until 2007, Sirris operated under the name CRIF-WTCM.

Key People

Notes

Sirris is distinct from a traditional incubator or accelerator. Its primary mission is technology transfer and industrial research support for existing companies, not startup formation. The Startathlon programme was a notable exception where Sirris served as a launchpad for early-stage software ventures.

Sources

See also

Team memberNick Boucart
Team memberPeter Verhasselt
Key personVladimir Blagojevic
LocationBrussels
RelatedDigital Transformation
RelatedOmar Mohout
RelatedRobin Wauters
Categories:hubsbrussels