In an interview with L'Écho, Walloon Minister-President Adrien Dolimont discussed the thorough reform of the Walloon research decree, a text dating from 2008 that has become unsuited to today's economic, technological and European challenges.
From the outset, he makes a straightforward observation: the Walloon research landscape is too fragmented. With almost twenty subsidised research centres, often small in size, Wallonia struggles to reach the critical mass needed to be fully competitive at European level and attract more international projects.
In recent years, two attempts at consolidation, notably in the strategic materials sector, ended in failure. Despite a largely shared industrial rationale, local resistance and a desire to preserve autonomy prevented these projects from succeeding. For the Minister-President, this twofold observation now calls for clarity: the current fragmentation is no longer sustainable.
Faced with this situation, the Walloon Government is embracing a change of approach. The reform of the decree will tie structural funding for research centres to stricter criteria, particularly regarding size, robustness and the ability to generate results. The aim is not to penalise, but to concentrate public funds where they produce real leverage.
Beyond the question of critical size, the reform aims to redirect research towards more concrete results. Funding will take greater account, upfront, of expected economic benefits and, downstream, of a faster assessment of impact, particularly in terms of value creation and job creation.
The text also provides for a major simplification of existing schemes. Where Wallonia currently has a multitude of hard-to-navigate mechanisms, the reform aims to structure support around three main categories: seed funding, research and value creation. This simplification is intended to make it easier, particularly for SMEs, to access research support.
Adrien Dolimont reiterates it: research supported by the Region must serve Wallonia's economic development. In a constrained budgetary context, the aim is to ensure that the nearly €250 million invested each year produces greater impact, strengthens companies' competitiveness and contributes to the creation of sustainable jobs.
The reform of the decree, currently in preparation, is expected to be submitted to the Government in early 2026, with entry into force planned for 2027. It marks a defining step towards a Wallonia that is clearer, more efficient and more ambitious in research and innovation.