Impact Licensing and Technology Partnerships as catalyst for Belgium’s global R&D leadership in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

On 20 January, the Impact Licensing Initiative, in collaboration with the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation (FPS Foreign Affairs Belgium) and the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (VBO FEB), organised a high-level workshop in Brussels. The workshop brought together Belgian R&D-driven companies, universities, research institutions, public agencies and their international equivalents to reflect on the potential of impact licensing to support export through responsible technology transfer and strengthen Belgian innovations, international engagement and industrial capabilities. The event introduced the impact licensing framework and facilitated a discussion on how Belgian enterprises can contribute to inclusive development while opening long-term commercial pathways in emerging markets.

The workshop also opened a dialogue on the development of a Belgian-led impact IP pool, in collaboration with the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, aimed at facilitating access to technologies that address pressing societal needs while exploring financially viable and sustainable pathways for scaling.

By bringing together a selected group of cross-sector actors, the workshop examined whether and how Belgian science and innovation can help bridge the gap between global challenges and economic opportunity—offering pathways toward purpose-driven growth, export diversification, and inclusive global partnerships.