DEL20: Building Belgium’s most powerful innovation ecosystem

Sep 04, 2025

DEL20

In today’s innovation landscape, success is no longer about isolated breakthroughs. It’s about ecosystems: interconnected, cross-sector efforts that convert ideas into real-world impact. And that’s exactly where DEL20 is heading. In our last cycle, we united corporates, startups, governments, universities and technology providers across Flanders to accelerate innovation that matters. Here’s how that went.

What is DEL20?

DEL20 is delaware’s yearlong innovation ecosystem that enables selected organizations to transform strategic ideas into prototypes, pilots and working solutions. Participants propose a challenge or ambition; delaware invests 25 days of consultancy to help frame, validate and pilot the idea. The program fosters structured knowledge exchange and cross-industry learning. Projects are selected by the DEL20 community itself, ensuring transparency and collective buy-in rather than internal gatekeeping.

DEL20 removes barriers like internal politics, budget limits and duplication of efforts to enable companies to experiment with new technologies in a collaborative environment.

Christoph Bogaerts, partner at delaware

Expanding the innovation ecosystem

After more than eight years of building a solid track record in innovation, DEL20 is entering a new phase. The program has grown from a festival-style showcase into a regional ecosystem that is active in multiple hubs, including Hangar K in Kortrijk, the Wintercircus in Ghent, and others in Leuven, Antwerp, and Hasselt.

This evolution reflects a deliberate move to bring DEL20’s validated methodology to a broader market. By sourcing projects more locally, the program creates innovation clusters rooted in each region and encourages collaboration between them.

Short-term pitch formats have been replaced by longer-term partnerships. Project teams now co-create solutions with academic partners, startups, public agencies, and global technology providers. They are supported throughout the entire process, from scoping and coaching to funding and execution.

delaware plays a central role as the orchestrator. It connects the right people, ensures continuity, and facilitates access to both technology partners and funding sources.

We want to contribute to a future-ready innovation fabric across Belgium by providing a framework for ideas to grow

Thierry Bruyneel, partner at delaware

Highlights from the last cycle

Supernova Festival

DEL20 projects featured at this major tech and innovation festival included a chatbot for medical information at AZ Oostende, a digital twin solution reducing waste at La Lorraine Bakery Group, and a cost-estimation AI tool at Premium Sound Solutions. Other finalists included District09 (LLMs in public procurement) and Toerisme Vlaanderen (computer vision for accessibility). Winners were awarded delaware consultancy days to further scale their solutions.

CHEM meets TECH

At this themed event hosted by BlueChem, chemical industry leaders and digital innovation specialists exchanged knowledge on sustainability and digital readiness. Presentations by BASF Antwerp executives addressed digitalization challenges in chemistry. Workshops covered AI-readiness, AR/VR use cases, circularity and process optimization. The event exemplified how DEL20 can boost collaboration between industrial sectors and digital innovators.

FTI – Co-innovation in Kortrijk, Ghent, Antwerp and Hasselt

As part of the Flanders Technology & Innovation (FTI) initiative, delaware collaborated with five Flemish institutes of higher education, including Howest, Ghent University, UHasselt, Antwerp Karel De Grote Hogeschool, and Thomas More. Interdisciplinary hackathons explored themes of mobility, circular economy and digital health. Top student-led concepts advanced into DEL20 projects with mentorship, technical infrastructure and optional funding support.

Join the next DEL20 cycle here

Innovation with intent: delaware’s DEL20 approach

delaware prides itself on two decades of IT consulting expertise, regional presence and ecosystem-building capability. DEL20 is the expression of that experience: a structured, flexible program that helps companies innovate responsibly and at scale. DEL20 participants benefit from tailored coaching, access to partner networks, visibility at major innovation festivals and support opening the path to funding or pilot deployment.

In that environment, delaware acts as the ecosystem conductor, aligning business ambition with technical knowhow, matchmaking across domains, clearing process obstacles and ensuring momentum beyond year one.

“With DEL20, innovation becomes concrete,” says Christoph. “We help move projects from ambition to implementation across sectors and regions.” Thierry adds that participants appreciate the independence of choice: “DEL20 does not prescribe technologies, but empowers organizations to drive their own priorities with expert delivery support.”

What you get as a DEL20 participant

Access to an innovation ecosystem across sectors and regions
A guided path from concept to proof of concept
Coaching and free consultancy tailored to your business challenge
Exposure at visible events such as Supernova, FTI, and innovation forums
Access to partnerships with startups, universities, public bodies and tech providers
Pathways to external funding or internal pilot acceleration
The possibility of long-term collaboration rather than one-off projects

Join us on the next cycle

delaware’s next DEL20 cycle begins October 2025. Spaces to our kick-off event on October 21 are limited and selection is competitive. For executives committed to strategic innovation and tangible outcomes, registering early ensures priority consideration.

Take the step that turns your next idea into a scalable innovation.

register your interest here