Roundtable Meeting with Dr. Léopold Demiddeleer,
Founding Director of TechBridgeOne,
Executive Board Member (R) of the European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA) and
Director of Future Businesses at Solvay Group
March 5, 2018

On March 5, 2018, Dr. Léopold Demiddeleer, Founding Director of TechBridgeOne, Executive Board Member (R) of the European Industrial Research Management Association (EIRMA), and Director of Future Businesses at Solvay Group, addressed GRF members. In his speech, Dr. Demiddeleer addressed the root causes of the difference of approaches between academia and the industry. Comparing the industry’s and academia’s criteria for performance measurement in knowledge diffusion, skill development and efficiency, Dr. Demiddeleer argued that the industry will put greater value on soft skills in the coming years, and stressed that big companies are increasingly devoting more of their budgets towards academia-related R&D. Following his speech, Dr. Demiddeleer answered the participants’ questions.