Innovation in Action — My Journey Across 3 Days
Last week I joined the Flanders Technology Tour by Nexxworks: three dense days of ports, hospitals, airports, startups and a bus full of people who never stopped exchanging ideas.
We started with a Polestar pickup at dawn, glided over the Scheldt on a boat tour of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, stared at robot-assisted surgery in Ghent, and fries (of course) at Agristo.
What made it unforgettable wasn’t just the itinerary; it was the people. Even a 1.5‑hour bus ride from Boom to Zaventem turned into a seminar on wheels where learning did not pause.
The red thread across the tour: Innovation = invention + implementation.
Ideas are abundant; doing is scarce.
The best places we visited are building safe harbours for experimentation, investing in adoption, and collaborating across ecosystems.
Because the cost of doing things is going down, while the cost of doing nothing keeps going up.
Day 1 – Antwerp: From digital harbours to human connection
Breakfast at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges set the tone, then a boat tour guided by Erwin Verstraelen translated “digital transformation” into actual drones, sensors and 5G infrastructure. Later, a brisk digestive walk to Golazo Energy, a stop at ZAS Cadix, and an eye‑opening session with Byteflies. We closed with a dinner-with-a-cause at Samenloop.
What we heard
“We live in a world of seismic shocks and undercurrents. Change isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity.” — Tom Braekeleirs
“Talk the Walk… share your learnings generously, open your parachute, immerse yourself in different realities, and learn.” — Francoise Chombar
“The worst thing you can say is: we tried it once, it didn’t work.” — Erwin Verstraelen
“Time is finite — but energy is expandable.” and “Success isn’t about doing more. It’s about being more.” — Robin Decottignies, Golazo Energy
My take on the day
Antwerp reminded me that implementation beats intention.
- The port teams push proof of value, not just POCs;
- ZAS frees up capacity to innovate continuously;
- Byteflies connects the dots across care settings.
If you want impact, create safe havens for experimentation and kill the innovation killers in your head.
Day 2 – Brussels: Ecosystems, AI… and a concert hall that “gives a f*ck”
We kicked off with AI at Mediahuis (their newsroom and concrete use cases), walked into Tomorrowland’s Lab of Tomorrow where entertainment meets deep tech, then went airside at Brussels Airport to see the choreography of people, sensors and systems. We ended on the rooftop at Ancienne Belgique (AB)—a cultural engine that really does give a f*ck about values, inclusion and sustainability.
Mediahuis is scaling AI with scenario thinking, a full‑time POC team, and AI literacy for 5,000 employees—because scaling four steaks is easy; doing a thousand is a different operating model. (Great metaphor; painful truth.)
What we heard
Lab of Tomorrow: startups like Inku (on‑brand AI visuals) and Aerora (drone light shows) embody the value of community and connection over shiny tools.
Brussels Airport: data as an orchestrator using Jetpack.ai, plus a tender‑evaluation tool that speeds up the processes.
AB’s values—in their own unapologetic words: “We give a f*ck… we act on our ideals, take responsibility, break barriers, inspire others.” And they listen, include, and collaborate. That culture is a platform.
“Hope is the dogged determination to do what is in our power to create a better future even when facing bleak challenges and adversity.” — Jane Goodall
My take on the day
AI is constantly in beta and the biggest leadership challenge of our time.
- If adoption is an afterthought, you’re just feeding the POC graveyard.
- Plan to spend 50–70% extra on adoption—change, training, risk management—or don’t start.
- Also: as AI use rises, so do misinformation & manipulation risks, while critical thinking and social skills can decline.
- You need literacy + architecture (bottom‑up + top‑down)
Day 3 – Ghent: Precision, potatoes and the productivity paradox
Ghent is heritage fused with momentum. Orsi Academy was a mind‑blow: robotics augmenting human skill.
“Competency is not that far up the learning curve! But Proficiency is!” — Orsi training insight
At Agristo, I learned that no AI agent can say “potato” with the passion of Kristof Wallays. And yes, FRIETJEEES.
We finished at Wintercircus: startups, Matthias Geeroms, Miles Ahead (Luc Burgelman)… and a keynote by Peter Hinssen that tied the threads together.
“It is not a storm—it is the climate.” — Peter Hinssen
Agristo’s North Star: “Elke aardappel in het zakje krijgen waar hij het meeste waarde oplevert.” (Get every potato into the bag where it yields the most value.)
My take on the day
Scale-up truths from the Wintercircus ecosystem
- Non‑founder sales is the tipping point.
- When restructuring, cut deep—once.
- Send your best people abroad to grow.
- Build a drumbeat (cadence) and a recipe for growth toward Series A.
- Culture = good leadership: do what you say, hire right, simplify, don’t over‑regulate.
- Timing, team, model, and funding—all matter, but vision + values sit on top.
We’re beyond tools: we’re deep in the productivity paradox. Europe risks talking innovation while others ship. If we want to lead, we must remove barriers, fund implementation, and push adoption.
Concluding
Four points that won’t leave me:
- Innovation = invention + implementation. Most failures are in the second part. Budget, plan, and manage adoption (people, process, risk) upfront.
- Ecosystems beat egos. Build safe harbours for experimentation and diversity. Pay it forward; collaborate to innovate & implement.
- Entrepreneurship needs a compass (vision & values), a great team, and time & timing. Execution wins.
- Leadership over management. Inspire, build resilience, stay agile, anticipate. And Talk the Walk: tell the honest story, both success and failure.
The cost of doing keeps going down; the cost of not doing keeps climbing. If you’re waiting for the perfect moment, you’ll miss it. Start, learn, adapt. Then tell the story so others can start, too.
Thanks to the speakers & organization
- Erwin Verstraelen, Chief Digital & Innovation Officer — Port of Antwerp‑Bruges (digital nervous system)
- Francoise Chombar & Tom Braekeleirs — moderators (seismic shocks/undercurrents; Talk the Walk)
- Robin Decottignies, Golazo Energy (energy > time)
- Jan Witters & Bianca Plak, ZAS Cadix (“innovation is not a project”)
- Hans De Clercq, Byteflies (“data should travel, not patients”)
- Mediahuis (AI newsroom/AI literacy program) — Peter Soetens, Jessica Bulthé
- Lab of Tomorrow / Tomorrowland (Inku, Aerora, Areal)
- Brussels Airport (ecosystem & AI portfolio)
- Ancienne Belgique (values & ecosystem platform)
- Orsi Academy (proficiency‑based training; multimodal AI for the OR) — Pieter De Backer (tour)
- Agristo — Kristof Wallays (smart factory & North Star)
- Lighthouse — Matthias Geeroms (scale‑up lessons)
- Miles Ahead — Luc Burgelman (venture studio principles)
- Peter Hinssen (closing keynote: climate vs. storm; cost of not doing)
Continue on LinkedIn
Innovation, Inspiration & Incredible Connections — My 3‑day Flanders Technology Tour
From a boat tour through a “digital harbour” to robot‑assisted surgery and a smart potato factory (FRIETJEEES!), these three days proved that Flanders doesn’t just talk about innovation, it implements it.
My four takeaways:
- Innovation = invention + implementation.
- Ecosystems beat egos.
- Entrepreneurship needs vision, values, team & timing.
- Leaders inspire, build resilience, stay agile, and anticipate.
Reflections on LinkedIn 👉 link to post
References
Nexxworks posts (official)
- Day 1 recap (Port, Golazo, ZAS, Byteflies) — LinkedIn: Nexxworks Flanders Technology Tour
- Day 2 recap (Mediahuis, Lab of Tomorrow, Airport, AB) — LinkedIn: Nexxworks ecosystems
- Day 3 recap (Orsi Academy, Agristo, Wintercircus Ghent) — LinkedIn: Nexxworks Flanders Technology Tour
And posts from Nathalie Meeuwes, Eline Lostrie, Henri Jacobs, Frank Hamerlinck, Hedvig Horvath and more.