KPI 2
At least 200 sailing days spent on scientific research, monitoring and education each year.
VLIZ provides researchers with logistical support by ensuring the management, maintenance and operation of research infrastructure and equipment. RV Simon Stevin is deployed for academic coastal oceanographic research in the Southern Bight of the North Sea and the eastern part of the English Channel. It also serves as a training platform for students from marine sciences as well as maritime training courses. In 2025, a total of xxxx people, including xxx scientists/divers and xxx students, boarded the ship. Xx marine research groups made use of RV Simon Stevin within the scope of xx different projects. RIB Zeekat can be deployed from the research vessel Simon Stevin or from the shore, including for sampling in coastal waters, the Belgian ports and the Scheldt estuary. The reinforced keel is designed to run the vessel aground on tidal banks. The work boat Abbé Mann, which joined the VLIZ fleet in 2024, can be used for a wide range of tasks in the Belgian part of the North Sea. This 11-metre vessel is efficient and versatile, thanks to its shallow draft of just 1 metre, a top speed of nearly 40 km/h, and an A-frame with a lifting capacity of 500 kg, making it suitable for nearshore operations as well. The compact boat makes activities such as diving missions, the deployment of marine robotics, and seabed surveys much easier, and also enables new types of research (coastal protection, plastic pollution, etc.).
