The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) is celebrating a quarter of a century! To mark this anniversary with its extensive network, VLIZ dedicated its annual VLIZ Marine Science Day (VMSD) to this 25th anniversary.
It is April 1999. With the support of the Flemish Government, the Province of West Flanders and the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), VLIZ is officially launched. The institute temporarily moves into the caretaker’s house of the company Valcke at the Victorialaan on the eastern bank of Ostend, with Jan Mees as director. One year later, ten staff members form the young institute, which aims to serve as a point of contact and support for the marine sciences.
Fast forward to 2025. A quarter of a century after its establishment, the small institute has grown into a beacon of stability and sustainability in the marine research landscape. VLIZ has swapped the caretaker’s house of the early days – after a 20-year stopover in warehouses of the old fish market at the Wandelaarkaai – for a new home port: the InnovOcean Campus, a blue landmark on Ostend’s city skyline. The original 10 staff members have now grown to more than 180. VLIZ has become a fully-fledged scientific institution, nationally and internationally embedded in numerous networks and projects.
Jan Mees: “Over those 25 years, VLIZ has achieved a great deal: from major infrastructure projects such as Flanders’ first research vessel, the Simon Stevin, and the Marine Robotics Center, to a number of global systems such as WoRMS, Marine Regions and the Sea Level Station Monitoring Facility.”
General Director Jan Mees is one of the few staff members who can look back on the full 25 years. One of his annual highlights is the VLIZ Marine Science Day. In 2025, this event was dedicated to VLIZ’s 25th anniversary. On Wednesday 5 March, 500 participants gathered at the VIVES Campus in Bruges for the most successful edition ever. Recognized as an initiative within the UN Ocean Decade, this annual event brought together scientists, students and marine experts for an inspiring day of innovative research and networking opportunities. Through 25 interactive demonstration stands, participants could discover the highlights of 25 years of VLIZ. The festivities gained an extra royal touch with the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Laurent, whose visit underscored the importance of ocean research.
Jan Mees: “For me, the VLIZ Marine Science Day is an annual highlight. When you see all those young people – those early career scientists – you can really inspire them… You truly get a sense of the new things that are emerging, what the universities are working on, but also what my own people are working on. Experiencing this is, for me, the enduring highlight of VLIZ.”