Highlights of 2024 for Research and Innovation at the University of Liège

2024 was a year of scientific breakthroughs, fruitful collaborations and innovations that reinforce our commitment to knowledge, society and the environment. Here's a look back at the highlights of Research and Innovation at ULiège in 2024.

Supported and acknowledged research

• Scientific excellence: Four new grants from ERC awarded to Viktoria Von Hoffman, Christine Frison, Vanessa Wijngaarden and Arnaud Vanden Broeck. Find out more
• Research funds: Every year, the Fonds National pour la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS) awards grants to scientists from the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, enabling them to devote themselves to their scientific research. Among the grants awarded this year, 107 went to ULiège scientists. Congratulations to them! See details
• Coordination of new large-scale projects at ULiège :
  • Horizon Europe: ANIMA MUNDI and StreamSCAPES coordinated by Antonio Vlassis. Find out more
  • MSCA Doctoral network : LeidenForce coordinated by Stéphane Dorbolo. More information
  • Interreg Meuse-Rhin: Poly-DREAM by Christine Jérôme, Philippe Lecomte and Jean-Christophe Monbaliu. Read more.
  • Interreg VI France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen: BIO-Control 4.0 by Philippe Jacques. Read more.
• Awards, grants and scientific distinctions: Numerous prestigious awards recognized the work of our researchers throughout the year. Find out more at.

Innovative and collaborative research

Innovation comes from exploring new frontiers. Our cutting-edge infrastructures and interdisciplinary collaborations enable concrete advances.

• Extension of the Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL): With an investment of over 26 million euros, the CSL will be constructing two new buildings on either side of its existing facilities, adding a further 1,580m² to strengthen its position as Europe's recognized center of expertise for optical calibration of future large-scale European Space Agency (ESA) missions. To find out more
• New cleanroom for research in microsystems: The Microsys Laboratory inaugurates its brand-new cleanroom: an 80 m² space comprising two ISO 7 and ISO 8 certified rooms. This new facility reinforces Microsys' existing capabilities in the design of ultra-low-power and miniaturized electronic circuits. It also opens up new prospects for the development of microsystems and microassembled prototypes, suitable for a variety of applications, including biomedical devices and autonomous "wireless and battery-free" IoT sensor nodes. To find out more
• Chair in Artificial Intelligence with NRB: Through this strategic partnership with ULiège, NRB will strengthen its AI service offering to customers by developing advanced technologies such as large language models for and with them. These applications, tailored to the specific needs of businesses, will accelerate the adoption of AI in their processes and support their digital transformation. For researchers at ULiège, this collaboration will provide a framework that will enable them to use concrete industrial problems to test theoretical methods hitherto developed in the academic world, and to guide new scientific developments. To find out more
• Intellectual property : With 18 patents granted and as many new priority applications, including 5 co-filed with external partners, innovation is becoming more and more tangible at ULiège. Find out more here.
• Creation of promising new spin-off companies, including :
  
  • VIVUS, specialized in urban greening solutions. Discover VIVUS
  • NAGARE, offering a unique technology for measuring the flow of contaminated water. Discover NAGARE

Open research

Open research is essential to disseminate knowledge and strengthen global collaborations.

• Adoption of an ambitious roadmap for Open Science : As a public institution with a long-standing commitment to the quality of its research and a strong attachment to its values in the service of the common good, the University of Liège intends to consolidate its involvement in Open Science by defining an ambitious roadmap. Structured around a series of actions, organized according to the different strands of Open Science, it aims to affirm the University's commitment in these areas and help its researchers to position themselves in the international context, by providing them with the necessary tools and support. Read the document
• ORBi reaches 100,000 open-access publications: On July 12, 2024, ORBi, the University of Liège's institutional scientific repository, passed the symbolic milestone of 100,000 open-access publications, accessible worldwide at the click of a button! This success testifies to ULiège's commitment to the free dissemination of scientific knowledge. To find out more
• New actions and initiatives to welcome and integrate international researchers, such as French conversation tables in companies. In 2024, 6 such events were organized, bringing together 62 participants representing 32 different nationalities with 14 companies.
• 65 researchers on the podium at Liège Créative & Luxemboug Créative: sharing their knowledge and skills with companies and local players encourages the co-development of solutions in a world in transition.  Find out more about upcoming events.
  
• Commitment to the general public: Numerous events aimed at popularizing science are open and accessible to all: Nuit des chercheurs, Ma thèse en 180 secondes and Printemps des sciences. Seefor details.

Research committed to the region and beyond

The Université de Liège is deeply rooted in its region. It actively contributes to its development, while strengthening its international influence.

• Towards an energy community at the LIEGE science park: Twenty-one companies and the University of Liège are studying the possibility of setting up an energy community at the LIEGE science park, in a pioneering approach based on the willingness of players to work together. To find out more
• Einstein telescope, a new era of scientific excellence: Inaugurating the start of construction at the CSL (Centre Spatial de Liège) on October 22, 2024, Anne-Sophie Nyssen, Rector of the University of Liège (ULiège), emphasized the central role of her institution in the bid for this new-generation telescope. For her, the University of Liège is one of the key players, but the success of this initiative depends on close international cooperation. "This project goes far beyond the borders of Wallonia and Belgium," declared Anne-Sophie Nyssen, emphasizing the importance of cooperation with partners in Flanders, the Netherlands, Germany and throughout Europe. Discover the project
• UNIC network: UNIC aims to promote the role of the 10 partner universities as players in social, technological and economic transition, and as drivers of inclusion in regions characterized by the super-diversity of their populations. To find out more
• The University of the Greater Region, UNI-GR, an innovative university consortium. The UNI-GR is developing its international profile by focusing on targeted fields to meet certain territorial and societal challenges of the Greater Region. This specialization takes the form of "Interdisciplinary Centers of Expertise". About.

Research for tomorrow

Preparing future generations means supporting their development and providing them with the tools to meet tomorrow's challenges.

• 280 PhDs graduate: 280 new PhDs will be honoured at a ceremony in the near future.
• Adoption of a Doctoral Charter, strengthening relations between doctoral students and supervisors: The Université de Liège Doctoral Charter is a preventive tool designed to guide professional relations between supervisors and doctoral students. Each party can find guidelines in four categories. This Charter commits the University of Liège and all its members involved in the doctoral process. Consult the charter.
• Development of a MOOC dedicated to doctoral supervision:  Read the article
• +115 training courses for researchers: constant support for their careers and professional development.

Research committed to understanding and acting in all disciplines

Whether in the humanities, health sciences or science and technology, understanding fundamental mechanisms, documenting and learning remain at the heart of our mission. These discoveries and learnings provide answers to current and future challenges.

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Together, let's continue to innovate, explore, share and build a sustainable future.