Think tank
Introduction
INESC Brussels HUB is the Brussels-based EU office of the five INESC institutes and acts as their strategic bridge to the EU research and innovation ecosystem.
As a liaison office, it connects the INESC institutes with EU policymakers and research and innovation stakeholders, including other leading research and technology organisations, universities, companies and industry.
It aims to position INESC strategically at EU level, building thought leadership capacity in critical technology areas and establishing the institutes as a vital partner for key research projects across academia and industry. Our two yearly flagship events create the conditions for wider visibility and policy feedback loop with the needed actors.
Explore the think tank
Our think tank function position INESC institutes at the heart of the EU level dialogue for research and innovation and rests on three main strands that feed into each other:
Policy work
Policy work is at the core of INESC Brussels HUB’s think tank function. INESC feeds into EU-level discussions through European associations, platforms and national clusters, and the HUB consolidates these contributions with its own analysis and advocacy work. The result is a coherent INESC position on the key research and innovation files discussed and decided at EU level.
Strategic projects
Through its participation in strategic European projects, the HUB is directly exposed to emerging technological developments, policy challenges, and the evolving priorities of the European R&I ecosystem. These projects generate evidence, knowledge, analysis, policy outputs, and recommendations that can inform European decision-makers and contribute to broader policy debates.
Flagship events
The HUB's Summer and Winter flagship yearly meetings provide a key platform for EU level dialogue between INESC ecosystem and the EU level actors in R&I. Bringing together stakeholders from across the European R&I landscape, these signature flagship events create space to test ideas, exchange perspectives, validate emerging findings, and discuss future policy priorities.
EU connections
INESC institutes participate in a wide range of European networks, alliances, technology platforms and associations that bring together Europe's research and innovation community. These participations cover six strategic thematic areas: micro and nanotechnologies, photonics and advanced materials, AI data and digital infrastructure, energy systems, advanced manufacturing and robotics, security defence and space, research policy, standards and knowledge transfer.
Connecting Evidence
Connecting evidence with European priorities
The HUB brings together research evidence, infrastructure perspectives and policy dialogue to support informed discussion on European research, innovation and technology priorities.
How the HUB Builds Think Tank Capacity
Strategic European Projects
Through its participation in strategic European projects, the HUB is directly exposed to emerging technological developments, policy challenges, and the evolving priorities of the European R&I ecosystem. These projects generate evidence, knowledge, analysis, policy outputs, and recommendations that can inform European decision-makers and contribute to broader policy debates.
From Knowledge to Policy
This knowledge is then translated into policy work and stakeholder engagement. By connecting project findings with the priorities of EU institutions, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders, the HUB acts as a bridge between technology, research, and policymaking. Its role is not only to disseminate project results, but to interpret them, identify emerging trends and challenges, and contribute to informed policy discussions.
Flagship Stakeholder Dialogue
The HUB's Summer Meetings and Winter Meetings provide a key platform for this process. Bringing together stakeholders from across the European R&I landscape, these flagship events create space to test ideas, exchange perspectives, validate emerging findings, and discuss future policy priorities. They also allow the HUB to bring together insights from different projects and identify connections across areas of research, technology, and policy.
The Continuous Knowledge Cycle
This creates a continuous knowledge cycle: projects generate evidence and insights; policy work translates these into relevant messages and recommendations; and the flagship events bring diverse stakeholders together to debate, challenge, and enrich these ideas. The outcomes of these discussions, in turn, feed into future projects, policy activities, and strategic priorities.
Building Long-Term Think Tank Capacity
Through this combination, the HUB develops the core capacities of a think tank: generating and synthesising knowledge, connecting diverse stakeholders, anticipating emerging policy challenges, facilitating informed debate, and translating evidence into policy-relevant recommendations. Over time, this strengthens the HUB's network and expertise, increases INESC's visibility at European level, builds stakeholder capacity, and enables the organisation to contribute to the development of long-term European research and innovation agendas.