MAASTRICHT – From 27 to 30 October 2026, Maastricht will host the Big Science Business Forum (BSBF26), an international congress that brings companies together with major research organisations such as CERN and ESA. POM Limburg acts as co-organiser and aims in particular to better connect Belgian companies to that international market.
“With BSBF26, we bring companies into contact with organisations that put several billion euros worth of contracts on the market every year,” says Tom Vandeput, Deputy for Economy and chairman of POM Limburg. “For many companies, this is a concrete opportunity to break into international supply chains.”
The forum builds on previous editions in Trieste, Copenhagen and Granada, each of which brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 500 organisations and 30 countries. More than 1,200 participants are expected in Maastricht. The fact that BSBF is now taking place in the border region underlines the growing importance of Belgian-Dutch cooperation within the European network of research infrastructures.
Strong cross-border cooperation
BSBF26 is organised by a broad coalition of Belgian and Dutch partners. On the Belgian side, POM Limburg, Agoria and Belspo are taking the lead in involving companies and guiding them through the Big Science market. Maastricht fits within a region where companies, knowledge institutions and international projects have long been connecting and collaborating across borders.
“What is happening here is quite unique,” says Vandeput. “Companies, knowledge institutions and international projects are located close to one another. With BSBF, we make that network accessible to companies that want to get involved.”
Direct access to contracts at CERN and ESA
For companies, BSBF is primarily an opportunity to find new contracts. They gain insight into the plans and procurement of international research organisations such as CERN and ESA for the coming years.
“The difference lies in the direct access,” says Vandeput. “Companies do not speak with intermediaries here, but directly with buyers and project managers.” During the forum, companies meet those contacts in one-on-one meetings and targeted matchmaking sessions, where it quickly becomes clear where concrete collaborations are possible and how they can enter ongoing and future projects.
Big Science as a driver for new applications
The technology developed within large research infrastructures often finds its way into other markets. Collaborations with organisations such as CERN not only provide companies with contracts, but also with new applications and customers. “For many companies, it does not stop at one project,” says Vandeput. “They develop new products or services and thereby attract new customers. In this way, they strengthen their position and increase their added value.”
Big Science Hub Limburg
POM Limburg actively supports this by helping companies connect with international research projects and assisting them in translating that knowledge into concrete applications. This takes place, among other things, within the further development of the Big Science Hub Limburg, through which POM brings companies, knowledge institutions and international projects closer together. “Limburg is growing into a hub for cooperation around large research infrastructures,” says Tom Vandeput. “With initiatives such as the Big Science Business Forum and the Einstein Telescope, we are strengthening an ecosystem in which companies, knowledge institutions and international projects find each other.”
