Multidimensional impact measurement of IMEC on the Flemish and Belgian economy

For many years, IDEA Consult has been analyzing the impact of the activities of the Inter-university microelectronics Centre (IMEC) Leuven. In 2016, this impact could be divided in four main areas: (i) economic impact, (ii) technological impact, (iii) catalytic impact and (iv) social impact. According to company-specific data, not only the (direct and indirect) economic impact and technological effects are quantified, but also the fiscal returns to the government on the basis of IMEC’s core activities. Moreover, a special chapter deals with the analysis of the economic effects of different buildings on the IMEC-campus Leuven, as well as the economic impact of the spin-offs created by IMEC over the years.

The ecosystem in which IMEC operates is also analyzed and the role of the research institute in the Flemish and international research landscape is the subject of a qualitative analysis. The results of the impact measurement are a major source of information for the IMEC activities report to the Flemish government and other stakeholders.

This study shall update the six previous impact measurements that IDEA Consult already performed on behalf of IMEC. The particularity of this study is the fact that this update has been the first impact measurement of the integrated IMEC-IMINDS since the two research institutes merged in 2016. The social impact of the integrated IMEC on sensibilization around new technology and digitalization of the general public and authorities is also analyzed for the first time.