The building
In 2011 the decision was made to repurpose VLIZ's office buildings. A new location was sought. At the same time, ILVO was also planning to expand and renovate. From this grew the idea to house both scientific institutes together in a new building, where marine scientific research and services would have an innovative and sustainable appearance.
In 2019, the competent ministers Muyters and Van den Heuvel gave the green light for the construction of a new campus for VLIZ, its international partners and ILVO on Ankerstraat (next to ILVO's old site). Work started in 2020 and the building was commissioned in the spring of 2022. The InnovOcean Campus includes offices, meeting rooms, an auditorium, a marine library, physicochemical and biological laboratories, aquaculture laboratories and a workshop space.
The InnovOcean Campus was designed by architectural firm Maes-Van Roey, striving for an accessible building where everyone is welcome in all circumstances, inclusive and comfortable.
The Flemish Region owns the land and the new building. The technical management of the InnovOcean Campus has been entrusted to ILVO. EWI, VLIZ and ILVO sit on a co-management committee, which oversees the common use of the building.
On June 30, 2020, Flemish Minister of Economy, Innovation and Agriculture Hilde Crevits laid the symbolic stone of the new InnovOcean Campus of VLIZ and ILVO.
Since September 2022 the building is now fully occupied by ILVO, VLIZ and their partners.