What works in Leuven

Leuven 2030 demonstrates Leuven's commitment to climate neutrality through a quadruple-helix governance model that grew from 60 founding members to 600+ partners, and won the €1 million European Capital of Innovation prize in 2020. KU Leuven's Research & Development office, established in 1972, has created 199 spin-off companies employing 7,700+ people, generated €152.6 million in licence income in 2025, and helped rank KU Leuven first among Europe's most innovative universities for four consecutive years. imec, a KU Leuven spin-off founded in 1984, grew into a 6,600-employee nanoelectronics hub that was Belgium's top European Patent Office filer for two consecutive years (2023–2024). Together, these practices show Leuven as a centre for research commercialisation, innovation and climate-focused urban governance, though the evidence does not quantify broader social or environmental outcomes beyond governance model adoption and research outputs.