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Technological Institute: general information
The Technologisch Instituut (TI) - Technological Institute was founded in 1940 as a branch of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Ingenieursvereniging (K VIV) (Royal Flemish Society of Engineers). The TI took on the specific task of contributing to the propagation of science and technology, both amongst engineers and scientists, and the public at large.
The Technologisch Instituut vzw is a non-profit organisation under Belgian Law.
Since its foundation the Technologisch Instituut has been open not only to the highly qualified engineer, but also to the business world. The TI therefore has close ties with industry through the engineer, the numerous participants in its activities and the TI corporate membership.
From the conceptual point of view the Technologisch Instituut plays a triple role:
- Running the membership service for K VIV individual members and TI corporate members:
Organising member-oriented training and educational activities. These programmes meet the needs of the individual member and contribute to the development of personal knowledge and skills.
- The social role:
Distributing knowledge and acting as a platform for discussion of social problems in which technology is a key issue.
- Professional training and exchange of information:
Meeting the demand and need for professional continuing education and technological information for the engineer, scientist, technician and executive.
The Technologisch Instituut plays this part by offering a vast range of activities that can be divided into 5 categories:
- lectures and visits have an informative function and are intended among others for the younger member, e.g. the "STER"-project
- seminars, workshops and symposia examine a theme of interest from various angles and offer insight into the problems, taking into account the industrial and economic issues
- courses offer a practical, thorough and structured study of a specialised subject or a series of techniques within a proposed concept. The course ends with a test and a certificate.
- international conferences are of seminal importance by presenting the current scientific state of the art in a certain professional field. They advance the transfer of knowledge and create a network between international experts
- exhibitions offer product-oriented information and give an overview of industrial achievements and developments
The Technologisch Instituut also publishes the periodical "FORUM", the communications medium in which the TI announces all its activities. Books are also published that illustrate the trend in a certain specialised field.
The Technologisch Instituut favours an open policy as far as cooperation is concerned. The TI offers industrial and academic circles as well as official authorities a platform dedicated to the exchange and transfer of scientific knowledge and experience.
The Technologisch Instituut stimulates cooperation with institutions that concentrate on scientific and applied scientific research. Various forms of partnership with the TI offer these institutions the means to promote the results of research and new developments.
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Some facts and figures
- On an annual basis the Technologisch Instituut organises 130 to 150 activities: some 40 lectures and visits, 60 to 70 seminars, workshops and symposia, some 25 to 35 courses and approximately 5 international conferences. The exhibitions are organised in conjunction with the workshops and the international conferences.
These activities are characterised by a spirit of innovative and practical problem-solving on a scientific basis.
- The Technologisch Instituut is active in all professional fields where technology and science play a central part. These include a wide range of activities, ranging from civil engineering, infrastructure, process technology, electrical engineering, telecommunications, computer technology, food and agricultural technology, the study of materials to general technologies such as management techniques, energy, safety and environmental technology (34 different sections).
- The TI activities can boast an annual attendance of over 10,000 participants. 50% of these hold a university degree in engineering (Master of science in engineering), 25% a degree as industrial engineer, 25% have Masters degrees or doctorates. Professionally this large group of participants is linked to 2,500 companies and institutions. Through the organisation of international conferences Belgium plays host to over 40 different nationalities.
- The Technologisch Instituut also offers a corporate membership with 350 member companies.Through this corporate membership companies and institutions are entitled to a discount on the registration fee.
- The Technologisch Instituut also houses the Commission "Spatial Perception, Technical Drafmanship and Design"(CRITTO ? Commissie Ruimtelijk Inzicht, Technisch Tekenen en Ontwerpen). It also publiches a wide range of exercise books and CD Roms on draftmanship for secondary schools.
- Since 1940 the Technologisch Instituut is also active as a PCO (Professional Conference Organiser). To this date, the Ti has been responsible for organising over 100 International scientific conferences attended by anywhere from 120 to 2300 participants.
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