FTI Ghent: A technology festival for you and me
Get in shape for a 6-day festival full of talks, keynotes, inspiration, arts, food, music, and more. From (inter)national thought leaders, entrepreneurs, musicians and artists. A journey through Flanders’ booming tech scene (and beyond). Beating the drum for life, and juggling innovative ideas for a harder, better, faster, stronger future.
Practical information:
Want to register?
- Price: €12-€499
For more information about ticket pricing, please consult the FTI Ghent website.
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About us
In 2024, Flanders Technology & Innovation celebrates Flanders as a hotbed of technological creativity and innovative ideas. From Antwerp, Leuven and Hasselt to Brussels, Kortrijk and, of course, Ghent. FTI Gent is serving up a six-day technology festival for you and me. With a dizzying host of (inter)national scientists, thinkers, opinion leaders, musicians, artists, and athletes. But most of all with a vivid focus on bio & health tech, preventive medicine, sports, food, digital art, music, and the use of data and AI in all those fields. For a harder, better, faster, stronger future.
In doing so, FTI returns to where it all began. Because remember that illustrious handshake between man and robot? Which has since been copied a million times? A year before James Cameron came up with The Terminator – in 1983, to be precise – Ghent hosted the first edition of Flanders Technology, “an international fair for new technologies.” More than 100,000 people visited the Floraliënhal back then to get a glimpse of the future and see how Flanders was, successfully, establishing itself as a high-tech region.
At its peak, Flanders Technology attracted more than 600,000 visitors, but overtaken by the speed at which technology was evolving, the showcase festival called it quits in 1999. However, like most other cool stuff from the 1990s, it is time to bring back Flanders Technology (& Innovation) as well. A blast from the past, so to speak. But with an eye on the future!
Programme
16-21 March The Expo
Wander through the magical Wintercircus, marvel at the history of both the iconic building and Flanders Technology, and discover what Flanders has to offer in innovation and technology. The Wintercircus is where history and future meet. In between vintage and high tech. Powered by ArcelorMittal.
16-21 March The Restaurant
What will we eat in the future and - knowing that our eating habits are ever-changing and that we are facing many ecological challenges - do certain culinary classics still fit the bill? With these questions (and with Ons kookboek), Michelin star chef Olly Ceulenaere and biologist Maxime Willems will get to work at The Restaurant.
16-17 March Despacio by 2manydjs & James Murphy
Despacio, the trailblazing and world-renowned ‘immersive sound experience’ by 2manydjs and James Murphy, kicks off the innovation festival FTI Gent at the iconic Wintercircus on 16 and 17 March. It has often been described as the world’s best sound system, and it really is.
17 March Open Technologie- & Innovatiedag
FTI Gent puts the spotlight on Flemish companies, entrepreneurs and scientists who are breaking ground all over the world and are seen as innovative trailblazers. Especially from the booming bio & health tech scene. During the Open Technology and Innovation Day on Sunday 17 March, you will also have the chance to peep behind the scenes of some of those tech companies and see with your own eyes what makes them so unique and ground-breaking.
17 March Comon: Young Innovators on the Move
Coincidentally or not, the FTI Gent themes of health, sports and movement align perfectly both with the challenge that the Ghent open laboratory Comon is currently working on and with the theme of the Youth Book Month 2024. That's why FTI Gent and Comon join forces in March 2024.
19-21 March The Talks
From 19 to 21 March, the Wintercircus entertains three evenings of inspiring lectures for the curious. Yes, you. We invite innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders to talk about sleep, sports, food and, simply put, becoming a better version of yourself. We’ve got something for your mind (Tuesday), your body (Wednesday) and – as long as it’s scientifically proven – your soul (Thursday).
19-21 March FTI Gent at inspire health&care
FTI Gent is teaming up with inspire health&care, the meeting place for the health care and welfare sector at Flanders Expo. For three days, we will host a stage there with keynotes and talks on recent, most relevant developments and innovations in health tech.
20-21 March The Summit
On 20 and 21 March, Wintercircus will play host to a two-day conference that takes innovators on a journey through the wonderful world of bio & health tech. What makes The Summit so unique is that it embraces both 'tech scenes' - from physical and
emotional well-being (with a strong focus on prevention) to pharmaceuticals, future farming and food tech. Researchers, opinion leaders and entrepreneurs from different fields are invited to meet as well as engage each other.
20 March Hetty Helsmoortel at NTGENT
For those who feel that the most important science and technology news constantly eludes their attention (and therefore do not even dare to register for the annual quiz night at their children’s school), Hetty Helsmoortel has been touring Flanders since 2021 with a kind of scientific end-of-year conference. Missie is an informative, but above all extremely entertaining show in which the popular scientist, writer and podcast maker lists the most important new insights and technologies of the past year. So that you would be fully up to speed again (and only have to memorise the names of the Belgian national football team for that next quiz night).
FTI Festivals 2024
Flanders Technology & Innovation, FTI, brings everyone together around technology and innovation and is a driver of sustainable prosperity. So we put our heads together. Noses in the same direction. Because only together can we tackle the big challenges of the future. With knowledge centres, private partners, the government and citizens. Including you.
With concrete projects that improve the life of every person in Flanders, we bring everyone together. We do this in six crucial areas: data technology, health, energy, mobility, entertainment and lifelong learning. This is how we strengthen our reputation and position as an ambitious, open region that is at the top of the world in terms of scientific innovation. Discover our projects for yourself during the FTI festival across Flanders and, of course, at the grand finale taking place in Antwerp.
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