VUB researchers bring science to the heart of Brussels

From 16 October to 15 November 2026, Flanders Technology & Innovation (FTI) has brought technology, innovation and creativity to eight cities across Flanders. On the festival's final day, Science Day, Flanders' annual celebration of science, takes centre stage. In Brussels, the event traditionally takes place at Muntpunt, where nearly 100 researchers from institutions across the capital bring their work to life for the public. VUB makes the largest contribution, with activities spread across all six floors of the building and beyond.

"Belgium is home to world-class research," says Eline Livémont, Head of Research Outreach & Communication at VUB. "It's vital that we bring science and research closer to people, right in the heart of the city and free for everyone."

Get hands-on with VUB research

Visitors can take control of robotic prosthetics and exoskeletons developed by engineers from VUB's Department of Mechanical Engineering. In the Shampoo Challenge, organised by the In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology (IVTD) lab, children use a 3D skin model to test whether shampoo is safe, without the need for animal testing. The Oncology Research Center (ORC) introduces young visitors to cancer research through its KAN KERen game, while the PainWise Lab, an initiative of VUB's Painless Lifestyle network, invites them to measure their own pain threshold.

In the LEGO Urban Climate Game, developed by VUB and the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI), visitors build a city and measure the urban heat island effect. A wave tank demonstrates how an offshore wind turbine withstands a storm, while VUB researchers explain how underground CO₂ storage and geothermal energy can help tackle climate change. The student chapter of Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT) reveals the seven wonders of light.

Elsewhere, visitors can examine real micrometeorites, meteorites and mammoth teeth with the AMGC research group, explore the Einstein Telescope with the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and KU Leuven, and test how quickly their brains switch between languages in the Bilingual Brain Challenge. A virtual reality laser game even challenges participants to build a protein from DNA code.

The talks programme is just as varied. VUB's Data Analytics Lab unpacks how ChatGPT 'thinks', while the Interuniversity Institute for High Energies (IIHE, ULB-VUB) explains how scientists detect elusive neutrinos. Historians explore what 4,000 years of jokes reveal about the past, and researchers from the Brussels Institute for Social and Population Studies (BRISPO) use the Moment app to show why women report feeling safer in the moment than traditional surveys might suggest.

The Marine Biology Lab offers a talk and photography exhibition on plankton, alongside a children's lecture on giant clams. Beyond Muntpunt, historians from VUB's History programme lead a walking tour through Brussels' untold past, while a second walk takes visitors into the Sonian Forest.

A sneak peek at VUB Children's University

On the fifth floor, VUB researchers involved in the 2027 edition of VUB Children's University, including researchers from Pain in Motion, will give visitors a taste of their upcoming workshops. A new adventure begins every 15 minutes, with no registration required. Young explorers can also follow a special children's trail, collecting stickers along the way to earn a diploma and a surprise.

Making science accessible to every young person

"Visiting a science festival can be an overwhelming and challenging experience," says Kim Barbé, Communications Adviser at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). "We've been providing sensory guides and a quiet room for several years, but thanks to support from Innoviris, we've been able to go even further this year."

A detailed step-by-step visitor guide helps children who benefit from predictability prepare for the entire experience, from their journey to the festival to their return home. Visitors who are sensitive to sensory stimulation are encouraged to arrive early, when the festival is quieter. Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors can also join a guided tour with a Flemish Sign Language interpreter, provided they register in advance.