UCLouvain research: excellence, innovation and societal impact

Scientific research is one of UCLouvain’s three missions, alongside education and serving society. From the humanities and social sciences to science and technology to health sciences, our researchers explore a wide range of fields through focused, transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary research. Through the excellence of its contributions to the development and dissemination of knowledge, the university fosters an environment conducive to scientific creativity and to enabling researchers to thrive in both fundamental and applied research, supported by expertise and service platforms equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and embedded in a regional, national and international ecosystem. UCLouvain’s ecosystem also places particular emphasis on research valorisation, an integral part of its serving society, driving innovation and societal impact, notably through the creation of spin-offs.

With the adoption of its 2024–29 Strategic Plan (FR), entitled “Direction and Purpose”, UCLouvain has reaffirmed its ambition to be a university that fosters creative and responsible research. One of the strategic plan’s goals is to raise the profile of research by supporting early-career researchers and PhD students, prioritising interdisciplinarity and collaboration, and promoting research valorisation through dialogue with society. This is also closely linked to the objective of sharing and collaboration, particularly by strengthening interactions with businesses and science parks.

The initiatives and agreements endorsed by UCLouvain underpin the university’s commitment to principles that apply across the university and internationally, such as reforming research assessment, moving towards open science, and developing responsible partnerships.