Masterclass in Innovation and Design Thinking

The world is changing rapidly and profoundly. This brings with it complex challenges that call for new ways of thinking and working. That is precisely why it is important to continue building a future-proof and dynamic public service.

Today, cities and local authorities have the opportunity to lead the way. By developing innovative and creative solutions, you can significantly improve the well-being of residents. This 8-day course not only provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills, but also the inspiration to break existing patterns and achieve innovation in a people-centred way.

Innovation arises where worlds meet: insights from other sectors can lead to new perspectives and breakthroughs. That is why this programme, originally developed for the business world, has been carefully adapted to the specific needs and challenges of local authorities.

Our experts, with experience in both the public and private sectors, combine fresh insights with a people-centred approach. Using design thinking methodologies, they help break through entrenched ways of thinking and discover new opportunities.

Are you a policy officer or director within a public sector organisation and keen to help shape a forward-looking, people-centred public service? If so, this course is for you. The programme is aimed at general managers, as well as sustainability officers, digitalisation officers and project leaders involved in urban regeneration or social initiatives.

Each registration allows one participant per session. However, it is perfectly possible to share this participation among different colleagues, so that several employees within the same organisation can benefit from the course.

Tuesday 8 September: Future literacy and future thinking

Far-reaching social changes and geopolitical uncertainties bring new challenges. This makes it more difficult for policymakers to make strategic decisions for the future. Future literacy helps policymakers to embrace uncertainty. In this session, you will be given tools to develop future-oriented policies that respond flexibly to different scenarios.

Lecturer Thomas D’hooge teaches at Howest, where he shares his expertise in future thinking. As co-founder of the Belgian hub ‘Teach The Future’, he combines insights from design thinking, lean startup methods, creative problem-solving and trend analysis.

Tuesday 15 September: Design thinking and service design

Whether you are developing new services for the public or digitising internal processes for your colleagues, it is always essential to understand the concerns of those for whom you are innovating: their needs, questions and challenges. After all, these insights form the basis for the development and improvement of public services and/or internal processes.

In this session, you will be introduced to design thinking and various service design methodologies that will help you effectively identify these needs and, building on that, implement change and innovation that is supported by the users.

Lecturer Remco Lenstra began his career as a product designer and R&D manager before further developing his expertise at Flanders in Shape and Antwerp Management School. As an experienced design thinking expert and lecturer at both AMS and EDHEC, he shares valuable insights and practical skills for getting started with design thinking.

Friday 25 September: Citizen participation and stakeholder engagement

Developing services in collaboration with citizens and neighbourhood committees offers opportunities for high-quality, widely supported services. However, this requires a sufficient level of maturity on the part of both citizens and local authorities. In this session, you will learn both the basic theoretical concepts and the practical application of citizen participation and stakeholder engagement.

Lecturer Cato Léonard (Glassroots) engages internal and external stakeholders and citizens to co-create a new strategy, product or solutions to a challenge, leading to support for implementation. Cato Léonard works for businesses, government bodies, political parties and non-profit organisations.

Tuesday 6 October: A vibrant innovation culture within a clear organisational structure

An outdated organisational structure can be the source of numerous problems: poor communication, slow decision-making and unclear roles.

In this session, you will discover how innovative organisational structures can contribute to a culture of innovation, in which employees actively contribute ideas and help generate new ones. Such an innovation climate leads directly to better service delivery and increases your team’s engagement.

Speakers:

Inge Ramboer brings 20 years of experience in a wide range of roles within the social sector and the business world. As a team coach, HR director and board member, she has supported countless merger and integration processes.

Joost Vandriessche (Wilde Zwanen) guides organisations through change processes and helps them develop agility. In the past, he has held various roles (from consultant to entrepreneur) and managed a range of departments across different sectors.

Friday 16 October: Integrating sustainable and circular principles

By integrating circular principles into local government policy, you contribute to a low-carbon society.
In this session, you will discover the important role of the government in encouraging citizens and businesses to develop sustainable, innovative solutions.

Lecturer Tine Buysens is an ESG expert at Sura Impact and advises and supports companies and organisations that wish to operate sustainably. As a consultancy firm, Sura Impact ensures that economic performance goes hand in hand with a positive impact on people and the environment.

Friday 13 November: Co-creation and forming partnerships

Successful collaboration with external parties is crucial for organisations striving for innovation. It starts with identifying potential co-creation opportunities and mapping out the ecosystem in which you operate.
In this session, you will learn how to collaborate effectively with external parties within a win-win model, so that everyone benefits from the joint efforts.

Lecturer Piet Verhoeve has gained corporate experience as CTO of Televic, as well as academic experience as director of ICON at iMinds/Imec. He is the author of the book Win-Winnovation and launched the co-creation hub Hangar K in Kortrijk in 2018. In 2021, he launched flanders.healthTech.

Friday 27 November: Leadership and (innovation) teams

Whereas the traditional public sector context revolved around stability, hierarchy and uniformity, today’s world calls for a different approach.
In this session, you will discover new leadership styles that are better suited to today’s challenges. You will learn how to put together a balanced innovation team and how to guide teams towards successful outcomes.

For years, trainer Els Vanparys (Wilde Zwanen) has been helping managers, teams and organisations to realise their full potential and thus grow towards sustainable innovation and collaboration.

Tuesday 15 December: Storytelling to persuade and inspire

As an innovator and frontrunner, you cannot do without the power of storytelling, from the very first idea to its dissemination. In this session, you will learn how to persuade others and get them excited about your vision for the future.

Lecturer Tom Delmotte has built a rich career, having worked for the government and in higher education, amongst other roles. In early 2018, he decided to continue working full-time as a freelancer. Tom is passionate about words and stories and focuses on advising companies and organisations on how to communicate their story powerfully and effectively.

Where and when

The programme comprises 8 training days from September to December 2026, each running from 10 am to 4 pm.

Tue 8 Sep 2026

Tue 15 Sep 2026

Fri 25 Sep 2026

Tue 6 Oct 2026

Fri 16/10/2026

Fri 13/11/2026

Fri 27/11/2026

Tue 15/12/2026

The sessions will take place at VVSG: Huis Madou, Bischoffsheimlaan 1-8, 1000 Brussels

Price

An early bird rate applies until 15 June: €2,500 including a sandwich lunch and coffee breaks

From 15 June: €3,000 including a sandwich lunch and coffee breaks

If two people from the same organisation or local authority attend each training day, you will receive a 10% discount on the participation fee. This will be deducted from the invoice.

Payment

You must pay upon receipt of the invoice and before the start of the training series.

Cancellation

It is not possible to cancel this course. Registration is final. 
If you are unexpectedly unable to attend, please arrange for a colleague to take your place.

This course is a collaboration between VVSG and Designregio Kortrijk