Deep dive in the quintuple helix of a UNESCO Creative City of Design
Let us show you how we spark the city and region of Kortrijk, Belgium by engaging all stakeholders of the quintuple helix design ecosystem.
Based on our 20 years' experience, we want to show you how we have built our ecosystem in Kortrijk around design, engaging business, government, education, environment and citizens. We know how to involve them, what is important for them and how to keep them excited.
We invite you to Kortrijk for a two-day deep dive:
- We show you how we built our quintuple helix design ecosystem including business, government, education, environment and citizens.
- We will meet quintuple helix stakeholder partners with whom you can interact: companies, design studios, cultural venues, research centers…
- We will give you insights into our opportunities and challenges, and how we respond to them.
- We will share our financial model.
- We finish with an Innowiz workshop to create your own quintuple helix design ecosystem, to take home to your stakeholders.
We invite you to Kortrijk for a two-day / three-night deep dive:
- We show you how we built our quintuple helix design ecosystem including business, government, education, environment and citizens.
- We will meet quintuple helix stakeholder partners with whom you can interact: companies, design studios, cultural venues, research centers…
- We will give you insights into our opportunities and challenges, and how we respond to them.
- We will share our financial model.
- We finish with an Innowiz workshop to create your own quintuple helix design ecosystem, to take home to your stakeholders.

How to get to Kortrijk:
Brussels Airport:
By car: +- 1 hour
By train: +- 1,5 hours
Lille Airport:
By car: +- 30 minutes
By train: +- 1,2 hours
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport:
By car: +- 2,5 hours
By train: +- 1 hour to Lille > +- 30 min by car

Day 1 – Thursday May 22, 2025
19:00 - Welcome network dinner with our local stakeholders from business, government, education, environment and citizens.

Day 2 – Friday May 23, 2025
09:00 - Departure from The Market Hotel and walk to museum Texture
09:30 - Welcome & introduction to the region
Location: industrial museum Texture to understand the historical and current context of the city and region.
We will explain the most recent city developments from the new urban riverbanks “Leieboorden” to the new research campus “Kortrijk Weide”.
11:00 - Walk from museum Texture to Hangar K, hub for start-ups
11:30 - Kick-off of the deep dive
Presentation of 20 years Designregio Kortrijk and the major projects of our organization: WONDER Creativity Festival, We Are the Next Generation, Wonder Club, K-TOTEM, Designers in Residence and the Living Labs.
To feel the creative and innovative buzz of Hangar K, young start-ups active in gaming, education technology and design will pitch their business activities. These start-ups are supported by special programs like EDTechStation and Flanders Game Hub to boost their international growth. The breeding ground for the game studios is just across the street: Howest campus The Level, top 3 best gaming school in the world by Rookies.
12:30 - Lunch at Salie @ Hangar K
14:30 - Guided bike tour
A blend of historic and contemporary cultural and design initiatives in the city center with visits to Buda Factory, Budalab Makerspace, Buda Arts Center, the immersive installation in the Gravenkapel, the new Abby Museum, the UNESCO heritage site of the Beguinage and the Design Kiosk.
16:00 - Visit innovation agency Creax
Creax is a front-runner in innovation, consulting and research company, known for its profound and dedicated approach to tackling innovation challenges. This is why Creax introduces a thorough and systematic approach to navigating the fuzzy and unstructured world of innovation.
(end of bike tour)
17:30 - Free time
20:00 - Dinner at Maison Parazaar, winner Commerce Design Awards 2022
The dinner starts with a keynote by the Co-Founder of the MyMachine Global Foundation. MyMachine is a unique, multi-award-winning methodology in 3 steps: (1) Students in Primary invent their Dream Machine. Anything goes; (2) University students design it into a Concept; (3) Vocational/Technical Secondary students build it as a Working Prototype.
The Kortrijk-based non-profit has —to date— grown into an organization with branches in 14 countries on 3 continents. They are endorsed by a.o. Fast Company, The New York Academy of Sciences, Harvard, United Nations, Sir Richard Branson, HundrED, and the Lego Foundation, and received awards on all continents, including the following design awards: the Good Design Australia Award, Good Design Korea Award, and the Design-Management Europe Award.
Day 3 – Saturday May 24, 2025
08:45 - Departure from The Market Hotel
09:00 - Insights in the quintuple helix ecosystem financing model
Weresume at Villa Voka, the home to the Chamber of Commerce Voka West-Flanders.Architectural Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen created a volume around a patio.
In this inspiring architectural setting, we will give insights in the financial model of Designregio Kortrijk and how the stakeholders of the quintuple helix are involved in a mix of public and private funding.
10:00 - Kortrijk, home of creative makers
Bus tour and visits to our manufacturing industry and research centers
► Barco designs technology that empowers positive outcomes globally, with its roots as a small radio company in Belgium. The Barco One Campus in Kortrijk exemplifies modern architecture, showcasing its innovative and international character. They develop technology with a vision for a healthier world, providing the best care for every patient. Additionally, they help professionals in control rooms, classrooms, and meeting spaces to share data and images, enabling better-informed decisions and smarter collaboration. They also support roadies, artists, and creatives in delivering stunning visual experiences in cities, at events, and in cinemas and museums.
► The Circular Materials Center supports and encourages businesses to adopt circular practices.
By collaborating with knowledge and educational partners, sector associations, and employers' organizations, they provide companies access to expertise, machinery, and training opportunities.
13:00 - Lunch at inclusive restaurant Buda Kitchen
Buda Kitchen is an all-round spot: bistro, co-working space, and meeting place, integrated in an elderly home. You can enjoy delicious dishes, work productively, and meet people of all ages in a unique setting with surprising urban design.
14:00 - Innowiz workshop
We leave by bus for the location of this workshop: Howest The Penta, located near Magdalenapark. This is Howest's sustainable campus hub. Its standout feature is an impressive atrium staircase, offering seamless access between floors in a pentagonal building surrounded by greenery.
Enjoy panoramic views of Kortrijk from its terraces and relax in the park's sunny spots.
By using the well tried and tested Innowiz tool, we will help you to build your own quintuple helix design ecosystem.
16:30 - Free time
19:00 - Dinner
Location to be confirmed
21:00 - Optional cultural activity (lively music scene, theater, film…)
To be confirmed
Day 4 – Sunday, May 25: Departure for Saint-Étienne
In the morning, we’ll depart for Lille (France) to catch a high-speed train to Lyon, followed by another to Saint-Étienne. The detailed timetable will be shared later. Arrival in Saint-Étienne is planned for the afternoon.

Day 3 – Sunday, May 25: Departure for Saint-Étienne
In the morning, we’ll depart for Lille (France) to catch a high-speed train to Lyon, followed by another to Saint-Étienne. The detailed timetable will be shared later. Arrival in Saint-Étienne is planned for the afternoon.
Since joining the UCCN, Kortrijk has actively contributed to the network by sharing its expertise with other design cities (e.g., Kaunas and Bilbao), integrating knowledge from cities like Detroit and Montréal, and taking a leadership role in the subnetwork (deputy coordinator from 2018-2020, coordinator from 2020-2023).
With this deep dive, we open our design ecosystem model to the world.
We invite you to Kortrijk to experience it firsthand—we're ready to host and immerse you.
Details:
Price per person: 1 550 euro + taxes.
This includes:
- 3 nights at The Market Hotel ***, including breakfast
- Lunches and dinners from May 22 to 24
- Visits, workshops (Innowiz, Barco, Creax…)
- Local transport in Kortrijk and to Lille (France)
To arrive in Kortrijk, we can assist you with all useful ticketing websites for trains. These tickets are not included in the above-mentioned price.
For questions, please contact Stijn Debaillie, managing director of Designregio Kortrijk.
Email: stijn@designregio-kortrijk.be
Mobile: +32 474 93 02 95
Payments upon registration. Invoice will be sent by our travel agent Mi Agency, Mrs. Marianne Impens, licence 7135, Heilige Geeststraat 10, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium, VAT number 0518.888.533, email marianne@mi-agency.be, mobile +32 495 79 54 55