How can we help clients rethink their interactions with customers in the digital age? How can we help them rethink their products and services? On 19 June Vlerick and Accenture presented the frameworks they have developed within the Digital Chair.

The Belgian human resources departments are focused on attracting, developing and motivating talent once again this year. Recruitment and selection are number one here, followed by leadership development and talent management. Those are the results from the fourth annual HR Barometer study by HR consultancy firm Hudson and Vlerick Business School. HR analytics, however, has not really established itself yet. Although companies collect lots of data, those responsible for HR indicate that they are often not proficient enough in analysing it.

The energy pact that all governments signed at the end of March finally creates a framework for the energy transition in our country. It also immediately increases the pressure on all energy players to enter into the debate. “In the new Prime Foundation Partnership, Vlerick and KPMG aim to act as the sounding board for the entire energy ecosystem, through workshops.” Jorn De Neve of KPMG and Professor Leonardo Meeus reflect on this pivotal moment.

Podcast with Julie Van der Heyden (Delhaize) and Joke de Leeuw (career advisor Vlerick) on the renewed Talent Partnership.

The Belgian mergers and acquisitions market gradually seems to be reaching its peak. It is not just the number of transactions but also the selling prices which rose for the fifth year in a row in 2017. The highest valuations are found in the real estate sector followed by pharmaceuticals, technology and healthcare. The demand is greater than the supply and competition is increasing. In addition, more and more foreign players are showing an interest in Belgian companies. In view of the anticipated further growth in 2018, there is a danger of overheating. These are the main conclusions of the M&A Monitor, an annual survey which involves over 150 Belgian mergers and acquisitions experts and advisers.

“Local governments need a tool which allows them to check a ‘smart project’ in their city or municipality against their digital transformation strategy.” Having identified this need in the field, Belfius (the bank which local authorities and public services have used for many years) turned to Vlerick. Working together, they soon developed an objective assessment and analysis tool which works for both international cities and rural municipalities.

More data is available than ever before, digital trends are popping up one after the other and disruptive business models are cannibalising the turnover of many large companies. Is this revolution a threat or an opportunity? Patrick Rottiers, CEO of EY Belgium and Marion Debruyne, Dean of Vlerick Business School, put their heads together to brainstorm data, disruption and digitalisation.

What if you could create an ecosystem that would allow you not only to better understand the influence of digital technology on your business activities, but also to convert it into value? Accenture and Vlerick have found a way to do exactly that with their ‘Digital 20/20’ Chair Partnership. We spoke to Wim Decraene, Managing Director of Accenture Digital BeLux, Steve Muylle, professor of marketing and digital strategy at Vlerick and Willem Standaert, lecturer and post-doctoral researcher at Vlerick.

At the latest Healthcare Innovation boot camp, Bart Diels, Head of Health & Care at Gimv, gave a guest lecture on how the investment company guides healthcare players along their growth path, based on its own strategy and specific Health & Care strategy. Three different players, three different growth stories: ‘buy-and-build’, ‘hub-and-spoke’ and international expansion. Our students asked pertinent questions.

During the ‘Future House of Rewards’ conference at the Brussels Vlerick campus, the large audience gained a lot of insights. After a presentation of the white paper ‘Future House of Rewards’, inspiring practical examples followed from Ontex and KBC. The highlight: an animated panel debate with a number of big players from the Belgian entrepreneurial landscape. We discussed the subject with Ivan De Witte and Xavier Baeten, Professor of Reward & Sustainability at Vlerick.