ILVO

What ILVO does

ILVO (Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek / Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) is a Flemish Government research institute established in 2005, operating as two legal entities — IVA ILVO and EV ILVO — that together employ more than 750 staff across over 400 active research projects. Its mandate is to generate independent, evidence-based scientific research spanning the food chain, from primary agricultural and fisheries production through food processing, with explicit attention to social and economic dimensions. The institute operates dedicated infrastructure including 240+ hectares of experimental fields (Onderzoekskouter), the Food Pilot and newly opened Feed Pilot processing facilities, a marine research station in Oostende, and six thematic Living Labs for co-creation with stakeholders.

ILVO's technology portfolio includes proprietary platforms such as VISTools (real-time decision support for fishing vessels integrating motor, catch, and fuel data with WASSP multi-beam sonar) and DjustConnect (an agricultural data-sharing interoperability platform). Research capabilities span eDNA and DNA metabarcoding for marine biodiversity, otolith-based fish growth analysis over 60-year horizons, ecosystem modelling for the North Sea, computer-vision species identification from underwater imagery, and predictive analytics for climate-impact assessment. These are supported by ISO 14001 environmental certification and formal advisory roles to EU bodies ICES and STECF.

ILVO's revenue model is a hybrid of Flemish Government core funding (via the Departement Landbouw en Visserij policy area), competitively secured European and federal project funding (Horizon Europe, EMFAF, FWO), and fee-for-service contract research and analysis priced under an official tariff schedule (updated 1 March 2026). The institute does not pursue commercial productisation; outputs are delivered as policy advice, scientific publications, pilot-facility services, and participation in EU research consortia. Primary customer segments are the Flemish Government and EU institutions, with secondary segments in the Belgian agri-food industry (farmers, fishers, food/feed processors) and the broader scientific community through partnerships with UGent, KU Leuven, VUB, UAntwerpen, WUR, and IFREMER.

Name

ILVO

Legal name

Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek (ILVO)

Website

https://ilvo.vlaanderen.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ILVO is a Flemish Government research institute employing 750+ staff across 400+ projects in agriculture, fisheries, and food science, operating experimental farms, marine stations, and Food/Feed Pilot facilities to deliver evidence-based research and advisory services to the Flemish Government, EU institutions, and the Belgian agri-food sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Agricultural and Fisheries Research Services

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFALAAAA

Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen)

SECONDARYAFALAAAD

Regulatory Compliance & HACCP Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Food Testing Laboratories (Microbiological, Chemical, Allergen)

SECONDARYAFALADAI

Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) Design & Regulatory Verification

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Regulatory Compliance Testing & Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA, HACCP)

SECONDARYAFALAKAL

Test Kit & Method Performance Evaluation Studies (Rapid Methods/Alternative Methods, Food)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Laboratory Proficiency Testing, Method Validation & Reference Materials (Food)

Keywords

• Applied agricultural research
• Fisheries science services
• Food technology research
• Marine ecosystem monitoring
• Precision agriculture data

Headquarters

HQ city

Merelbeke

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Core Funding: IVA ILVO operates as an internal government agency funded through the Flemish Government budget. EV ILVO (Eigen Vermogen / Own Capital) receives government appropriations and participates in competitively secured project funding from Flemish, federal, and European sources.
2. Contract Research and Services: EV ILVO provides scientific research, expertise, and testing services to third parties (government agencies, industry, NGOs) on a fee-for-service basis. Pricing for analyses and services is published in official fee schedules effective from 1 March 2026.
3. European and International Project Funding: ILVO participates in and coordinates European research projects funded under Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, and the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), contributing to research revenue through grants and consortium agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ILVO delivers applied scientific research, advisory services, and pilot-scale testing infrastructure for the Flemish Government, EU institutions, and the agricultural, fisheries, and food industries. Its deliverables include policy-supporting evidence and monitoring, contract research for industry, pilot food and feed processing trials through the Food Pilot and Feed Pilot, decision-support and data-sharing tools such as VISTools and DjustConnect, and co-creative research through six thematic Living Labs.

Product overview

ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) is a research institution that does not offer commercial products but provides research services, facilities, and tools. Its portfolio includes the Food Pilot and Feed Pilot research facilities for food and feed production testing, VISTools decision support tool for fisheries management, DjustConnect data-sharing platform for agricultural interoperability, and six thematic Living Labs including the Marien Living Lab for marine research. These offerings support sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and food production through applied research and innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Pilot A pilot facility for food production research, providing demonstration workshops, study days, and testing of new food-processing equipment and food-analysis capabilities for food producers and processors.
• Feed Pilot A pilot facility for feed production research, enabling testing of feed formulations and production processes for the feed industry; officially opened in April 2026.
• VISTools A decision support tool developed by ILVO that monitors and records vessel parameters including motor data, catch data, and fuel data in real time, helping fishermen optimise their operations and contributing to sustainable fisheries management.
• DjustConnect A data-sharing platform operated by ILVO that enables interoperability between farming platforms and agricultural machinery, allowing automatic data transfer between different agricultural systems for data-driven farming.
• Living Labs programme (6 thematic Living Labs including Marien Living Lab) A programme of six thematic co-creative research environments in which ILVO researchers work with farmers, fishers, industry and citizens to address agricultural, fisheries, and food challenges, including the dedicated Marien Living Lab for marine research, fisheries and aquaculture innovation.
• Contract research, testing and analytical services (EV ILVO fee-for-service) Scientific research, expertise, and analytical testing services delivered by EV ILVO to third parties (government agencies, industry, NGOs) on a fee-for-service basis under published tariff schedules effective from 1 March 2026.
• Policy advisory services to Flemish Government and EU bodies (ICES, STECF) Standing scientific advisory service providing evidence-based research, monitoring and policy advice to the Flemish Government and to EU institutions (notably ICES and STECF), supporting the EU Common Fisheries Policy, Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Biodiversity Action Plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sole (tong) is the most valuable species for the Belgian fishing fleet, with landing value of 35.7 million EUR in 2025 (40% of total landing value), up 5.6% from 2024.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• European Animal Research Association (EARA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2016ILVO co-authored and signed the 'Statement in support of animal research in Belgium and a transparent approach' with EARA and 23 other Belgian public and private research institutions in April 2016, promoting transparency about animal use in research. ILVO also signed the Transparency Agreement in December 2019.
• Universiteit Gent (UGent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborates with UGent on joint research projects, doctoral training (co-promotion of PhD researchers), and co-organisation of events such as the AI4Animal Science Conference 2026. UGent is a key academic partner in marine biology, animal science, and agricultural research.
• KU LeuvencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO co-organises the AI4Animal Science (AI4AS) Conference 2026 with KU Leuven, UGent, and EAAP. KU Leuven is a key partner in multidisciplinary research across agriculture, food technology, and animal sciences.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborated with WUR and UGent on the PhD research of Tuan Anh Bui on climate change effects on sole growth. WUR contributed otolith archive data and co-promoted the doctorate. WUR is a key international partner in fisheries and marine ecosystem research.
• DjustConnect ConsortiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationDjustConnect is ILVO's standardised agricultural data sharing platform, enabling interoperability between farms, agricultural machinery, and software systems. It connects multiple partners across the agricultural technology ecosystem.
• Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen (KBIN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborates with KBIN on shark and ray research (ELASMON project) and marine biodiversity monitoring in the Belgian part of the North Sea, contributing to EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Natura 2000 reporting.
• Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborates with VLIZ on marine research, tagging and tracking of sharks and rays in the North Sea (ELASMON project), and shared use of research vessel RV Belgica for marine monitoring campaigns.
• Statbel (Belgian Statistical Agency)supportingOthersILVO receives agricultural and fisheries data from Statbel for use in research surveys, statistical analysis, and policy-supporting studies. Data sharing is governed by formal protocols.
• EAAP (European Federation of Animal Science)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO co-organises the AI4Animal Science (AI4AS) Conference 2026 with EAAP, bringing together researchers, industry, and stakeholders to explore AI innovations in animal science.
• IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFREMER contributed otolith archive data for the North Sea, Irish Sea, and Bay of Biscay to the ILVO-led PhD research on sole growth and climate change. IFREMER is a key French marine research partner.
• European Commission (DG MARE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO participates in EU Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects (SEAwise, EcoScope, ILIAD) funded by the European Commission, contributing to ecosystem-based fisheries management and digital twins for marine management.
• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)coreOthersILVO provides scientific advice on commercial fish stocks to ICES, which in turn provides fisheries advice to the European Commission for the Common Fisheries Policy. ILVO participates in ICES working groups including WGMIXFISH, WGSAM, and WGNSSK.
• VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborates with VUB in the Alga-Care project, investigating the potential of microalgae to combat fatty liver disease, together with the University of Antwerp.
• University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILVO collaborates with UAntwerpen in the Alga-Care project alongside VUB, searching for natural compounds from microalgae that can help prevent fatty liver disease.
• Departement Landbouw en Visserij (Flemish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries)coreOthersILVO receives farmer contact data from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for use in research surveys, interviews, focus groups, and on-farm research. The Department is ILVO's primary commissioning government body.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marine Institute Ireland: Ireland's national marine research agency with comparable fisheries science, seabed mapping and aquaculture R&D. Competes with ILVO's Marine Unit for ICES advisory roles and EMFAF projects in the North-East Atlantic.
• IFREMER: France's national marine research institute, comparable to ILVO's Marine Unit in Oostende. IFREMER is a named data partner for ILVO's North Sea research and competes for the same EMFAF and ICES-adjacent funding pools.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke): Finland's national research institute covering natural resources, agriculture, fisheries and food. Comparable in mandate, scale and government-owned structure; competes for Horizon Europe and EMFAF awards in fisheries and bioeconomy.
• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food and environment. INRAE is a comparable multidisciplinary applied research organisation competing with ILVO for EU funding in plant science, animal science, food processing and rural economics.
• Teagasc: Ireland's Agriculture and Food Development Authority, operating research centres, advisory services and pilot facilities analogous to ILVO's Food Pilot and EV ILVO contract research model. Direct competitor for EU agri-food projects.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Dutch applied research institute covering agriculture, fisheries, food and environment with comparable Living Lab and contract-research model. WUR is a named ILVO partner on sole/otolith research and a direct competitor for Horizon Europe fisheries and food projects.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Sweden's main agricultural and life sciences university with applied research in animal science, plant breeding, fisheries and food. Comparable academic-government hybrid model to ILVO.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest applied research organisation with institutes covering food, marine, agricultural engineering and biotechnology. Competes with ILVO for EU applied research funding at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgian marine data and research coordination institute, headquartered in Flanders and a named ILVO partner on shark/ray research and RV Belgica campaigns. Overlaps ILVO's marine biodiversity and monitoring mandate.

Emerging players

• CEBAS-CSIC: Spanish CSIC research centre focused on agrifood science including soil, plant and food quality. Comparable applied research scope in food safety, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, often coordinating EU Mediterranean projects that parallel ILVO's Horizon Europe work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ILVOvlaanderen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilvo
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilvovlaanderen
• Xx.com/ILVOvlaanderen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments1 record

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Frequently asked questions about ILVO