The new city project Kortrijk Kerngezond, launching on October 16 in K in Kortrijk, aims to turn an empty retail space into a place for discovery, testing, and learning. For nine days, az groeninge, Howest, Hogeschool VIVES, UGent Campus Kortrijk, KU Leuven Kulak, TUA West, Stad Kortrijk, and numerous other partners will bring expertise from campuses, research groups, companies, and healthcare organizations to the heart of the city.
Kortrijk boasts an exceptional concentration of higher education, research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Students, researchers, healthcare professionals, and companies work on new insights and technologies, but much of this expertise often remains invisible to residents. Through Kortrijk Kerngezond, the city aims to bridge this gap and bring knowledge closer to people. The project demonstrates that a city center can be more than just shopping; knowledge, research, technology, and entrepreneurship also deserve a place in the urban landscape.
Hannelore Vanhoenacker, alderman for Spatial Planning and Education, emphasizes that an empty building in K in Kortrijk will become an open window to the city's existing knowledge and innovation for nine days. az groeninge aims to provide an accessible introduction to prevention, innovation, and new developments in healthcare, sharing this knowledge beyond the healthcare sector.
Veerle Dekocker, Director of Health & Education at Hogeschool VIVES, states that students will bring their knowledge to life in the city, sharing insights and learning through dialogue with residents. Practice-oriented research will also be made accessible, connecting education and research with people's daily lives.
Ronald Bastiaens, Director of Programs at Howest Kortrijk, adds that innovation gains meaning when people experience its benefits. Howest connects expertise in care, health, and well-being with areas like product design or game technology to contribute to a healthier society.
The four higher education institutions, companies, and the healthcare landscape are joining forces on this scale for the first time. Charlotte Destoop, Director of TUA West, believes in the power of collaboration and supports the project, which strengthens Kortrijk's position as a city of knowledge and innovation.
Evelyne Terryn, Vice-Rector of KU Leuven Kulak, and Herwig Reynaert, Vice-Rector of UGent Campus Kortrijk, explain how researchers work daily on solutions for health and care challenges, and how this project makes that scientific knowledge accessible to everyone.
Visitors can explore the human body with VR headsets, experience aging with an aging suit, encounter holographic applications and glasses-free 3D images, or challenge themselves in interactive health and stroke prevention games. Smart sensors, AI, and new healthcare technologies developed in Kortrijk will also be featured. From October 16 to 24, each day will have its own theme, including heart health, mental health, and healthy aging.
Maxim Veys, Alderman for Care, states that Kortrijk Kerngezond aims to make people more aware of their health and old age. Public activities will take place throughout the city, including demonstrations on resuscitation and first aid on the Grote Markt on October 16, and a blood donation drive on October 21 and 22.
The full program is available at www.kortrijk.be/kerngezond. On Friday, October 16, aldermen Hannelore Vanhoenacker, Maxim Veys, and partners will be available for interviews at 3:40 PM in K in Kortrijk.
