EVENTS

RUN-EU Innovation Meets Regions on Blue Economy at IPLeiria

25/05/2026
– 31/05/2026
Peniche, Portugal
RUN-EU Innovation Meets Regions on Blue Economy will take place in Peniche, Portugal, from 26–29 May 2026, hosted by IPLeiria’s School of Tourism and Maritime Technology (ESTM). The event supports RUN-EU’s goal of strengthening the role of European universities in regional development by connecting research, innovation, sustainability, tourism, and public policy. Focused on the Blue Economy, the event will bring together policymakers, universities, researchers, businesses, entrepreneurs, and regional stakeholders to explore how innovation can support more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive regional growth. Positioned as a living laboratory for blue innovation, Peniche showcases the connection between marine resources, tourism, scientific knowledge, local communities, and sustainable development. The region’s links to the Berlengas Biosphere Reserve, fishing traditions, and emerging blue economy ecosystems highlight its role as a growing hub for sustainable coastal innovation. The programme will run alongside the RUN-EU Student Research Colloquium, the Conference on Blue Economy, and the Peniche Biennial of the Sea, creating opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and regional impact.

WorkSmarter 2026

04/06/2026
Planet Group Arena
DAE Research toont een demo van het AVATALK project op de stand van Howest onderzoek op hét businessfestival van het jaar voor ondernemers, agencies en accountants die slimmer willen werken. Georganiseerd door Teamleader en Yuki.

Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival AI Day

28/10/2025
Sint-Lodewijkscollege in Bruges, Belgium
DAER will be presenting Demo’s of accessible AI tools, a photobooth that creates videos of attendees in genre film settings, and moderating a panel on AI. For more info on the event itself, please consult Razor Reel’s website.

Immersive Music Day – “The Immersive Space”

24/04/2025
Hasselt, Belgium
A day dedicated to immersive music, organized by PXL-Music Research. Talks by internationally renowned speakers, immersive concerts, and workshops by Amptec, Dolby, DPA, Sennheiser, Klang, d&b, Neumann & Dear VR. We want to inspire the music industry and all its stakeholders with the limitless possibilities, beauty, and emotional impact of immersive music, both live in the concert hall and online via streaming platforms. This includes in-depth, specialized talks as well as hands-on workshops and crash courses on immersive music. Our goal is not only to inspire but also to guide, share knowledge, and bridge the gap between creativity and technology. Immersive music offers a completely new dimension to the listening experience, but fully unlocking its potential requires collaboration between artists, engineers, and industry partners. With this initiative, we aim to lower the threshold and pave the way for innovative and immersive music productions.

TESTEREP en het verzonken Oostende

21/12/2024
– 20/04/2025
Venetiaanse gaanderijen, Oostende, Belgium
The trading city of Ostend once flourished at the eastern end of ‘Testerep’. But in 1394 disaster struck: the Saint Vincent storm destroyed the city, which disappeared into the water. The old city comes alive before your eyes through striking visualizations. This exhibition tells the story of survival and reconstruction, and how the dynamics of the sea have shaped lives on our coast over the centuries. Go back in time and be amazed by historical artifacts and innovative soil scans. Isabella and Willem, residents of old Ostend, take the youngest visitors in tow in an exciting escape game. You can also help build a LEGO model of old Ostend. A science exhibition for young and old, where experience is central.

VP Gathering ’24

03/04/2024
– 04/04/2024
Breda University, The Netherlands
Breda University of Applied Sciences is hosting a series of talks in the field of virtual productions to present the latest innovations in this up-and-coming field and to discuss the advantages and challenges it brings with it. The conference is open to industry, professionals, and students in the field of Film Production, Pre and Post Vis, Volumes, Motion Capture, Special Effects, the usage of Game Technology and everything in between. The conference is a great place to meet employers and experts in the field of production, whilst also helping those who are looking for a new challenge or a change in their career. During the day there will be many networking opportunities. We have tried to create an informal setting in which it is easier to talk with your future employee or future employer.

Private AI

28/03/2024
Howest, Campus Kortrijk Weide – The Penta Sint-Martens-Latemlaan 1B · Kortrijk, Belgium
Private AI will dive into the added value, implementation & ethics of private LLMs for your company. During this event we want to immerse you in the world of language models to inspire you about how you can ethically set up these AI models in-house and link your own data to them to maximize the possible economic impact of this technology.

Everything Procedural 2024

15/04/2024
– 19/04/2024
Breda University, The Netherlands
From Monday April 15 to Friday April 19 2024 Breda University of Applied Sciences will host the Everything Procedural Conference for a variety of lectures, talks, demonstrations and masterclasses in the field of procedural content generation for games on our beautiful campus. The event offers many opportunities to meet and share knowledge with fellow developers.

Storycon

18/04/2024
Kinepolis, Gent, Belgium
Storycon is a one-day conference organized by the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) that focuses fully on the intricacies and craftsmanship of storytelling across different media forms such as movies, series, video games and podcasts. The aim of the conference is to inspire professional as well as aspiring audiovisual and video game storytellers to reflect on the art of storytelling and to explore different media to express their ideas.

GDC

18/03/2024
– 22/03/2024
San Francisco, Ca, USA
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual event held in San Francisco that brings together game developers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts to share knowledge, showcase new technologies, and discuss the latest trends in the gaming industry

20 year DAE Exposition

26/06/2026
– 28/06/2026
Howest – The Level
🎂 The expo on 20 Years Howest – Digital Arts and Entertainment is now officially open! 🎮 Come explore the amazing work our students & staff have created over the past 20 years across game development, game graphics production, independent game production, game sound integration, 3D animation and VFX. 💡 You can also find DAE Research in room L.1.001. Browse through current and older projects and find out how game engines, 3D scanning, motion capture, XR, AI, virtual production and many other technologies can stimulate innovation in your sector or industry. Come have a chat or contact vicky.vermeulen@howest.be if you want to explore future projects. And while you’re there, have a look around our Virtual Production studio on the ground floor. Well worth the visit! 📍 Campus The Level, Botenkopersstraat 2, 8500 Kortrijk 🎫 The expo is free to visit from 10 am to 6 pm until Sunday 28 June 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enWiwDaH Congrats Jonathan Absil, Rik Leenknegt, Regis Le Roy and the entire Digital Arts & Entertainment team!

Slotevent Blue Balance

14/11/2025
VLIZ, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende
Join us for the Blue BALANCE Slot Event, where citizens, researchers and policymakers come together to reflect on insights, experiences and future perspectives for a more sustainable Flemish coast. Discover key project outcomes, explore innovative engagement tools, and connect around new ways to shape the blue economy through dialogue, collaboration and shared understanding.

Tussen Land en Zee. Leven aan de kust vroeger, nu en morgen

29/05/2026
– 15/11/2026
Wilskerke (Middelkerke) – Sint-Gulielmuskerk – van 29/05 tot 30/08/2026 & Raversyde (Oostende) – Provinciedomein Atlantikwall Raversyde – van 05/09 tot 15/11/2026
Reizende expo De Belgische kust is het resultaat van duizenden jaren landschapsverandering. Wat vandaag een vaste kustlijn lijkt, was ooit een mozaïek van eilanden, geulen, slikken, schorren en veenmoerassen. Zee en land verlegden hier voortdurend hun grenzen, onder invloed van getijden, stormen, zeespiegelstijging én menselijk ingrijpen. De tentoonstelling “Tussen Land en Zee” verkent hoe dat dynamische kustlandschap 12.000 jaar geleden ontstond en telkens opnieuw werd hertekend. Het TESTEREP-project vormt daarbij het vertrekpunt. Via het verdwenen eiland Testerep – dat zich tot in de middeleeuwen uitstrekte tussen Westende en Oostende – maken we veranderingen in het kustlandschap zichtbaar.

Creaweek 2026 @VPstudio

30/03/2026
– 03/04/2026
The Level – Howest
These past days, creativity and technology came together during the CreaWeek at Howest – Digital Arts and Entertainment. In just a few days, students pushed boundaries by combining storytelling, filming, and cutting-edge virtual production tools. From concept to final shot, students from DAE as well as LUCA School of Arts and RITCS School of Arts worked together to bring ideas to life in their own short film! Big shoutout to all the students and mentors who made this week such a success. The future of creative tech is in good hands

Onderzoeksdag 2026

26/03/2026
Howest The Penta & The Level
Proudly, we look back on an inspiring Research Day 2026 at Howest! For DAE Research, it was a great opportunity to showcase our innovative projects, exchange ideas, and reflect together on the future of technology and creativity. A big thank you to all colleagues, partners, and visitors for the engaging conversations and valuable insights. Here’s to even more impactful research ahead!