FTI festival offers 10 days of technology and innovation in five cities
Flanders Technology and Innovation (FTI) will kick off its 10-day festival on Friday at the Wintercircus Ghent. The festival spans five cities: Antwerp, Ghent, Hasselt, Kortrijk and Leuven.
"This is the first time that we can uniquely deliver a multi-day experience festival spread across several themed 'stages', being the participating cities, aimed at more than 6 million Flemish people," says FTI festival director Dries Mahieu. "This is the moment to showcase technology and innovation in Flanders and showcase its passion and ambitions."
Over the 10 days, there will be evening talks featuring innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs offering insight about the future of technology and its role in society. Lecture subjects cover a range of topics such as art and science technology, AI, the future of climate and the technology of the body.
The technologically groundbreaking and world-renowned "immersive sound experience" of 2manydjs and James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem invites visitors to experience what has been described as the world's best sound system, with seven giant speakers and 48 McIntosh amplifiers.
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One of the festival's highlights is a conversation with former US president Barack Obama about the challenges society faces and his vision for the future.
“We must make it clear to Flemish people that technology will improve their lives," says Flemish minister-president Jan Jambon of Flemish nationalists N-VA.
The Flemish government and seven large companies joined forces to establish FTI in October 2022 with the intention of sustainably improving industrial competitiveness and social well-being.
Flanders has a long history of technology and innovation: the first edition of a long-running biennial technology fair took place in Ghent in 1983.
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