FAQ

Since 2018, thinkers, entrepreneurs, researchers, artists and innovators have come together at and& festival, the largest innovation festival in the country. In 2024, and& will run within the framework of the Flemish Flanders Technology & Innovation. With this ambitious project, the Flemish Government wants to demonstrate that technology and innovation are crucial for the future of Flanders. Moreover, with this initiative, Flanders is strengthening its reputation and position as an ambitious, open region that is at the world's top in terms of scientific innovation. FTI and& is organized by Leuven MindGate, in collaboration with city of Leuven, imec, KU Leuven, UZ Leuven, Health House, STUK arts center and many other regional partners.

From Saturday, March 16 to Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Leuven will be the setting for FTI and&, where a love of technology, creativity, imagination and a healthy hands-off mentality are the breeding ground for a better world for our future generations. We will bring together entrepreneurs, scientists and artists, as well as children, parents, youth and students, to debate about tomorrow and discover how innovation and technology are driving the future.

We have a diverse program, with something for everyone.

Opening

March 16

Arts & Science Parcours - STUK  

AliA invites - Het Depot

For 'The Curious’

March 17

Arts & Science Parcours - STUK

Open Technology & Innovation Day - Various locations

March 19

Future Generations Conference - STUK & City Hall

Human Library - Various HORECA hotspots in Leuven

March 16-20

Body of the Future - Martelarenplein

Family Day

March 17

KU Leuven Children's University - STUK

PLAY - The Bib Leuven Two Sources

School Day

March 18

PLAY For Schools - De Bib Leuven Two Sources

Arts & Science For Schools - STUK  

For Young People

March 16

Future Generations Lab - City Hall

March 19

Future Voices - Alma 2

For Health Professionals

March 20

Health Meets Hardware - Sportoase

Read more about our theme and the 'why' on this page.

The festival offers events in both Dutch and English!

The following events will continue in Dutch:

PLAY

The Children's University

Future Generations Lab: Future Fusion

Future Voices

During the Human Library you can speak to all the experts in Dutch, except Anaí Echeverría Oviedo, to whom you can ask questions in English.

This event will continue in English:

Health Meets Hardware

Some events can be attended in both English and Dutch:

Open Technology & Innovation Day

The Body of the Future

Arts & Science Parcours

Future Generations Conference offers keynotes in both Dutch and English. You can easily find the language of specific sessions in the schedule.

All FTI and& events can only be followed on-site. We want to encourage people to meet and inspire each other!

Most festival venues are located in the lively center of Leuven, just a stone's throw from the train station. You can easily walk to City Hall! If walking is not your preference, don't worry! Just hop on the bus to Halte Leuven Rector De Somerplein, just a short 2-minute ride away.

Location Health meets Hardware

It's about a 20-minute walk from Leuven Station to Sportoase. Do you like to take the bus? You can too! Get off at Halte Leuven Parkpoort or Halte Heverlee Paul Van Ostaijenlaan.

Location Arts & Science, Kids University, Future Generations Conference, LIMP

STUK is about a 20-minute walk from the train station. Prefer not to walk? Then take the bus to Leuven H.Hartkliniek.

Location Lichaam van de Toekomst, ALiA invites.

The Depot and Martelarenplein are easy to reach. When you get out of the station, you're already there! Under the Martelarenplein there is a bicycle parking where you can park your bike for free.

Locations Open Technology & Innovation Day (selection)

To reach imec, hop on a bus and get off at Heverlee Joos Florquinlaan stop or Heverlee Celestijnenlaan stop.

If you have to be at Group T, get off at Halte Leuven Campus Vesalius.

Location Future Voices

From the station to Alma 2 is a 20-minute walk. You can also easily take the bus to the event. Get off at the bus stop Leuven Rustoord Remy.

Leuven is easily accessible by public transport and choosing the train is not only convenient, but also good for the environment - a win-win situation!

We strive to make our event accessible to everyone. Most FTI and& festival venues are wheelchair accessible.

At STUK, the reception is accessible through the entrance on Naamsestraat, where an elevator is available that provides access to all floors. Please ask one of the staff members for assistance. They will be happy to guide you.

You can reach the Town Hall through the reception desk in the Boekhandelstraat. Here is an elevator that goes to all levels, including the Wandelzaal.

Sportoase provides dedicated parking and elevators where needed.

Most of the Human Library cafes are wheelchair accessible. Please note! In Bar Rustic, Den Delper, De Blauwe Kater and Café Marengo, our experts are on the 1st or 2nd floor, so unfortunately these are not wheelchair accessible.

The Bib Leuven Tweebronnen has an elevator that goes to all levels. You can reach it through the entrance in the Diestsestraat.

The Depot provides guidance for people with wheelchairs. If you have a companion pass from the province, you can report to the reception desk of Het Depot fifteen minutes before the doors open. There, Het Depot staff will escort you to the platform elevator so you can enter the auditorium in peace.

The ground floors (restroom and dining area) of Alma 2 are wheelchair accessible.

Het Lichaam van de Toekomst is an installation at street level on Martelarenplein, so it is also accessible by wheelchair!

Have questions about this, or need assistance? Feel free to contact us at info@andleuven.com and together we will look at the possibilities.

The FTI and& festival consists of several events for which there are separate tickets. Here you can easily buy your tickets for one or more of our events.

Health meets Hardware & Future Generations Conference

For Health meets Hardware and the Future Generations Conference we work with Weezevents. The following roadmap will guide you through this platform:

1. When you press the Tickets button on this page for Health Meets Hardware or Future Generations Conference, you will be taken to WeezEvent, an online ticketing service. Here you can click on the event you want to attend.
2. You choose the ticket that applies to you and the number of tickets you want to purchase. If you have a discount code, you can enter it here as well.

Note! Are you a member of Leuven MindGate? Then choose your tickets under LEUVEN MINDGATE MEMBER DISCOUNT at the bottom of the page.

3. Then you fill in your details.
4. You pay.
5. Done! You get confirmation that your ticket(s) have been purchased. We look forward to seeing you at the festival! Your ticket(s) will be sent to you by mail.

Human Library

For the Human Library we work with a different platform, Conversation Starters. Here we explain how to register for a conversation:

1. Click on this link to register.
2. Press ‘Click here to get started’.
3. Enter your email address. This will allow us to keep you updated on your sessions. Your mail address will not be shared with others.
4. Choose some topics you find interesting.
5. Fill in your first and last name, and choose a password for your account. This way you can easily find your sessions afterwards.
6. Would you like to receive a (free) SMS reminder? Then enter your phone number here. Prefer not to share your phone number? No problem, you can skip this step.
7. If you like, you can add a photo. Rather not? Then feel free to skip this step!
8. Great! You have created an account! You can click the 'Discover the experts' button to continue.
9. Click on an expert that appeals to you. There you can read the topic of the 'living book', and see what time slot is still available. We also give you some more information about the expert.
10. Click on the time slot that suits you best.
11. Great! Your time slot is booked. You can find all your appointments by pressing the cross and clicking 'your appointments' in the menu.

Because we want to inspire the younger generation as well, students can get a discount for the Future Generations Conference!

We do not offer group discounts unless through a customized ticket deal. Contact marieke@leuvenmindgate.be for that.

An angry bird ticket has the same advantages as a standard ticket, but with one important difference: the price is €149 instead of €69. This special ticket offers the possibility to donate an extra amount to a good cause: De Wissel vzw in Leuven, an organization supporting young people in difficult circumstances. By buying this ticket, you invest directly in a better future for these young people and show your solidarity with De Wissel's commitment to improvement.

Paid tickets are always sent to the mail address you provided. Have you already looked in the spam folder of your mail? Still can't find the tickets? Mail info@andleuven.com and we'll be happy to help you!

Unfortunately, it is not possible to cancel your ticket, but you can pass your ticket on to a friend or colleague. This way, someone can still use the ticket and enjoy the event!

You can certainly print your ticket if you find this more convenient, but we are fans of digital tickets. Show your ticket on your cell phone and save a tree!

Yes, you certainly can. Ticket holders of the canceled 2020 edition of the and& festival can email tickets@andleuven.com by Jan. 31 to exchange their ticket for the 2024 FTI and& festival. Please include the type of ticket you purchased and the name under which the tickets were purchased.

Why you can only exchange your ticket now?

The 2021 edition of the and& festival was an online event, and the smaller 2023 edition had a specific focus on start-ups. This is why we decided to only offer the ability to exchange now, so that ticket holders can once again enjoy a physical festival most similar to what the 2020 edition should have been.

The Future Generations Conference is an inspiring conference that promotes long-term thinking that bridges generations, with a focus on health and wellness. You can come listen to a variety of keynotes, workshops and pitch sessions to get inspired!

You can discover the entire Future Generations Conference program here!

Starting at 12 pm, the doors will open and you can listen to the playful Trashbeatz in anticipation of the Future Generations Conference. You can enjoy the conference from 1pm to 7pm. Time slots for the various keynotes can be found in this schedule. Most sessions last 50 minutes.

Your adventure starts at STUK, where you can exchange your ticket for a festival wristband. After that, the conference can begin! Keep a close eye on the timetable to see which keynotes you want to attend, and where exactly they will take place.

You do not need to register separately for sessions or workshops, but seats are limited. If you want to be sure of a spot at a specific session, it's best to get there early! A conference ticket does not guarantee a seat.

Health meets Hardware is an inspiring conference aimed at promoting innovation and sharing ideas between pioneers in product development and healthcare. It brings together Flemish, Belgian and European experts to show what Flanders has to offer in the field of healthcare devices and puts the top of the health & hardware sector (literally) in the spotlight. With keynotes, panel discussions and a catwalk show for top-devices, both content and entertainment take center stage. The event focuses on combining innovation with bold ideas and new perspectives, with a focus on the needs of future generations in the health sector.

Imagine a library, but with a unique twist. Instead of borrowing ordinary paper books, you borrow conversations with experts. From technology buffs to future visionaries, all have answers to your questions, experiences to share and fascinating stories to tell. You sit at a table in a small group, so you can ask the expert your questions in a very approachable and accessible way. A unique concept you don't want to miss!

At PLAY, children discover science in a playful way through hands-on experiments, such as making their own computer games and working with real robots. On Sunday, March 17, the Leuven Tweebronnen library will transform into a vibrant world of the future, where children can enjoy a spectacular show by Technopolis. Vesper, the headliner, presents his best experiments, ranging from clouds to liquid nitrogen at -196°C. After the show, children can choose their favorite experiment and explore the world of science and technology for themselves.

PLAY is full, but be sure to follow our socials (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) to not miss the next edition!

Future Fusion is an innovative project where a group of young people from Leuven have been working since October 2023 on experiments that encourage discussion, reflection and new ideas about the future of work. With pressure on education and the job market, and more and more 'new' jobs going unfilled, the experiments are aimed at exploring how future changes will affect the city and society in which young people will live, learn and work. The studio, in City Hall, invites young people from all backgrounds to come up with solutions to these challenges together. They will show the results of their work at Future Fusion, a multi-faceted event featuring a fashion show, a hip-hop concert, community activities and art and architectural installations.

The Arts & Science Parcours is an event where art, science and technology come together. It offers an enchanting trail along fascinating performances and installations that present innovative creations and explore the boundaries of creativity. From dancing robots to stunning sound art and audiovisual experiences, the trail offers a unique opportunity to explore different disciplines. You can find the full program of the parcours here! This event is a collaboration with STUK.

AliA Invites is an event where you can dance your heart out on musical sensations at Het Depot, presented by local legend ALiA. The line-up includes MALA, a pioneer in dubstep and owner of Deep Medi Music label; STENNY + NIC PARANOIA with an adventurous mix of Techno & Bass Music; NEFFA-T with groundbreaking DJ skills; MANKIYAN, an emerging favorite in Belgium with in-depth and intuitive mixes; FREQ444, a duo moving between the lines of bass music, breaks and IDM; and hostess AliA, the crown princess of the Belgian underground.

During this day, Flemish tech and innovation companies open their doors to the public, including imec & Brightlab in Leuven and KU Leuven Campus Group T. You can discover various innovative technologies! At imec, experience their innovations with a VR app and hologram, take part in Brightlab workshops, and enjoy Improbotics, AI improvised theater. There are also Future Tech Talks and a clean room tour with audio guide. At KU Leuven Campus Group T, discover their leadership in engineering education and pioneering student projects such as the Solar Team. Discover the other participating companies and practical info here.

KU Leuven's Children's University offers a unique learning experience for children. Instead of traditional classrooms, classes take place in a real auditorium. Led by real professors, fascinating lectures are held where children's questions are answered. After class, children can participate in various workshops, where they gain hands-on experience. This program provides a stimulating environment for children to learn and satisfy their curiosity outside of the traditional school system.

This event is full!

Future Voices provides a platform for young people to connect with decision makers. With TV personality Tim Hofman as a special guest and Amir Bachrouri as moderator, it promises to be an inspiring evening. This is more than just another event; it is a movement where young minds are taking charge and making their voices heard. Future Voices strives to turn the digital voices of young people into tangible changes at policy level by engaging young people in debate with policymakers.

LIMP is a duet between a one-legged dancer, the technology of robots and specially developed artificial intelligence (AI). Thanks to a high-tech, robotic foot prosthesis, a one-legged dancer is back on stage. The technology gives him the balance, mobility, strength and confidence needed to perform choreography.

Het Lichaam van de Toekomst is an interactive pop-up installation on the Martelarenplein in Leuven. Embark on an immersive journey with our state-of-the-art Deep Screen 3D experience, where you'll explore every facet of how our bodies function through sensor technology in a way you've only seen in science fiction movies, but is actually already a reality.