DEN INSTITUTE

Their core work

DEN Institute (Design Entrepreneurship Institute) is a Belgian NGO that helps creative and media industries adopt innovation, digital transformation, and entrepreneurial practices. They specialize in bridging design thinking with business model development, supporting SMEs, startups, and creative professionals in areas like publishing, media, and citizen engagement. Their work spans from facilitating digital innovation hubs to helping traditional sectors like book publishing embrace immersive technologies and new revenue models.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

DEN Institute's earliest H2020 projects (2019) included an unexpected outlier in regenerative medicine (HERMES) alongside ICT integration (REBUILD), suggesting they initially took on diverse roles — likely in design, communication, or innovation management capacities. From 2020 onward, their focus sharpened decisively toward creative industries, media innovation, and entrepreneurship support, with MediaFutures and Mobius forming a clear thematic cluster. Their most recent project (I-CHANGE, 2021) adds a green transition and citizen engagement dimension, hinting at broadening toward social impact.

DEN is consolidating around the intersection of creative industries, digital innovation hubs, and citizen engagement — expect them to pursue projects combining media, design thinking, and societal impact.

How they like to work

DEN Institute operates exclusively as a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for a smaller NGO contributing specialized expertise rather than managing large consortia. With 55 unique partners across 15 countries in just 5 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia and maintain a broad network rather than repeating partnerships. This makes them an adaptable partner who integrates well into new teams.

With 55 unique consortium partners across 15 countries from only 5 projects, DEN operates within large European consortia and has built a wide-reaching but shallow network. Their geographic spread across 15 countries indicates strong pan-European connectivity.

What sets them apart

DEN Institute sits at the intersection of design, entrepreneurship, and digital media — a niche that few NGOs in Belgium occupy within the H2020 landscape. Their strength lies in translating innovation frameworks into practical support for creative industries, from publishing to journalism. For consortium builders, they offer a rare combination: design entrepreneurship expertise packaged in a flexible, non-profit structure that fits well into innovation action projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Mobius
  Largest funding (EUR 673K) and most thematically focused — explored how prosumers, immersive tech, and cross-media approaches are transforming book publishing.
• MediaFutures
  Positioned DEN within a data-driven media innovation hub supporting startups, artists, and SMEs — directly aligned with their core mission.
• I-CHANGE
  Signals a strategic pivot toward green transition and citizen behavioural change, expanding DEN beyond purely creative-industry work.