Master plan and strategy
Science Collections Strategy 2026–2035
In March 2026, Meise Botanic Garden published its Science Collections Strategy 2026-2035, setting out an ambitious plan to maintain and enhance its science collections over the next decade.
With more than 225 years of history, Meise Botanic Garden manages a unique and diverse collection of living plants, seeds, herbarium specimens, molecular samples, library resources and archives. These collections underpin scientific research on plant biodiversity and conservation worldwide, and contribute to addressing major global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food security. They also support international commitments, including the Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.
Over the past decade, the Garden has made major progress in digitising its collections, with three million herbarium specimens now accessible online through platforms such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Building on this momentum, the new strategy focuses on further improving access, long-term preservation and the scientific relevance of the collections.
The strategy reaffirms the Garden’s long-standing partnerships in Central Africa, supporting the restoration and digitisation of key collections and strengthening regional capacity for biodiversity research.
Five key ambitions guide the strategy:
- Strengthening impact for research, conservation and policymaking by prioritising taxa and regions of expertise and integrating technologies such as DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence.
- Securing the collections for future generations through upgraded facilities, enhanced preservation standards and a unified collection management system.
- Expanding global access by accelerating digitisation, improving online availability and enhancing data curation and interoperability.
- Engaging the public with biodiversity through new exhibitions and interactive platforms that connect wider audiences with the collections.
- Reinforcing our position as a global centre of excellence in biodiversity collections, data and international collaboration.
With this strategy, Meise Botanic Garden strengthens its role as a leading research institution and a trusted steward of biodiversity knowledge for the benefit of science and society.
Read the strategy here
Master plan: Respecting the past and investing in the future
Since 2014, the Botanic Garden has been managed by the Flemish government as the Meise Botanic Garden Agency. Through a new master plan, with an extensive investment package and the leverage project Meise Botanic Garden 2.0, the Botanic Garden is preparing itself for the future. The work will run over a period of more than 10 years.
In the first phase, investments were made in a new visitor infrastructure. As of July 2021, the Botanic Garden welcomes visitors via two completely renovated entrance areas; the Empress Charlotte entrance and the Meise-Village entrance. We renewed signage and signposting throughout the domain and the walking routes, and a network of junctions was created to help visitors find their way around.
The 19th century Stately Avenue was restored and replanted with water cypresses. Many new gardens highlight our collections: the Rose Garden, the Mediaeval Garden, and the Fragrance and Colour Garden near the Empress Charlotte entrance, the formal Castle Garden at the end of the Sately Avenue, and the Culinary Garden in the walled garden of the Orangery. In 2022, we opened a new Island Garden in the castle pond.
We also care for our Heritage. The various follies in the estate, relics of the 19th century English Landscape Park, will be refreshed step by step. The Plant Palace was completely renovated and given new information panels for our visitors. A beautiful pond and lovely borders complete the picture. In the same period, the construction of a new greenhouse complex for our plant collections was started. This Green Ark and the adjacent service building, which houses the seed bank, were completed in 2023.
Biodiversity and sustainability are inextricably linked. Sustainability is therefore a common thread running through all investments. Each renovation uses state-of-the-art technology and pays special attention to energy efficiency and renewable materials.
In recent years, we have also invested in the collection and use of rainwater in the estate. With our rainwater storage system, we now have more than 1 million litres of rainwater at our disposal for watering our plant collections. The Botanic Garden aims to become CO₂-neutral by 2050, so heating as efficiently as possible is the aim.
In the next phase, we will renovate the boiler house and build a new technical building adjacent to it. A public restaurant with a roof terrace has been built in the Pachthof zone. The car park, including bicycle parking, will also be addressed.
Finally, the Herbarium building will also be renovated: the home of our extensive library and herbarium and the place where most of our research takes place. Together with the renovation of the Orangery, they complete an impressive investment programme. As the icing on the cake, and because it will be necessary after all the work, the roads in the Botanic Garden will also be renewed.