Knowledge that matters for the 'survival of unfittest': The case of the new Brussels' rail junction

Based on the case of the new 'Watermael - Schuman - Josaphat' rail junction in Brussels, findings show the critical role played by the Federal Ministry for Communications thanks to a long-standing and context-specific know-how on underground works. While missing knowledge was outsourced and instrumentally used to overcome potential lock-in, the Ministry was able to build the only new large metropolitan infrastructure of Belgium during a period of high uncertainty due to decentralisation. The paper concludes discussing the effects of preserving this policy knowledge as well as negative issues related to this 'cognitive monopoly'.