Health
Flanders (Belgium) is a global hotspot for life sciences and health, fostering innovation in drug discovery, advanced therapies, and diagnostic solutions. The region brings together biotech pioneers, CROs, CMOs, CDMOs, and clinical trial experts to drive breakthroughs in fields such as oncology, neurology, regenerative medicine, and infectious and auto-immune diseases.
As the leading cluster for R&D in biotech and life sciences, flanders.bio is at the heart of this ecosystem, actively supporting initiatives by the Flemish government. By aligning industry, research institutions, and healthcare providers, flanders.bio accelerates innovation in personalized medicine, ATMPs, advanced therapies, and regenerative health solutions.
Furthermore, Belgium occupies a unique position in biotech, thanks to its excellent biopharma value chain: from fundamental research and development, through (pre)clinical trials to state-of-the-art production. Notably, Belgium is number one in Europe regarding investments in research and development (R&D) per capita.
A Legacy of Excellence
Flanders, alongside Belgium, has a longstanding tradition of innovation in biotechnology and health sciences, dating back to the 1970s. Early breakthroughs in recombinant DNA technologies and monoclonal antibodies laid the groundwork for therapeutic advancements.
The presence of globally recognized leaders in the pharmaceutical industry has further strengthened the region’s reputation as a hub for innovation, driving research, development, and collaboration that enhance the biotechnology landscape.
Facilities driving Innovation
Flanders and Belgium are home to a robust network of state-of-the-art facilities that propel life sciences and biotech innovation in health. From cutting-edge research institutes and university research hospitals to incubators, accelerators, and advanced manufacturing hubs, these
resources foster a dynamic and collaborative ecosystem.
Technology transfer departments, bioinformatics platforms like imec, and
a thriving funding and investment environment further support the
translation of groundbreaking research into real-world health solutions.
This comprehensive infrastructure, which includes CROs, CMOs, CDMOs and clinical trial support services, ensures Flanders remains a global leader in health-related R&D and commercialization.
By connecting research excellence with industry expertise, these facilities drive innovation, improve patient outcomes, and solidify the region’s position at the forefront of global health advancements.
Projects, Platforms & Initiatives
flanders.bio supports at.las, a platform that connects and supports professionals involved in cell and gene therapies.
flanders.bio is a founding partner and member of the board of Flanders Vaccine. This platform aims to stimulate innovation in vaccine-related research & business as well as to catalyse public-private partnerships.
flanders.bio is a member of Medvia, the innovation cluster for better health. Medvia aims to further strengthen the position of Flanders as one of the top regions in life sciences and health technology worldwide. This cluster is an initiative by flanders.bio, DSP Valley and MedTechFlanders.
flanders.bio is member of EuropaBio’s Healthcare Biotechnology Council. flanders.bio is also actively involved within the SME platform connecting smaller companies acting across all biotechnology sectors to share experiences, identify challenges and propose policy recommendations.
flanders.bio is the official project partner of The European Hub for Advanced Development in Regenerative Medicine and Biomaterials (EHAB), which aims to accelerate the delivery of innovative health techniques and products to patients who need it.
flanders.bio is supporting the development of alternative methods to animal testing. The RE-place project and database aims to centralize the existing expertise on NAMs in Belgium in one database.
BBMRI.be is the Belgian hub of the European research infrastructure for biobanking and biomolecular resources, supporting health and life sciences research. flanders.bio actively collaborates through the Stakeholder Involvement Working Group and supports several initiatives.
Background & publications
Biotech in Flanders
Jo Bury, Johan Cardoen and Dirk Reyn have been closely involved in the development of the Flemish biotech industry as the driving forces behind the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) and flanders.bio. When they realised that some of the iconic pioneers of the Flemish biotech story were quietly retreating and becoming less visible, they decided to write down the story of Flemish biotech in a book.
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