Health
Uncovering Biotech, Medtech, and Digital Health Synergy in Ghent: Europe's Tech Hub
A Flourishing Health Ecosystem in Ghent, Europe's Tech Hub
The vibrant convergence of academic institutions, research centers, and healthcare facilities in Ghent has nurtured a thriving ecosystem, fostering groundbreaking technologies and solutions.
At the heart of this ecosystem is VIB, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology, located at Tech Lane Ghent Science Park. VIB conducts multidisciplinary life sciences research with a focus on molecular mechanisms across various organisms, striving for real societal impact through technology transfer. They are particularly dedicated to exploring the potential applications of llama antibodies in areas such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and viral infections. To enhance their research capabilities, VIB and Ghent University have inaugurated a new research facility accommodating 200 researchers and featuring a state-of-the-art BioSafety Level 3 facility for experimental research on airborne pathogens.
Ghent University, renowned for its emphasis on health and medical sciences, plays a pivotal role in this ecosystem. It attracts promising talents in medicine and related fields from around the world and houses diverse departments that address challenges in diagnosing rare diseases, understanding mechanisms, and developing therapies. The university also educates future researchers and professionals while actively participating in advisory and decision boards, thus guiding patient-centered research and education.
UZ Ghent, the city's university hospital situated in southern Ghent, is a central component of this health ecosystem. With a robust track record, the hospital conducts over 1,900 clinical experiments and 900 clinical studies annually. UZ Ghent places significant importance on translating research into practical applications and is expanding its clinical GMP unit for cell and gene therapy with lentiviral vector production capabilities, facilitating the faster development of innovative treatments like CAR-T therapy for cancer and infectious diseases.
Flanders.bio, a dynamic life sciences cluster organization, serves as a vital player in the region, fostering collaboration and networking within the healthtech sector. Its mission is to strengthen the Flemish region's standing in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare through a variety of activities and initiatives. Flanders.bio facilitates internationalization, offers essential services, and builds expertise, ultimately nurturing a robust health ecosystem in Ghent and beyond.
Another influential research institute in Ghent is imec, specializing in integrated circuits, sensors, smart health solutions, and life sciences. Its research focuses on enhancing healthcare delivery, diagnostic and treatment methods, and empowering individuals in managing their health. imec collaborates with organizations to develop and validate innovative technologies for personalized and preventive healthcare. By merging life sciences with digital technology, imec enables improved measurement precision and efficient handling, storage, and utilization of extensive datasets.
Imec.istart, imec's business accelerator, acts as the first investor and supporting partner for scaling tech startups. The program offers a wide range of services, including initial financial injection, personal coaching and mentoring, access to technology and workspace, and connections to a broad national and international network of partners and investors. Since its launch in 2011, imec.istart has supported over 290 tech startups in various fields, helping them develop into sustainable ventures. In fact, in May, the organization was recognized as the world's best university-linked Business Accelerator by UBI Global during the World Incubation Summit.
Fostering Startups
Several local healthtech companies start as spin-offs from these key players, while new collaborations attract additional companies. Notable examples include Ablynx, which specializes in human therapeutic innovation and achieved success in developing caplacizumab, the world's first medication for acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP), a rare blood clotting disorder. Ablynx was acquired by Sanofi for €3.9 billion in 2018, recognizing its achievements in developing NANOBODY®-derived medication based on llama-derived antibodies.
Agomab, inspired by VIB, leverages expertise in growth factor biology to pioneer treatments for fibrosis, tissue structure repair, and organ function restoration.
Confo Therapeutics, another VIB-inspired spin-off, specializes in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a type of membrane receptor widely targeted in drug discovery. With a unique discovery engine, Confo precisely targets desired GPCR conformations, offering significant potential for breakthrough medicines.
VIB collaborates closely with Orionis Biosciences, an early-stage company driving advancements in oncology and immunotherapies. Last year, Orionis Biosciences attracted significant attention with a $55 million financing round to support advancement into clinical trials.
Ghent University also plays a crucial role in fostering innovation through CESPE, an accelerator focused on the sustainable development, design, and optimization of drug substance and product production platforms. CESPE collaborates with local players and renowned multinationals such as Janssen, Takeda, Pfizer, and Cognizant, facilitating pioneering research on pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical compounds. The labs will relocate to state-of-the-art GMP-like facilities by the end of 2025.
Innovation Platforms
Innovation thrives when like-minded individuals come together, and platforms like GATE connect researchers, industry experts, and clinicians to harness emerging gene, cell, and tissue engineering technologies for revolutionary disease treatment, artificial organ development, and organ-on-chip technology. GATE's focus encompasses reconstructive surgery, cancer, neurological and cardiac syndromes, as well as eye and hearing issues. These advancements have implications beyond healthcare, benefiting areas such as drug screening, medical devices, and cultured meat.
Notable companies that have emerged from these platforms include Ziphius, which uses a self-amplifying RNA platform to develop vaccines for infectious diseases and gene supplementation therapies for rare genetic disorders. Anacura, an independent analytical center of excellence in healthcare and drug development, collaborates closely with local companies, producing GMP batches of Ziphius vaccines for phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.
CAR-T therapy, a widely-recognized form of cell therapy with immense promise in immunotherapy, involves the genetic modification of a patient's own cells to enhance their ability to combat diseases like cancer. Legend Biotech and Janssen, recognizing the potential of this therapy, chose Ghent as the location for their joint state-of-the-art facility at Tech Lane Ghent Science Park. In 2025, they will begin offering life-changing CAR-T therapy.
Ghent has also become a hub for expertise in autoimmune diseases, with companies like Argenx conducting advanced testing for various rare autoimmune diseases, including ITP, pemphigus, and CIDP. Argenx recently received FDA approval for the subcutaneous formulation of their first FcRn blocker for anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive generalised myasthenia gravis.
The New Generation
While established players dominate the healthtech scene, imec.istart is witnessing the rise of a new generation of life science startups, nurturing companies like Ontoforce and IntelliProve.
Ontoforce has been at the forefront for over a decade, focusing on data integration to unlock transformative insights, accelerate drug discovery, streamline clinical trial research, and achieve a faster time-to-market. IntelliProve has developed a mobile application using novel signal processing and computer vision technology, along with a cloud-based AI engine, to accurately assess a patient's health parameters through a smartphone camera. Last year, IntelliProve secured a significant investment of €1 million.
Ghent is home to other cutting-edge ventures that embody the fusion of scientific expertise and digital capabilities, revolutionizing healthcare. Companies like Robovision work.
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