for medical biotech, industrial biotech and agro tech
With this Life Sciences & Biotech Community, Voka aims to build a stronger biotech ecosystem. We bring companies, experts and other key players together around the questions that truly matter today: how can we strengthen collaboration, increase visibility, attract investment and build a region that can compete internationally?
Why this community?
From medical biotech to industrial biotech and agtech, East Flanders’ life sciences sector is built on a broad and diverse value chain of companies, research institutions, technology partners, investors and other enablers. By bringing these different players closer together, we aim to accelerate cross-pollination and create new opportunities.
At the same time, we capture signals from the sector and create space for topics that require collective action. In this way, the community becomes a platform that not only connects people, but also helps drive real progress.
With this community, we aim to:
- Strengthen connections and cross-pollination between companies, subsectors and other ecosystems such as tech and industry.
- Provide inspiration and new insights through forward-looking perspectives, relevant topics and leading speakers.
- Create new collaborations and targeted connections in an accessible and personal setting.
- Increase the visibility of the biotech cluster in Ghent and East Flanders, with the aim of attracting investment, talent, customers and partners.
- Provide support and advocacy through events, training, peer learning and strong signals to policymakers on topics such as space, talent, taxation, mobility and regulation.
The approach is deliberately practical: moving quickly, connecting the right people and developing activities around the concrete needs and opportunities that emerge from the sector.
Programme
The Life Sciences & Biotech Community consists of a series of in-person sessions and several webinars spread throughout the year. Each session focuses on a central theme, combining content, inspiration and networking. In a first phase, we focus on building the community through events and sessions that bring companies together, with the ambition to further develop this into a stronger learning network and more targeted support over time.
Dates & Locations
- KICK-OFF Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 17:00 at Legend Biotech, with Wim Van Criekinge (UGent, Novalis)
- Thursday, December 3, 2026, 15:00 at The Nucleus, with Jerome Van Biervliet (VIB), Kristof Van Emelen (Obulytix), Giacomo Bastianelli (Rainbow Crops), Jan De Kerpel (Van Lanschot Kempen)
- Thursday, February 18, 2027, 10:00 at Bio Base Europe Plant, with Wim Soetaert, Stéphanie Dupont (4Tissue), Annick Verween (Biotope),...
- Tuesday, April 13, 2027, 15:00 at Anacura, with Jette Thykaer (BioInnovation Institute, Denmark)
- Thursday, June 17, 2027, 16:00 at Biotalys, Workshop Sessions with Bits in Bio (Kenny Helsens, Pieter Coussement)
programme detail below
Webinars
- Monday, September 16, 2026, M&A's - free for community members, more information and registration here
- Monday, September 25, 2027, Biotech Law in Motion - free for community members, more information and registration here
Programme Detail
September 29, 2026, 17:00 at Legend Biotech
With this opening session, we launch the Life Sciences Community and set out our ambition from the start: how can we further strengthen our biotech region and increase its international visibility and impact?
During an inspiring plenary session, we will look at the future of biotech, the strengths of our regional hub and the opportunities to put the region even more firmly on the map. The session will be complemented by a guided tour of Legend Biotech and a networking moment.
Programme
- Introduction to the community by Voka
- Introduction by Legend Biotech
- Keynote by Wim Van Criekinge
- Guided tour of the Legend Biotech labs
- Networking moment
December 3, 2026, 15:00 at The Nucleus
Biotech companies are operating in a rapidly changing international context. Geopolitical tensions, new regulations, strategic dependencies and shifting supply chains have a direct impact on collaboration, market access, investment and growth opportunities. In this session, we bring together business leaders, experts and policymakers to explore what these developments mean for biotech in Flanders and Europe.
Programme
- Introduction by the host
- Keynote by Jerome Van Biervliet (Managing Director, VIB)
- Panel discussion with Jan De Kerpel (Managing Director, Van Lanschot Kempen), Giacomo Bastianelli (co-founder & CEO, Rainbow Crops) and Kristof Van Emelen (CEO, Obulytix)
- Networking moment with food and drinks
February 18, 2027, 10:00 at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant
Innovation accelerates when companies, subsectors and ecosystems connect more effectively. This session focuses on cross-pollination: between medical biotech, industrial biotech and agtech, between large and small companies, and between biotech and tech.
Through a number of concrete cases, companies will show how collaboration can create new opportunities and accelerate innovation in practice. Together, we will explore shared needs and opportunities, and how we can make smarter use of knowledge, technology, capacity and infrastructure across the region.
Programme
- Introduction by Bio Base Europe
- Pitches by several speakers on their collaborations:
- Stéphanie Dupont (CEO, 4Tissue)
- Annick Verween (Head of Biotope, VIB)
- Speaker 3 TBA
- Speaker 4 TBA
- Guided tour
- Networking moment
April 13, 2027, 15:00 at Anacura
How can we organise our biotech ecosystem more effectively and strengthen it further? In this session, we will look at the critical success factors of a strong cluster: talent, infrastructure, collaboration, entrepreneurship, investment and international positioning.
With Jette Thykaer, Director at the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark, we welcome a speaker from an ecosystem that is widely regarded as a strong international example. The Danish model shows how a powerful combination of science, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and targeted support can help build a visible and successful life sciences ecosystem.
Drawing on her insights, we want to better understand which levers could also help our region achieve greater scale, stronger collaboration and increased international attractiveness.
Programme
- Introduction by Anacura
- Keynote by Jette Thykaer from the BioInnovation Institute
- Guided walk through the Anacura forest
- Networking moment with food and drinks
June 17, 2027, 16:00 at Biotalys
In this session, we focus on the conditions needed to make biotech companies future-proof. AI and software are playing an increasingly important role. Starting from concrete cases and insights from both the tech and biotech worlds, we will explore how we can bring these two ecosystems closer together.
After a short introduction, we will move into 3 to 4 breakout tables around the following themes:
- Collaboration between tech and biotech: how can we bring talent and companies closer together?
- Differences in IP and ways of working: how can we bridge these in concrete collaborations?
- The role of AI, data and digital twins in biotech: where are the biggest opportunities?
- Ecosystem and collaboration: which initiatives and connections are still missing today?
The session will be followed by an after-work networking moment with drinks & bites.
Who is it for?
- Companies and entrepreneurs active in medical biotech, industrial biotech and agtech, from innovative start-ups and scale-ups to more established players across the broader life sciences sector.
- Partners and enablers across the value chain, such as technology partners, CROs, CDMOs, laboratories and research institutions.
- Decision-makers, experts and investors who want to contribute to greater collaboration, visibility and growth within the life sciences ecosystem in East Flanders.
What can you expect?
- Five in-person networking events: unique opportunities to connect with leading professionals from across the life sciences ecosystem.
- Food and drinks at each session.
- Ad hoc webinars whenever relevant new themes, challenges or developments arise, helping you stay up to date in a fast-moving sector.
- Optional international trip: exclusively open to community members, with a focus on new insights, international inspiration and valuable connections.
