A brand-new biotechnology network will be launched today − the initiative of 30 biotech company CEOs and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). With the aim of becoming the engine for the sustainable internal growth of the biotech industry in Flanders, the new network unites the forces of the Flemish biotech players and strives to attract foreign investment, companies, and knowledge workers.

Biotech in Flanders is clearly on the rise. To shift the growth process into an even higher gear, 30 CEOs have teamed up with VIB to launch today a Flemish biotech network. This important new network unites the forces of the large majority of the pur sang biotech companies in Flanders and representatives from risk capital firms and biotech centers of knowledge (see appendix).

The network’s primary goal is to be a driving force for the sustainable internal growth of biotechnology in Flanders, by (among other initiatives) starting up new companies and creating a favorable investment climate for biotech newcomers as well as established players. A second aim of the network is to attract foreign knowledge workers, investments, and companies. To realize these objectives, the biotech network will develop activities around three pillars: the effective exchange of knowledge, improving the investment climate for biotech companies, and elevating the profile of the network and its members to the international level.

Philippe Archinard, CEO of Innogenetics, puts it this way: ‘If we want to achieve long-term success for our organizations, it’s essential that we have access to the best science and that there be a living web of biotech companies. This can only be achieved if more companies, larger companies and more mature companies, develop in our region. The objective of the network is to lend a hand toward making this a reality.’

Today, Flanders boasts 40 biotech companies whose activity almost completely falls under the category of biotechnology. These purebred companies currently employ around 2000 knowledge workers, an increase of 6% compared to last year. Moreover, each biotech job indirectly provides three additional jobs. And in addition to this, biotechnology is increasingly becoming an important component in the innovation strategy of a growing number of traditional companies. According to a conservative estimate, at this moment about 20,000 people are finding jobs in the biotechnology sector, a number that grows significantly each year.

Another illustration of the strong growth of the pur sang biotech enterprises are the recent investments in new research and production buildings. This year, Genzyme, Devgen, Bayer Crop Science, VIB and Ghent University (among others) have enjoyed investments in biotech infrastructure alone of almost € 200 million.