Belgium
January 14, 2014

The Board of Directors of FlandersBio today announces the appointment of Henk Joos as the new Managing Director of organisation. FlandersBio is the industrial networking organisation for the life sciences sector in Flanders, a dynamic non-profit, fee-based organisation with currently more than 280 members.

Henk (°1958, Roeselare) studied biology at the University of Ghent, where he obtained his PhD in 1984, after which he took the INSEAD Young Management Programme. Henk was active at Plant Genetic Systems (PGS) for a decade; first as a researcher and then as a business development manager. After that he occupied various international management positions at, among others, AgrEvo, Aventis Cropscience, Bayer Cropscience, D1 oils and QUINVITA. Between 2004 and 2006 Henk was also a member of the FlandersBio’s Board of Directors. Therefore he was closely involved in the establishment of the organisation.

“We are very pleased that Henk is joining the FlandersBio team as its Managing Director”, says Patrik De Haes, chairman of the Board of FlandersBio. “With his many years’ experience in the biotech sector, Henk can further develop FlandersBio into an integrated network that unites all actors. Several Flemish companies were at the outset of the industrialisation of the various areas of biotechnology in Europe. The current Flemish biotech sector can therefore rely on a broad experience and an exceptional potential in this fast evolving and challenging business. Henk’s objective is to maximise the valorisation of this potential worldwide with FlandersBio”.

Henk Joos is looking forward to his new position: “I consider becoming the Managing Director of FlandersBio a great honour, also at this historic moment in the existence of the organisation, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2014! FlandersBio has developed into a fascinating and extremely varied platform. I consider it my personal task to set up a very directional supportive policy for the members of FlandersBio. With the cluster of the FlandersBio member companies, Flanders has a unique flagship to further develop its knowledge economy internationally”.

FlandersBio offers a number of advantages to its members. These include networking opportunities to help establish collaborations and stimulate knowledge transfer within the sector, proactive political lobbying and a tailored information and communications service that brings value to the business of its members and helps to increase their national and international visibility.
FlandersBio is supported by a number of strategic partners including Deloitte, Flanders Investment & Trade, Gimv/Biotech Fonds Vlaanderen, IWT, Janssen Pharmaceutica, KBC Securities and VIB.

Website: http://flandersbio.be/

Published: January 14, 2014