Flanders Life Sciences Ecosystem Tour
Pre-conference program for international delegates
In collaboration with Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT)
08.00
Gather and depart from Antwerp
Presentation of the Flanders ecosystem by Biovia
09.30
11.15
Arrival at The Nucleus
Introduction of the Ghent Region
Tour of the Nucleus
Networking Lunch
Presentations from
- VIB
- Legend Biotech
- Harpago Pharma
14.45
Arrival at Science Park Antwerp
Introduction of the Antwerp Region
Presentations from
- Etherna
- Vaccinopolis
Visits to
- YUN
- ImmuneSpec
- BioNotus
Introduction of the Limburg Region (panel session)
- Health Campus Limburg
- Conexco
- TBA
- TBA
17.50
Reception
18.30
Depart to Antwerp
Registration
This tour is only open to international delegates.
Limited seats available. Registration is under a first come, first served basis!
Price: €125 (on top of the Full Congress ticket, excl. VAT)
Capital, Scale & Europe Without borders
& State of the union
09.00
Registration & Welcome Coffee
09.30
Finance & Scale Breakfast: Curated Networking
10.15
Keynote: Storytelling for Success: Turn Your Technology into an Irresistible Fundraising Story
Giuseppe Marzio, Founder & Managing Director, Chiaro
Finance & Scale Breakfast: Curated Networking
11.00
Life Sciences & Healthtech Scale-up Showcase
- Rudi Tielemans, Founder & CEO, Eforto Health
- Katrien Reynders-Frederix, CEO & Co-Founder, NanoTherix
- Jan Van der Schueren, CEO/CSO, Co-Founder, Alturos Therapeutics
- Kevin Hollevoet, CEO & Co-founder, Hemastatx
- Ken Coppieters, Sr. Director, Rare Disease, Research Portfolio, Novo Nordisk
- Filip Delport, CTO, Vixenbio
Who owns what? IP & Value Creation When You Pivot
Co-founder splits, university spin-out IP disputes, what happens to your portfolio when you pivot.
Stijn Lagaert, Partner, and Emilie Logie, Patent Attorney, Gevers
11.45
Life Sciences & Healthtech Scale-up Showcase
- John-Paul Bogers, CEO, Elmedix
- Gaëlle Boulet, Co-founder & Director and
- Ilke De Boeck, Co-founder and Head of Research, aMylla
- TBC, imec/SHINE
- Ana Rita Santos, Expert Scientist and BD Catalyst Manager for Neurology, VIB I&B
- Mar Cóndor (Bio-Applications Lead) and Sneha (Portfolio Manager, Life Science Tools), imec
Workshop: Design Your Exit Before You Start
Turning Belgian innovation into Global impact: let’s build the ecosystem Belgian startups deserve
Belgium has world-class science. What it needs is a world-class system to bring that science to market. This workshop brings together founders, investors, cluster organizations, and policymakers to have an honest conversation about what is working, what is missing, and what we can do together to give Belgian HealthTech and biotech startups the best possible shot at scaling.
- Charlotte Bertrand, Senior Associate, PwC
- Hanne Callewaert, CEO, Astrivax
- Rocco Stirparo, Venture Development Manager, imec
12.30
Networking Lunch
13.30
Arrival & Registration for the State of the Union
14.00
Opening & Introduction of the State of the Union
Ann Van Gysel, CEO, Biovia
14.30
International Keynote: Building Global Life Sciences Champions – Lessons from the Nordics
Søren Møller, Managing Partner, Novo Seeds
15.00
Panel: Join Forces or Lose Ground: The Only Way Europe Wins Is Together
This panel explores why strategic collaboration between European clusters is becoming a competitive necessity, and how joining forces across borders creates the critical mass needed to attract investment, talent and international partnerships. The panel will examine what a true “Champions League” of European life sciences and healthtech innovation could look like in practice, and what it takes to get there.
Speakers:
- Anette Steenberg, CEO, Medicon Valley Alliance
- Ann Van Gysel, CEO, Biovia
- James Rose, Director of Strategic and Industry Partnerships, Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley
- Alexander Becker, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Basel Area Business & Innovation
Moderated by Stamie Kritas, Managing Director, Council of European BioRegions (CEBR)
16.00
Coffee break
16.30
Fireside Chat: Financial Insights
- Jeroen Van Den Bossche, Director Equity Sales Life Sciences, KBC Securities
- Bart De Taeye, Head of Life Sciences & Care, PMV
Moderated by Clément Salque, Senior Associate, Bioqube Ventures
17.15
Panel: The Money Is Out There. So Why Can’t You Get It?
- Bart De Taeye, Head of Life Sciences & Care, PMV
- Katleen Vandersmissen, Managing Partner, Heran Partners
- Nadiya Ishnazarova, Principal, Venture Investments, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC)
- Jerome van Biervliet, Managing Director, VIB, representing of The European Life Sciences Coalition (ELSC)
- Antoine D’Hollander, Investment Director, Capricorn Partners
Moderated by Laurent Van Lerberghe, Founder, KELES
18.00
Walking Dinner
Flanders on Display
08.45
Registration & Welcome Coffee
09.00
Partnering Opens
Exhibition Opens
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
10.00
Welcome words
- Els Van Doesburg, Mayor, City of Antwerp
- Miranda Coppens, General Manager POM Antwerp
- Ann Van Gysel, CEO, Biovia
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
10.15
International keynote: Scientific Sovereignty is not enough – time for more industrial leadership
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
10.45
Keynote: How to scale a biotech company
Tim Knotnerus, CEO, Agomab Therapeutics
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
11.05
Panel: Navigating Life Sciences Journey with eyes wide open
- Stephane van Rooijen, CEO, Life Sciences
- Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Board at LabGenius, NanoSyrinx, and Avantium
- Ann Beliën, Founder & CEO, Rejuvenate Biomed
Moderated by Henry Stoneley, Founder, Rabble Rouser Go to Market
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
11.45
Panel: The World Won’t Wait for Europe to Figure Out Scaling
- Viggo Van Tendeloo, Director Early Innovation Partnering Benelux, Johnson&Johnson
- Ilse Vanhulle, Venture Acceleration Manager Health, imec istart
- Christina Takke, Managing Partner, V-Bio Ventures
- Emile Redant, CEO, Zymofix
- Lukas Stabel, Business Developer, Comate
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
12.30
Networking Lunch
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
13.30
Networking Lunch
TTO Flanders elevator pitch session: research to business
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
14.00
Pitches: Tech for One Health
- Ségolène Martin, CEO, Kantify
- Annemieke Smet, Research Professor, Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics (University of Antwerp)
- Geert Jannes, Business Development Director, Fujirebio Europe
- Lucas Decuypere, CEO & President, Allegro
- Gerben Menschaert, CSO – General Manager OHMX.bio (part of Anacura)
Pitches: Tech for One Health
- Liesbeth Minnoye, Valorisation Lead Computational Biology & AI, VIB
- Christophe Deben,
Co-founder & CDO, Sightera Biosciences & Center for Oncological Research (University of Antwerp) - Koen Beyers, Founder and CTO, Idevax
- Francesca Maria Bosisio, Director of the Spatial Proteomics Unit, KU Leuven Institute for Single Cell Omics (LISCO)
Pitches: Tech for One Health
- Wouter Van Putte, Founder & CEO, Puxano
- Scott Russell, Founder & CEO, Innatify
- Hosna Ghaderi, Researcher, SyntEyes (University of Antwerp)
- Yo Amakusa, CEO, iBody
- Janet Hoogstraate, CEO, NorthX Biologics
TTO Flanders elevator pitch session: research to business
UAntwerpen
- Prof. dr. Vincent Timmerman – SCREEN4PN platform
- Dr. Sara Van Looy – ReViRAnt
UGent
- Dr. Joni Bert: Fidolyx
- Dr. Loren Deblock: Hafnolox
UHasselt
- Prof. dr. Esther Wolfs: Stemserve
- Christopher Patzanovsky: NeuroSight
VUB
- Dr. Eric Gaba: Pineapple leaf fibre for eco-friendly prosthetic sockets
- Dr. Lorenzo Franceschini: Developing personalized synthetic RNA for the selection of next-generation therapeutics
KU Leuven
- Dr. Nick Geukens – RETROFIT platform
- Dr. Dries Vloemans – SimpleFluidics
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
15:00
Champions of innovation: Precision medicine
- Max Houry, COO & Co-Founder, atbtherapeutics
- Willem Delabie, Expert Valorisation and Application, Belgian Red Cross-Flanders
- Inge Mertens, Coordinator Centre for Proteomics
VITO/UAntwerp - Kristof Van Emelen, CEO, Obulytix
Champions of innovation: Value-based healthcare
- Guy Hans, CEO, UZA
- Ronald van der Geest, CEO, Onicor
- Heidi Bertels (CEO & Co-Founder) and Sofie Rennen (CSO & Co-Founder), Sampl.id
- Sofie Houtmeyers, Valorisation Manager Applied (Bio)Sciences, EMMA Platform (University of Antwerp)
Champions of innovation: Clinical trials
- Marc Verhaeren, Founder, Studia Health
- Ward Servaes, Co-Founder, MoveUp
- Ingrid Maes, Managing Director, Inovigate
Champions of innovation: Agtech & industrial biotech
- TBA, Inbiose
- Wim Soetaert, CEO, Bio base Europe Pilot Plant
- TBA, PFX Biotech
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
16:00
Coffee Break
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
16.30
Closing fireside chat: “Surviving in a tough economy…a new playbook for innovation”
- Wim Van Hecke, CEO, Icometrix
- Steven Biesmans, Principal, UCB Ventures
Moderated by Ann Van Gysel, CEO, Biovia
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
17.30
Reception
Matchmaking
1-1 meetings via Swapcard, opening beginning of May
