BELGIAN RESEARCH 2020

Life & health sciences

© ISSeP

© VIB-IneDehandschutter

© Medi-Line

© UCLouvain

It’s time to move up a gear!

BEWARE Fellowships programme promotes the international mobility of researchers and allows 75 of them to make 3 years of research into a Walloon SME and a university, or a university college, or a research centre.

This programme is cofunded by the European Commission and the Walloon Region.

A budget of 20 million € covering the salary of the researcher and expenses linked to the equipment is available.

Interested? Have a look at www.bewarejobs.be

Together, let's take up today the Walloon technological challenges of tomorrow

This programme has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 847587 – MSCA

Design

www.petitpoisson.be – E.R. : Ir Isabelle Quoilin, directrice générale, Service public de Wallonie Economie Emploi Recherche, place de la Wallonie 1 à 5100 Namur – septembre 2019

Summary

Belgian Research in Europe R&D, Technology, Innovation

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- 1st Quarter 2021 -

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The coronavirus crisis has clearly shown the vital importance of research and innovation to protect people’s lives and to underpin our wellbeing Interview with Mrs Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth ...............................................................10-13 More financial means needed to fund excellence research Interview with Dame Janet THORNTON, Vice-President of the European Research Council in charge of life sciences until the end of 2020 .......................................... 14 Fostering access to innovative medicines and healthcare products Interview with Mr. Xavier DE CUYPER, Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) .............................................. 15 A lot of opportunities for science, technology and innovation Interview with Mr. David CLARINVAL, Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Outgoing Minister for the Budget and the Civil Service, in charge of the National Lottery and Scientific Policy ...........................................................................16-17 Belnet Focusing on the value proposition for Belgian research and education actors ........................................18-19 Ensuring accessibility, quality, sustainability and innovation in healthcare Interview with Mr Jo DE COCK, General Administrator of the National Institute for Sickness and Invalidity Insurance (INAMI- RIZIV) ................................... 20 Innovation towards a patient-centric, integrated, connected and value-based healthcare Interview with Prof. Pascal VERDONCK, Board Member of the Belgian and European Association of Hospital Managers ............................................................................. 21 Howest To boldly go where no one has gone before ......................................22-23 Improving everyone’s quality of life with chemistry and life sciences Interview with Mr Yves VERSCHUEREN, Managing Director essenscia................................................................... 25

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Summary essenscia: Innovation is at the core of the Belgian Federation for Chemistry and Life Sciences Industries ..........................................26-27 Agoria Vlaanderen Innovation as a weapon against the crisis ............................................... 28 Helping Belgian companies regain market share around the world Interview with Mrs Fabienne L'HOOST, Director General of the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency ............................... 29 Becetel Plastic pipes under the magnifying glass .........................................30-31 4.0 Made Real for the Belgian industry by Sirris Interview with Mr Herman DERACHE, Managing director of Sirris ..................................................................... 32 Supporting health research and strategic transformation for companies Interview with Mrs Hilde CREVITS, Deputy Prime Minister of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Economy, Innovation, Work, Social Economy and Agriculture .............34-35 EWI: Excellence is the keyword in scientific research Interview with Mr Johan HANSSENS, Secretary-General of EWI ....................................................................... 36 Flemish universities must get the necessary means to remain appealing Interview with Dr. Koen VERLAECKT, Secretary General of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) ..................... 37 VLAIO: a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs in Flanders Interview with Mr Mark ANDRIES, General Administrator for Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) ...... 38 Voka Health Community DO-IT for innovation in welfare and care ................................................. 39 VARIO Independent advice for the Flemish Government ..................................... 40 Vlaamse Hogescholenraad – Council of Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts Blikopener: The solution that makes the difference between survival and success for small and medium sized organisations ............................................................................... 41 VITO Reducing the risk of sustainable innovation for companies ...................... 42

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Summary

Imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies Interview with Mr Luc VAN DEN HOVE, President & CEO, imec ........................................................................... 43 UZ Leuven - University Hospitals Leuven High-level research................................................................................ 44 UZ Gent A dynamic organisation in full development ............................................ 45 Vlerick Business School Research that helps the business world move forward .......................46-47 Practice-oriented research makes the difference Vives opts for multidisciplinary approach ........................................48-49 VIB Excellence-driven basic research in life sciences with a strong societal impact .............................................................50-51 beMedTech: medical technologies as enablers for a sustainable and value-driven healthcare system Interview with Mr Marnix DENYS, Director, beMedTech ..........................................................................52-54 beMedTech The value of mhealth really shows in COVID-19 times .............................. 55 pharma.be A vibrant and leading biopharmaceutical valley in Europe ........................ 56 Aphea.Bio Next-generation agro-biologicals for a sustainable future ..................... 57 Biogazelle Cutting-edge science to accelerate your drug development ................... 58 Fujirebio Europe A pioneer in the field of Alzheimer diagnostics ................................... 59 Galapagos Pioneering for patients ..................................................................60-61 Gulliver Biomed The nanobody toolbox for research and industry................................... 62

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Summary Health House Experience the future of health and healthcare .................................... 63 Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) Innovation from field to beanburger? .................................................. 64 Pack4Food Working together on innovative food packaging ................................... 65 Primoris & Ciboris Contributing to the enhancement of food safety, product quality and sustainability....................................................... 66 Yesse Technologies A technology platform to ultimately decode the last mystery of the senses ............................................................ 67 TOKU-E EU NV Your valued partner for bioactive small molecules, antimicrobials, and fine chemicals for research and diagnostics ................................... 68 Rejuvenate Biomed In the fight against ageing ................................................................ 69 For a better readability of the Brussels research and innovation support tools Interview with Dr Daniele CARATI, President of the Science Policy Council of the Brussels-Capital Region (CPSRBC) ................................................... 72 Mobilising Brussels' research and innovation capacities to accompany transformations to come Interview with Mrs. Ji-Hyeon Kim VANGUERS, European Programmes Internationalisation & Innovation, hub.brussels....... 73 Making Brussels a model of economic transition Interview of Mrs. Isabelle GRIPPA, CEO of hub.brussels ........................................................................... 74 Medical technology for Brussels’ well-being 5th edition of the MedTech Accelerator® ............................................... 75 The Innovation Fund, the first Belgian investment fund dedicated to innovative projects in chemistry and life sciences Interview with Mr François CORNELIS, President of The Innovation Fund, Creator of The Innovation Circle ........................................................... 76

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Summary Innovation Circle, an initiative of essenscia dedicated to the free assistance to entrepreneurs and startups in chemistry and life sciences ......................................... 77 Bolstering the appeal of ULB research centres at a global level Interview with Prof. Oberdan LEO, Vice-Rector for research and promotion at the ULB, Institute of Medical Immunology, Immunobiology research unit ....................... 78 COVID-19: Launch of six FNRS research projects at ULB ............................ 79 University Hospital Laboratory of Brussels - LHUB - ULB From a Belgian reference centre to a European network serving patients suffering from hereditary red blood cell diseases ....................................................................... 80 Combining cross-disciplinary expertise to advance research in neurophysiology Interview with Prof. Alban de KERCHOVE d’EXAERDE, Research Director FRS-FNRS at the Laboratory of Neurophysiology of ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre of Brussels (ULB), President of the Belgian Society of Neuroscience (BSN), Vice-President of the Brussels Commission on Animal Experimentation .......... 81 Saving lives by advancing breast cancer research Interview with Prof. David CAMERON, Chair of BIG (Breast International Group), University of Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, NHS Lothian .......................................................................................... 82 The Institute Jules Bordet, a comprehensive cancer center with a research program devoted to solid tumors and hematological malignancies Interview with Prof. Martine PICCART, Research Director of the Institute Jules Bordet ............................................. 83 Understanding the Nucleolus and Ribosomes at the service of biomedical innovation Interview with Prof. Denis LAFONTAINE, Research Director at F.R.S./FNRS, RNA Molecular Biology laboratory & Lafontaine Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) ............................................................ 84 Research at Vrije Universiteit Brussel – VUB Connecting university, business and society ............................................ 85

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Summary UZ Brussel A fully-fledged partner in the (university) hospital landscape in Flanders, in Brussels and in the world ................................................. 86 Universities and university hospitals offer guarantees to external partners in terms of techniques, knowledge and expertise Interview with Mrs Dominique VAN OPHEM, Administrative Director of the Clinical Trial Center (Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc) ............................................................ 87 Teresinha Leal’s research on the identification of biomarkers in the sweat gland to evaluate the efficacy of treatments of Cystic Fibrosis ............................................................................... 89 A widely recognized expertise in interdisciplinarity Interview with Prof. Pierre JADOUL, Rector of Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles (USL-B) ....................................... 90 Eli Lilly Benelux 50 year of Innovative healthcare in the heart of Brussels ..................... 92 Taradon Laboratory A pioneer of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase production for health and food applications ......................................................... 93 Syndo Health Support patients to achieve a new lifestyle .....................................94-95 Takeda Belgium Patient-centred innovation .............................................................96-97 Supporting high-level research to provide concrete responses to the challenges at hand Interview with Mr Elio DI RUPO, Minister-President of Wallonia..........................................................100-101 An integrated approach that takes into account all the stages and components of innovation Interview with Mr Willy BORSUS, Vice-President of the Walloon Region and Minister of Economy, Foreign Trade, Research and Innovation, Digital Technologies, Agriculture, Urban and Spatial Planning, IFAPME and Competence Centers ...........102-103 Remobilising both public and private investment in R&D and innovation Interview with Mr Jean-Christophe DEHALU, President of the Science Policy Pole (SPP), Wallonia ................................. 105

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Summary Scientific Institute of Public Service - ISSeP Towards a holistic approach of risk assessment and management Interview with Ir. Rose DETAILLE, Managing director of ISSeP .........................................................106-107 SOWALFIN, a key player in innovation in Wallonia Interview with Mrs Anne VEREECKE, Member of the Management Committee of SOWALFIN ............................ 108 SRIW, a key partner in the regional strategy for Life Sciences................. 109 Dare to innovate with SynHERA! ........................................................... 111 BioWin: Providing growth for SMEs in the health sector in Wallonia An interview with Mrs Sylvie PONCHAUT, Managing Director of the BioWin competitiveness cluster ....................112-115 GSK An amazing place to develop the vaccines of tomorrow ....................... 116 Auxin Surgery CADISS® for more selective dissection ............................................... 117 Charleroi CHU - Clinical Biology Laboratory Quality Management to guarantee the reliability of results issued to patients ............................................................. 118 Laboratory of Experimental Medicine (ULB 222) - CHU de Charleroi Multidisciplinary clinic research in tune with biotechnology companies ................................................................. 119 GreenWin, the Walloon Innovation Cluster for chemical engineering and sustainable / ecoresponsible construction materials.

Interview with Ms Véronique GRAFF, Managing Director of the GreenWin innovation cluster.......................120-123 The Universities of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels), fully involved in the fight against the Corona disease, and together focused on societal challenges Interview with Dr Ir Michel MORANT and Dr Ir Olivier VANDE VYVER, President and Manager of the LIEU Network......................................124-127 Supporting clinician-researchers to ensure advances in translational research Interview with Mr Julien COMPÈRE, CEO of University Hospital of Liege (CHU Liège) ...................................... 128

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Summary Sizeable investments for the life sciences Interview with Mr Marc FOIDART, COO of Noshaq.................................................................................. 129 GIGA - Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Biomedical Sciences of the University of Liège Cutting-edge technological platforms at the service of the biomedical sector ................................................................130-131 GIGA Advanced medical solution from cutting-edge academic research ......132-133 Mithra A leader in women’s health.........................................................134-135 PDC*line Pharma Your partner in immuno-oncology ..................................................... 136 Microbelcaps Advanced microencapsulation technology for the food and the pharmaceutical industries .................................................... 137 Hyloris Pharmaceuticals Adding value to healthcare systems................................................... 138 Dendrogenix A new family of molecules that fight deafness and cancer .................. 139 Medi-Line A Medical Devices expert .................................................................. 140 Quality Assistance Analytical expertise for tomorrow’s innovative medicines ................... 141 MecaTech: Mechanical engineering is undergoing a major mutation with the explosion of digital and industry 4.0 Interview with Mr Anthony VAN PUTTE, Managing director of the MecaTech competitiveness cluster ................142-145 Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules - CERM Green chemistry applied to polymers for coatings, biomaterials, and more! ................................................ 146 Chemical Engineering Research Unit – Liege University (ULiège) Working towards sustainable transformation processes ....................... 147

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Summary Skywin Taking on a new dimension Interview with Mr Etienne POURBAIX, Director of the Skywin competitiveness cluster ....................................148-151 Centre Spatial de Liège – CSL – Liège Space Centre Developing space technologies for Earth and Space monitoring ........... 153 HELMo Gramme Focus on Industry 4.0, the circular economy and life sciences .......154-155 UCLouvain Research: COVID-19 and Beyond Interview with Prof. Vincent BLONDEL, UCLouvain Rector ...........................................................................156-157 Translational research for the benefit of patients Interview with Prof. Jean-Luc BALLIGAND, President of the Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), WELBIO investigator ............... 158 Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH) – UCLouvain Recognized expertise in the tumor microenvironment ........................ 159 ContrasT Team Visualizing biological tissues in 3D .............................................160-161 Syndesi Therapeutics Promising molecules for the treatment of cognitive impairments ........ 162 Everdeen Medical Equipment Manufacturer & Engineering ................................. 163 UMONS, a vector of innovation .......................................................164-165 Alternative methods to deal with new toxins Interview with Prof. Jean-Marie COLET, Head of the UMONS Human Biology and Toxicology department ............. 166 Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory – UMONS Towards more environmentally friendly solutions ............................... 167 UNamur, a University with experts at the service of Society

By Prof. Carine MICHIELS, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations, University of Namur .....168-171 Medinbio Bioscience expertise for a different and efficient agriculture .............. 172 Index of Company Profiles and Advertisers ......................................174-176

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The coronavirus crisis has clearly shown the vital importance of research and innovation to protect people’s lives and to underpin our wellbeing

© European Commission, 2020

Interview with Mrs Mariya GABRIEL, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

For the first time, Horizon Europe will have a strong focus on culture and creativity. To preserve and promote Europe’s cultural wealth, it envisages the creation of European Cultural Heritage Cloud. It will contribute to the protection of Europe’s unique cultural content and cultural richness, including at regional and local level.

Another important feature will be the set-up of new European Partnerships to ensure cooperation between public and private actors to respond to the needs of industry, including SMEs, and civil society. They will be a key tool to mobilize educators, researchers, innovators, businesses, the public sector, NGOs, and civil society on focusing on the delivery of the Green Deal and digital transformation.

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ould you tell us about the main features of the new Horizon Europe programme?

With a budget of 95.5 billion euro Horizon Europe becomes the most powerful research and innovation programme of the world with an increase of 30% in relation to its predecessor Horizon 2020. The new programme Horizon Europe is built on three pillars: excellent science, global challenges and competitiveness, and open innovation. The fourth, underlying component is widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area.

The Missions are a noteworthy novelty. They will focus on ambitious, time-bound and achievable goals to tackle our biggest challenges: adapting to climate change; cancer; healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters; smart, climate-neutral cities; and soil health and food. They will deliver specific targets, co-designed with citizens like achieving 100 European climateneutral cities, full recovery and regeneration of European marine and freshwater ecosystems or saving more than 3 million lives from cancer by 2030.

The programme will continue to support the European Research Council, which has become a global beacon of excellence in science worldwide and promoting fundamental cutting-edge research. Similarly, the fellowships and exchanges for researchers through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions will continue as well as the investment in world-class research infrastructures.

We are now finalising the Strategic Plan for Horizon Europe. It is the result of a thorough co-creation and co-design process. It will underpin the work programmes of Horizon Europe for the next four years, which will be at the heart of Europe’s recovery and resilience effort and the transitions towards climate neutrality and digital leadership.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) is to provide additional means for emerging and breakthrough innovations by small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, and midcaps. All this shows that research and innovation are vital for fighting the pandemic, as well as for the sustainable and inclusive recovery.

In order to achieve its objectives, the EIC will work in partnership with the European Institute of Technology and its Knowledge Innovation Communities, with the view to aligning priorities and streamlining the interplay between the different EU and national funding schemes.

What kind of disruptive research and breakthrough innovations are you planning to support through the European Innovation Council?

The EIC started with the idea that we had to do more on innovation.

It supports the most talented European innovators in scaling-up their breakthrough, disruptive innovation. It is a one-stop-shop for innovators, providing support from the idea to the market with two instruments: the EIC Pathfinder and the EIC Accelerator, including the EIC Fund. These funding instruments will be complemented by the European Innovation Ecosystems initiative.

The Health cluster will cover the extension of clinical trials, innovative protective measures, virology, vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, and the translation of research findings into public health policy measures. The Climate Energy and Mobility cluster and the Digital Industry and Space cluster will support the scale up of research and innovation resources in climate-related domains and ensure that European enterprises have access to the technologies and data they need. We will have also a special cluster dedicated to cultural and creative industries.

The EIC Pathfinder targets high-risk cutting-edge projects, developing radical and innovative technologies. The EIC Accelerator aims to create and promote co-investment where market response is 10

absent or insufficient. It addresses deep tech start-ups and innovative SMEs with a radically new, highly risky, and thus non-bankable idea underpinned by a business plan and with a potential to scale up.

What is your assessment of the European Research Area? How do you plan to develop it in cooperation with Member States?

In 20 years, ERA has achieved incredible results. It implemented 37 Research Infrastructures with close to 20 billion euro in investment. Let me give some examples. Better research careers were developed through a Charter and Code for Researchers and the well-known EURAXESS portal. However, building on these successes, we acknowledge that there is still room for improvement.

Since the start of the EIC Accelerator Pilot in the autumn of 2019, a total of 255 start-ups and SMEs active in all technology intensive sectors (health, digital, energy, etc.) have been preselected for funding with over €1 billion in total, and 140 more to receive equity funding totalling nearly €583 million.

Although the EU is still a global leader in research and innovation, its performance has stagnated since 2012, and major players, from Asia in particular, are gradually growing. Recent figures (2018) show that the EU R&D investment is at 2.19% of GDP, far from its 3% target. On average only 2 out of 100 Euro generated in Europe are invested in research.

As part of the Accelerator, a new EIC Fund has been created.

The EIC Fund will focus on deep tech start-ups. It will make investments of between 0.5 to 15 Mio euros in return of a 10%25% stake in the start-up. This is the largest Fund for deep tech start-ups in the world.

But we can - and should - go further. That is why we are putting forward the initiative to revitalise the ERA, responding to the new priorities on the recovery and the green and digital transitions and operating in synergy with the European Education Area.

Under Horizon Europe, the Innovation Ecosystems element will support policies, initiatives and actions that will facilitate national, regional and local innovation ecosystems to flourish. Interlinking these ecosystems at EU level to maximise their impact is a major challenge. This will allow innovators to network and complement each other, to bring their breakthrough ideas to EU and global markets and to find the proper regulatory, financial and human resources to start and scale up innovative activities.

© European Commission, 2020

The new ERA will be built through a strong partnership between the EU, the member states and stakeholders. It will have a broader and more ambitious set of objectives such as prioritising

Danish researchers from the EU-funded Prevent-nCoV project announced in June that their vaccine against the coronavirus shows promising results.

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investments and reforms, improving access to excellence, translating R&I results into the economy and deepening the ERA. These objectives will allow us to develop a stronger approach to what has been at the heart of the ERA project since it was launched, namely the development of an open single market for R&I in Europe. The spirit of joining forces will still be at the root of the ERA. It will allow us to assist in bridging the still existing R&I divide and develop an approach where all Member States will be able to contribute to excellence in research. Europe will only become more excellent as a whole if all of its Member States become more excellent. © European Commission, 2020

The new ERA will also allow us to get better at strategically prioritising investments in order to deliver excellent R&I and we need to ensure that the excellent R&I we produce get translated into value for our economy and our society more broadly and more quickly.

The initiative aims to develop synergies between funding sources, promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming in research, translate R&I results into economic value, and help countries, regions, organisations, researchers and students across Europe to come together and reach their full potential.

The EU-funded Opencorona project tests a therapy that protects against COVID-19.

and stakeholders, we will organise Europe-wide participatory citizen science campaigns to raise awareness and networking and other citizens relevant activities.

I would name a few of them. A new ERA will guide investments and set priorities that help Member States to jointly lead and accelerate the digital and ecological transformations while ensuring social resilience and sustainable growth. The ERA initiative proposes to re-affirm the 3% GDP EU R&I investment target and proposes a new 1.25% GDP public effort target to be achieved by Member States by 2030. The ERA Forum for Transition will bring together all Member States and facilitate the coordination of jointly developing priority actions and R&I investments.

What measures are you considering in order to ensure integration between research and economic priorities at the EU-level?

I do not believe there is a trade-off between these priorities.

Research and innovation are already at the heart of our economic priorities. It is vital to a successful transition to a sustainable economy, to improving our well-being and to our longer-term prosperity. The context of the economic recovery makes this even more crucial.

Europe is a global leading source of excellent science, research and ideas. But we often fail in translating these excellent results into commercial success stories. This is where we could improve the integration of research and economic priorities. The new European Research Area will boost cooperation between science, research and industry and support valorisation of research results.

It will detail how to best employ research and innovation policies to ensure a more sustainable, clean and resilient Europe with a view to boost Europe’s competitiveness and global leadership in key strategic technologies.

Researchers’ careers development continues to be deeply built also into the new ERA. A new toolbox leading into the creation of a pipeline of talent will be delivered in partnership with Member States and research organisations.

To enhance synergies and boost interaction between education, research and innovation, the European Education Area and ERA steering bodies will develop a roadmap of cross-actions exploring the Universities dual role on Higher Education and Research. They will together define common approaches to EUinitiatives funded under the different programmes.

Horizon 2020 has funded many projects aiming at increasing EU cooperation in R&I towards greater sustainability in the industry. For instance, the SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency) project is an excellent demonstration of it: this partnership, covering 10 industries over more than 20 EU countries, has led to a private leverage of close to EUR 5 billion, while reducing emissions by 30% in the EU process industry.

The new European Research Area will assist research infrastructures to better boost innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. It will support the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) to work towards a world-class research infrastructures ecosystem focusing on the broader range of the EU’s policy priorities.

The new ERA will also incentivise best open science practices, which make the R&I systems more efficient and creative and reinforces society´s trust in science.

Horizon Europe programme will support European partnerships with EU countries, the private sector, foundations and other stakeholders. The aim is to deliver on global challenges and industrial modernisation through concerted research and innovation efforts in areas ranging from innovative medicines to clean steel and aviation, etc.

Better engagement of citizens, local communities and civil society will be at the core of the new ERA to achieve greater societal impact and increased trust in science. Together with Member States 12

The European Innovation Council (EIC) will provide additional means for emerging and breakthrough innovations by small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, and midcaps. The EIC has a huge potential to support the recovery and the EU’s ambitions on digitalisation and climate.

Last, but not least, we must maintain an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health-related industry, based on an improved up-take of breakthrough technologies and innovations.

The political agreement from December 2020 between the colegislators the European Parliament and the Council of the EU marked a very important milestone for Europe. With Horizon Europe programme (95,5 billion EUR) the European research community, research organizations and our citizens can count on the world's largest research and innovation programme. Horizon Europe’s Health cluster will tackle challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic, the extension of clinical trials, innovative protective measures, virology, vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, etc.

Could you give us a few examples of EU-backed health research projects involving Belgian partners?

There are many Belgian universities, labs, organisations and companies doing fantastic work in many of our health projects.

Just in the area of coronavirus research and innovation, I can highlight the PREPARE project, led by Dr Herman Goossens at the University of Antwerp. It involves 28 partners and the Commission has been supporting it since 2014. Its aim is to support the readiness of hospitals in Europe and enhance their understanding of the dynamics of the outbreak. University of Antwerp also coordinates the recently funded RECOVER project, which is gathering comprehensive data from clinical and epidemiological studies to strengthen Europe’s clinical research preparedness for future emerging infectious diseases.

Speaking of health, it is also very important to pay attention to education and skills. On the one hand, we need to anticipate future skills needs for health professionals so that they can cope, for example, with the growth of new technologies, expansion of e-health or shift to provision of care closer to home. On the other hand, we need to promote healthier behaviour from an early age and help citizens develop the skills they need to take full advantage of the innovation in the health sector, including digital solutions.

In other domains of health research, let me mention the example of the JOINTPROMISE project on Complex joint implants to prevent osteoarthritis, led by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), or the INNODIA project, funded under the Innovative Medicines Initiative, our partnership with the pharma industry. The project is led by Université Libre de Bruxelles and develops an innovative approach towards understanding and arresting type 1 diabetes.

Digital literacy and the ability to use digital technologies in everyday life are particularly important in this regard. Moreover, the new Digital Education Action Plan emphasises the crucial importance of digital literacy for a life in a digitalised world.

Another important example of engaging with citizens for a better and healthier life is the Cancer Mission under the Horizon Europe programme. The Report of the Mission Board for Cancer indicates the need of access to education, amongst others, to improve citizens’ (digital) health literacy. We need health promotion and cancer education campaigns to raise awareness, including about prevention.

Let me also mention the excellent work of the Commission’s Joint Research Centre site in Geel, who have produced control material to check the correct functioning of coronavirus tests and donated it to labs across Europe and beyond at the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in April.

Through the European Education Area Communication, we also work to bring science closer to school. For example, the “Researchers at Schools” initiative will do this, by allowing young researchers supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions to engage with teachers and pupils on health, climate change, sustainable development, digitalisation, and other issues covered under the European Green Deal.

What do you think are the main challenges regarding human health?

What financial means is the EC planning to dedicate to health research in the coming years?

With Horizon Europe programme we have identified six main challenges for human health.

First, in order to be healthy in a rapidly changing society, we need research and innovation to develop the best ways to adopt healthier lifestyles and behaviours, diets and environments.

Second, living and working in a health-promoting environment requires a better understanding of the environmental, occupational, social and economic determinants of health.

Thirdly, to tackle diseases, including infectious diseases, noncommunicable and rare diseases, we need to better understand their mechanisms and effects, as well as to have better health technologies and ability to manage epidemics.

© UPV, 2019

Fourthly, to ensure access to innovative, sustainable and highquality healthcare implies the development and uptake of safe, cost-effective and people-centred solutions.

At fifth place, it is important to unlock the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society.

The Newcotiana project modifies the composition (and therefore the use) of tobacco plants in order to obtain substances valuable for medicine and cosmetics.

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More financial means needed to fund excellence research Interview with Dame Janet THORNTON, Vice-President of the European Research Council in charge of life sciences until the end of 2020 to a group of 2-4 researchers who join forces to tackle very ambitious research problems.

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© Jeff Dowling, EMBL-EBI

ould you remind us of the ERC's mission and key figures?

The ERC is granting funding to researchers on the sole criterion of scientific excellence in order to encourage investigator-driven research across all fields. Our funding schemes are open to junior and senior researchers alike working in Europe.

What is more, the ERC’s excellence-driven selection process supports bottom-up research projects: researchers devise their own projects instead of being imposed research topics for political reasons.

This is key to their progress and the promotion of new, promising areas of research. I am proud to say that ERC is a genuine success story in Europe. Since 2007 (the year of its foundation), its budget has gone up to some 13 billion euros.

About 10 000 grants have been awarded so far, giving rise to 7 Nobel Prizes and 150 000 scientific publications. Each grantee received a grant for up to five years of on average 1.4 million euros for early-career researchers and around 2.3 million euros for the senior ones.

Could you give us some examples of health projects funded by the ERC? Even before the pandemic of COVID-19, the ERC supported researchers working on coronaviruses who in some cases decided to change the direction of their research to focus on COVID research when the pandemic broke out. This bottom-up, curiosity-driven research proved vital; indeed no less than some 180 ERC grantees are addressing the pandemic very usefully from different disciplinary angles.

But let me give you three precise examples of ERCbacked projects related to health. Dame Linda Partridge is working in the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany. Older individuals often experience multiple diseases (now including COVID-19), so she is striving to better understand the basis of ageing in order to improve the health of the elderly. For her part, Nabila Bouatia-Naji, based at Inserm, France, is researching two cardiovascular diseases affecting young women: fibromuscular dysplasia and spontaneous coronary artery dissection. She is carrying out the genetic analysis of the muscle cells around diseased arteries and has already identified two genes associated with these two diseases. Lastly, Malin Palmar from the University of Lund is studying genetic reprogramming to help treat neurodegenerative diseases, some of which are characterised by the death of brain cells responsible for producing dopamine. It might be possible to reprogramme glial cells to replace damaged cells and restore function. This brain repair research has great promise for future therapeutics.

The grants help each grantee to recruit researchers and other staff - often between 6 and 10 - in order to set up a dedicated research team. Therefore, more than 70 000 team members, including many post-doc researchers, were supported through the grants.

© Ruona 16

Could you tell us about ERC’s different funding mechanisms?

Each year, the ERC supports about 1 000 projects. It offers three core grants which cover the three different stages of researchers’ academic careers: the Starting Grant for younger researchers from 2 to 7 years after the PhD, the Consolidator Grant from 7 to 12 years after the PhD, and the Advanced Grant for researchers showing significant achievements over the last ten years. Furthermore, the ERC offers the Proof of Concept Grant for ERC grantees wishing to check the innovation potential of their research results, as well as the newer funding, the Synergy Grant, which is devoted

The lab of ERC grantee Marlyn Parmar who is studying genetic reprogramming to help treat neurodegenerative diseases

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What do you think are the main challenges ahead for the ERC? Our first challenge is the insufficient amount of money to fund all excellence research. The funding rate amounts to a mere 10 to 13%, which is a serious problem. The demand is so much higher. Although EU leaders recently agreed to a certain increase of the ERC budget for 2021-2027, it will not be quite as much as we, the scientific community and others, had hoped for. This means that many applications will not be funded, which is very disappointing in the context of the pandemic where scientific research and innovation should receive increased support.

And other societal challenges are looming: ageing-related health problems, climate change and its impact on living systems, biodiversity but also genetic engineering, social sciences (and in particular the impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns on mental health and the economy), antibiotic resistance (and the need for discovery of new antibiotics), as well as the anticipation of future pandemics. All these challenges require new ideas and that is why we need scientists so much.

Fostering access to innovative medicines and healthcare products Interview with Mr. Xavier DE CUYPER, Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP)

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What steps have you taken in the fight against coronavirus?

The FAMHP has been very active in the context of our area of competence which is medicines and health products. We have ensured that all patients (COVID and non COVID) have access to the treatment they need. We have also participated in a series of working groups to bring our expertise to the table.

By reducing the time required to validate submissions, we also supported the search for treatments/ vaccines for COVID-19 and supported clinical trials.

We have carried out hundreds of controls and inspections to ensure the compliance and safety of medicines and healthcare products, particularly those essential in the fight against COVID-19. Finally, although the situation no longer seems as critical as it was a few months ago, we are obviously preparing for the future, in particular by ensuring that we have the necessary stocks of quality medicines and healthcare products in case the epidemic rebounds. © FAMHP

ould you remind us of the mission and areas of excellence of the FAMHP? Since 01.01.2007 the FAMHP has been the Belgian competent authority for ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and health products (medical devices and accessories), raw materials for the preparation and production of medicines, and operations performed with blood, cells and tissues of human origin, both for human and veterinary use, in clinical development and on the market. In addition to the professionalism and efficiency that the FAMHP wants to bring to all its core activities, the Agency pays particular attention to its areas of excellence, in which the organisation wants to distinguish itself. These are VACCINES, a center of excellence, and EARLY PHASE DEVELOPMENT. In addition, the agency wishes to set up an IVD center of excellence (i.e. on in vitro diagnostic medical devices). Three key areas of research and development.

Could you present us your various activities and the collaborations you have developed to carry them out?

Our core activities are divided into four areas. First, we advise our partners with our expertise. Second, we issue official documents such as authorizations, approvals, certificates… We also monitor the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and health products, for example by following up on reports of suspected adverse reactions and incidents that have occurred, by carrying out inspections and controls… Finally, if necessary, we take sanctions ranging from administrative fines to the implementation of a ban. In addition to these basic activities, the FAMHP also ensures that everyone has access to objective, correct, complete and transparent information to ensure the correct use of medicines and health products. In order to carry out all its tasks in an optimal way, the agency has established a culture of systematic consultation with all its partners at national level. At the European level, we contribute to building a solid network through our experts. In short, the FAMHP is a regulator but also a public service dedicated to patients and all its other stakeholders.

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© FAMHP

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What do you see as the main challenges ahead for public health?

One of the key priorities of the FAMHP is to put the patient at the centre. Not only by ensuring that patients have access to safe and effective medicines, but also by involving them in our processes, such as national scientific opinions, clinical trials, unmet medical needs, etc. With regard to inspections, we continue to work on increasing the responsibility of stakeholders (self-monitoring/co-accountability). This principle gives more responsibility to the stakeholders involved and helps us to define a better risk analysis at each step of the process. In the field of medical devices, we are working to further improve traceability. This makes it possible to take immediate action if a medical device poses a risk to the patient. We also take account of developments in society, such as the increasing care of patients at home. Finally, access to innovative medicines and health products is a real challenge for us, as it requires us to have a high level of expertise in new cutting-edge technologies, products derived from human body material, etc.

A lot of opportunities for science, technology and innovation Interview with Mr. David CLARINVAL, Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Outgoing Minister for the Budget and the Civil Service, in charge of the National Lottery and Scientific Policy scientific community, this programme is structured around 3 pillars: “Challenges and knowledge of the living and non-living world”, “Heritage science” and “Federal societal challenges”.

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n your opinion, what are the major challenges for scientific research today?

Our society is in the midst of a transition.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing crisis will most likely introduce a shift in our way of life. They will determine a “before” and an “after” the crisis that is pushing us to reflect on our way of life. Also, developments such as globalisation, migration, the digitalisation of the economy, the emergence of artificial intelligence and demographic changes, and in particular the ageing of the population in the West imply new challenges. But these developments do not only represent challenges, they are also an opportunity for science, technology and innovation (STI). Moreover, sustainable development objectives are increasingly at the centre of STI policy strategies, as can be seen from the European Commission's Green deal and its interaction with the European Union's Research and Innovation (R&I) Framework Programme.

Another research programme, fundamental today given the acceleration of the digital transformation, is the “Digitization Programme”, DIGIT-04 (2009-2021, around €38M). Its objective is to ensure the long-term sustainability and conservation of the scientific and cultural heritage of the Federal Scientific Institutions. This digitisation programme aims to consolidate Belgium‘s position on the digital map.

Finally, the programme “The Support To Exploitation and Research in Earth Observation”, STEREO (2014-2021, around €38M) is an essential element of Belgium‘s long-term strategy in the field of Earth observation. Complementing the ESA programmes in which Belgium participates, the national programmes aim at developing applications, implementing expertise in Earth observation and supporting the scientific use of this type of data.

The context in which STI activities are carried out is also changing.

The increased interest of citizens in R&I following the pandemic and the urgency to find a vaccine, the mobilisation of the private sector and especially SMEs, as well as the increasing internationalisation of R&I, naturally offer a lot of opportunities for collaboration in support of scientific research.

This context is therefore leading to a change in the expectations of all stakeholders and policy-makers with regard to science policy. This changing environment also requires adaptations in the national innovation research systems. The interaction between the authorities, research institutions, the private sector and society at large is constantly evolving in the field of STI. It is more necessary than ever to move towards a reinforced coordination between the different levels of power within our country. Avoiding the fragmentation of efforts would further strengthen Belgium's role on the international scene.

Let us not forget the new oceanographic research vessel, the Belgica II. The acquisition of this vessel for a total amount of 54 M€ will make it possible to improve and expand research activities at sea and thus meet international obligations (resilience of marine ecosystems, integrated management of the sea, coasts and land, etc.).

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Could you tell us about the major federal research programmes?

At the federal level, there are several research programmes. I am thinking in particular of 4 major programmes. First of all, the “Belgian research actions through interdisciplinary networks” programme, BRAIN-be (20182023 - around €90M), which meets the needs of the various federal departments in terms of scientific knowledge and supports the scientific potential of the Federal Scientific Institutions. Open to the entire Belgian

The FED-tWIN programme (2019-2025 around €128 million) aims to promote sustainable cooperation between federal scientific institutions and universities through the recruitment of part-time postdoctoral researchers in each of the two institutions.

Management and conservation of cultural heritage

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What health research projects are you currently supporting?

Projects related to this question are funded within the framework of the national BRAIN and DRUGS programmes but also through participation in international initiatives such as the ERANET BIODIVERSA. In particular, the DRUGS programme evaluates Belgian drug policy. In a completely different field, there is a Biodiv-AFREID project which focuses on the emergence of infectious diseases and which makes the link with the biodiversity of African forests. A total of 15 human health research projects are currently funded through these programmes. These focus, among other things, on physical and mental health, health inequalities and prevention policies.

Technological developments are omnipresent in all these programmes, either to meet the needs of institutional space missions of a scientific or strategic nature, or to directly support corporate R&D in the commercial markets that are increasingly developing in this rapidly expanding sector. In this particular context, co-funding of activities with the companies concerned is appropriate in order to best stimulate them. © Kelle Moreau – IRSNB

At the ESA ministerial summit in Seville in November 2019, Belgium subscribed 817.6 million euros to the various programmes proposed by ESA. As a result, the Belgian space envelope has increased from approximately 225 M€/ year to 275 M€/year. Thanks to this effort, Belgium has further established itself in the European landscape as one of ESA's six largest net contributors, by far the largest among the small Member States. At the same time, the European Space Security and Education Centre in Redu (ESEC) has been further put on the map as ESA's reference centre for cybersecurity, a strategic competence in the light of the current technological revolution.

New Belgian oceanographic vessel “Belgica II”

In which European and international research programmes does Belgium participate?

Belgium takes part in the current EU R&I framework programme, Horizon 2020. Thanks to this programme, our country participates in numerous projects with a high success rate. This is particularly the case for the research infrastructure part of the Excellent Science pillar, for which one project out of two with at least one Belgian participant has been selected for funding. In addition, Belgium participates in a whole series of research infrastructures in the Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), ranging from biomedical imaging facilities to observation and measurement stations for greenhouse gas emissions and supercomputers.

In the space sector, Belgium is involved in numerous European and international programmes through its contribution to the European Space Agency (ESA).

What is the programme for sustainable research cooperation between federal scientific institutions and universities?

The FED-tWIN programme supports joint research activities between the Federal Science Institutes (FSIs) under the Federal Science Policy and Belgian universities through the recruitment of postdoctoral researchers working part-time in an FSI and a university. The objective is to create a value-added collaboration for the FSE, the university and, of course, the researcher. Our FSIs have unique scientific collections, which are of paramount importance for research in universities. Moreover, the Federal Science Policy finances the implementation of the research profiles in both institutions 100% for the first 5 years and 50% for the following 5 years. A total of 125 research profiles will be initiated between 2019 and 2025.

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How do you support innovation and technological research as part of Belgium's participation in the space sector?

Belgium currently occupies a decisive position in the space sector thanks to the continuous support of its federal public authorities and its efficient scientific and industrial fabric. The bulk of Belgium‘s contribution to the space sector is channelled through the European Space Agency (ESA), which is at the origin of many investments in our industries, research centres and universities according to the principle of “fair return”, i.e. the investment by a country returns to it proportionally in the form of contracts.

Participation in the European Ariane 6 space programme

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Belnet is the national research network offering superfast internet connectivity to universities, colleges, research institutions and government. We also offer additional services, including cloud and security.

Every day, over 80 colleagues work day in, day out, on a state-of-the-art network and innovative services, actively contributing to the knowledge and information society that surrounds us. At Belnet, customer satisfaction takes centre stage. We strive to be a reliable and neutral partner for our clients and develop custom-made services to meet their needs.

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Focusing on the value proposition for Belgian research and education actors

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n A federal public organisation with 81 employees as part of the Federal Science Policy, Belnet has been in charge since 1993 of the Belgian national network for research and education. It provides very high-speed internet access and internet services exclusively to 259 institutions representing more than 800,000 end-users: Belgian universities, colleges, research centres and university hospitals benefiting from public funding as well as public administrations.

Belnet is also in charge of BNIX, the Belgian internet node for internet service providers, content providers, hosting companies and large private companies.

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Mrs Nathalie Pinsart, Director Administration & Community (a.i.) of Belnet

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elnet has recently rethought its strategy to refocus on its core business: offering its high-speed connectivity services to all scientific research and educational institutions and providing them with solutions to resolve the associated problems (security, data storage, e-learning, etc.). “Our objective is to develop services in co-creation with research and education actors” underlines Nathalie Pinsart, Director Administration & Community (a.i.) of Belnet.

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Belnet also represents Belgian institutions within the EOSC programme (European Open Science Cloud) in order to make their research data available at European level. In addition, Belnet hosts the servers of DMPonline.be. This is an online tool, provided by the DMPbelgium consortium, to help researchers write a Data Management Plan (DMP). A DMP is a formal document specifying how data will be handled during and after a research project and is increasingly required by (inter)national research funders, but it is also a good practice for any research project using or generating data. Belnet also offers an advanced email security service as well as a service against DDoS attacks. It has recently appointed a CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) to oversee the security of information systems.

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Belnet played a major role during the Covid-19 crisis by providing connectivity to hospitals and Sciensano. “We set up a list of critical customers (organisations that are playing a crucial role in monitoring and combating the coronavirus) to provide a quality service 24 hours a day,” stresses Nathalie Pinsart. Belnet also monitored the connectivity of its regular partners and increased the bandwidth for free. The FPS Public Health itself was able to benefit from this proactive policy. All these actions earned Belnet official recognition in the framework of agreement of the new federal government. BNIX played an equally important role during this period. The BNIX-platform had to cope with record peaks of almost 500 Gbit/s in connection with the explosion of teleworking and distance learning.

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connection network,“ says Nathalie Pinsart. The second challenge is undeniably that of security: many attacks against universities have taken place recently. However, they are all the more in need of protection as Belnet is planning to create a community to facilitate structured exchanges in order to find solutions to their security problems together. The third and final challenge concerns the storage of research and teaching data (courses in the form of podcasts).

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While the need for connectivity is expected to continue to grow in the coming months Belnet is preparing to meet three major challenges. “Firstly, we need to increase the capacity of our

Ensuring accessibility, quality, sustainability and innovation in healthcare Interview with Mr Jo DE COCK, General Administrator of the National Institute for Sickness and Invalidity Insurance (INAMI- RIZIV)

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to ensure 70,000 PCR tests per day. Finally, we have increased our funding in favour of intensive care providers and services dedicated to the management of Covid-19.

How do you see remote care evolving in the post-Covid-19 period?

Remote care is set to continue. This is why INAMI-RIZIV will create a legal framework to provide all the guarantees in terms of data management, transparency and added value for patients. The Institute will also invest in tele-expertise for doctors, telemonitoring (with a project to monitor patients leaving hospital to check their vitals) and mental health.

What do you see as the main challenges ahead in terms of health care insurance and quality of care?

I see four major challenges. The first is that of modernising and simplifying funding systems: they must be more integrated and based on multidisciplinarity, while incorporating incentives to reduce the overuse of inefficient care. This will enable hospitals to become more transparent and prepared for future health crises.

The second challenge is that of digitalisation: teleconsultation, investment in tools for collecting and using patients' medical data and clinical data, and the organisation of remote services all contribute to the implementation of an evidence-based policy.

The third challenge is cooperation between primary care providers, hospitals, patients and home care workers to ensure continuous care trajectories and thus optimal patient management.

Finally, the fourth and last challenge concerns the proper use of resources and the promotion of scientific innovation in the fields of predictive medicine, the fight against rare diseases, immunotherapy… Our aim is to create a more resilient healthcare system based on a key value: solidarity. It is on this pillar that INAMIRIZIV is preparing for the future.

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ould you remind us of INAMI-RIZIV’s mission and key figures?

INAMI-RIZIV plays a key role in health care and disability insurance in collaboration with the Federal Public Health Service and the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products. It fulfils a twofold mission: to ensure that every socially insured person has access to efficient, reimbursable health care provided at agreed rates, and to ensure that socially insured persons, both employed and self-employed, receive an adequate replacement income in the event of incapacity for work or maternity/paternity.

In that prospect the Institute draws up reimbursement rules, sets tariffs in agreement with the players concerned, organises consultation between all healthcare players, provides information via its website, ensures the proper use of resources, encourages the quality of care through the training and accreditation of providers, and promotes integrated care pathways.

In 2021 INAMI-RIZIV will have a budget of €35 billion for health care and €10 billion for disability insurance. This is the equivalent of 10% of Belgian GDP. The government is applying a growth rate of 2.5% with an additional injection to allocate €400 million to the White Coat Fund, finance specific actions on the Covid-19, dedicate €200 million to mental health and €350 million for a social agreement on wages for nurses and other care professionals. In addition, INAMI-RIZIV has already concluded an agreement with the pharmaceutical industry to achieve savings of €150 million by 2021.

© INAMI-RIZIV

What exceptional measures have you put in place to support the work of carers in their fight against Covid-19?

We have guaranteed the financing of hospitals by transferring two billion euros in advances to them. From the beginning of March 2020 we organised teleconsultations and videoconsultations and injected €300 million into specific measures to protect healthcare providers. In addition, we have expanded psychological care to meet the growing needs in this area and granted €150 million to general practitioners to help them manage medical records. As of November 1, 2020 we are taking over the financing of a federal testing platform: €400 million is planned per quarter 20

Innovation towards a patient-centric, integrated, connected and value- based healthcare Interview with Prof. Pascal VERDONCK, Board Member of the Belgian and European Association of Hospital Managers answer the board’s question on what financial investment will be necessary in the near future to keep a secure digital hospital environment. In all cases, the topics discussed aim to increase the insight of hospital directors.

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ould you remind us of the missions and key figures of the Belgian Association of Hospital Managers?

Let me first emphasize that the Belgian Association of Hospital Managers is an association, not a federation: it gathers about 200 individual hospital managers, mainly they are CEO or CMO. All of them are leading general or university hospitals from the three linguistic communities, regardless any political or religious creed. On top the association is strongly committed to innovation and leadership for hospital & healthcare management. The association has four core values: “open, excellence, leadership, and friendship”. The latter is essential to overcome competitive considerations and solving together complex problems. The association also collaborates with (inter)national industrial partners who are selected based on their innovation file for each of the more than 20 sectors that we have identified in healthcare management: from building smart constructions, over IT infrastructure, security & privacy, towards medical devices… As you may know, the introduction of a real innovation in healthcare practice requires a reasonable time to align the different stakeholders in this complex ecosystem.

© BVZD - ABDH - BVKD

What do you think are the main challenges to come in terms of management and quality of hospital care?

In my 20 years of hospital experience, I have seen significant improvements: the accreditation system has enabled hospitals to organize the care process more safely thanks to the respect of clearly defined procedures. Yet the near future of our healthcare relies upon two pillars. The first one is integrated and connected monitoring: care continuity must be ensured & integrated around the patient between hospitals, general practitioners, … and home (home hospitalization.

Unfortunately the Belgian financing system (mainly still “fee per service” with a start of bundle payment) represents a speed brake for this innovation. Our system needs an urgent financial reform. The second pillar is based on multidisciplinary care around the patient and the application of the concepts of valuebased healthcare: this concept was designed by an American engineer, Michael Porter, and rewards health care providers with an incentive payment for their quality of care. The quality, measured by the patient’s experience and the clinical outcome, is compared to the cost for the society in order to determine the added value for the patient. Computer & sensor technology together with data sciences will help us achieve this goal. It is therefore important to invest in high tech infrastructure, highperformance computer network, 5G connectivity, … to facilitate more personalized patient care and prevention.

How do you defend the interests of your members and what services do you offer them?

We organize study visists, seminars, round tables or nowadays webinars in Belgium or abroad. In particular, we participate in the American Congress of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) that takes place each year in March in Chicago. We are also investing in innovation by setting up joint study trips to Singapore, Dubai, Boston, Portugal, Denmark … These study trips strengthen not only the friendship of our members but they stimulate in particular their vision to increase the quality of care in their hospital taken into account the best international practices.

© BVZD - ABDH - BVKD

What partnerships have you developed with certain global suppliers of health technologies and pharmaceutical products?

For example, Johnson & Johnson stimulated us to develop leadership with the facilitation of the participation of our members in the American Congress of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Our association is now the first international chapter of ACHE. Partners facilitate also with their international network interesting visits.

A trip is planned to China in 2021. In addition, webinars are organized with the support of partners. In September 2020 a webinar was set up on the theme of personalized care technologies as part of the care trajectory (monitoring a patient from the beginning to the end of his journey) with the support of Philips.

The next webinar is organized with the federal government & administration about the national action plan “One health” and one in partnership with Telenet focused on cybersecurity to 21

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Howest To boldly go where no one has gone before Anticipating the future is what Howest has in mind. This is also reflected in the research that is dominated by new trends and technologies with an impact on business and society. The result is practice-based research that is supported by creativity, out-of-the-box thinking and interdisciplinarity.

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its way into industry, but this is also increasing the risk of cybercrime. In addition to potential economic damage, the impact on people and the environment is equally important. In our opinion, an important weapon lies in ‘security by design’ in which security becomes an integral part of the design. Finally, we are working on algorithms that allow data to be analysed while they remain at their collection point. This is a big step forward in the field of privacy because information no longer needs to be exchanged and can be stored in a fragmented way”.

ith its specific approach and philosophy, Howest puts itself clearly on the map. “We call ourselves atypical, we come with an edge,” says Geoffrey Hamon, head of research, services and valorisation. “We are open to people who are colouring outside the lines and who value entrepreneurship”.

Digital transformation as a leitmotiv “Within Howest, research coordinators actively search for innovative topics. We focus on the added value of new trends or technologies and their potential to solve practical challenges in organisations and our society at large,” says Geoffrey Hamon.

“We also do this on a demand-driven basis, examining certain themes exclusively for one organisation as well as for consortiums. Digitalisation runs like a thread through our educational programmes and research. After all, advancing technology continuously opens doors to new application possibilities. We also see this in the four research topics that were in the spotlight in 2020: cyber security, bioinformatics, ‘scan for stories’ and technology in education.”

Getting started with (bio)medical data An area in which Howest is very strong is bioinformatics. “As the term shows, we bridge the gap between science and IT,” says research coordinator and teacher Paco Hulpiau. “In short, we try to automate the analysis of (bio)medical data as much as possible. It is a very interesting field of research that will, of course, receive a lot of attention in these Covid-19 times. It is also a good example of how Howest strives for real added value with its research. After all, our knowledge centre puts itself at the service of organisations that lack the knowledge and expertise to analyse such data. We also analyse publicly available data in order to arrive at new insights. Furthermore, we develop workflows to fully automate the individual analysis processes (such as quality control, comparison with a reference, data visualisation and reporting). Last but not least, there is our research into nanopore technology with which all DNA in any sample can be tested extremely quickly. In Howest’s nanopore lab, we focus on ‘targeted sequencing’: a targeted analysis of a particular piece of DNA code. We are not there yet, but the results are extremely promising. This

Cyber security is in the spotlight more than ever. “In a world where everything revolves around data, security has become incredibly important,” says Kurt Callewaert. “Unfortunately, organisations, users and even IT people do not always know how to protect themselves against cyber attacks. Business secrets, identity data, control over crucial machines and R&D results are being thrown to jail, so to speak. The Security & Privacy research group formulates adequate answers to this problem. Just think of ways to better install and parameterise IT systems in order to avoid ‘gaps’ in security. We develop tools that use artificial intelligence to secure networks without human intervention. Hackings are immediately detected and countered: this is crucial to avoid major economic damage. Within the framework of Industry 4.0, our research into OT networks has also increased. Digitalisation is rapidly finding

Cybersecurity test setup

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BIKC_Real-time nanopore sequencing of microbial DNA using the MinION sequencer at the Howest nanopore lab

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technology can be a milestone in preventive and personalised healthcare. Also in microbial identification, nanopore sequencing technology will cause a furore because it allows bacteria to be identified much faster and more accurately. This will make a world of difference in the healthcare and food sectors.”

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advice and the temporary lending of potentially interesting products. There are also studies, such as ‘Edhub’. There, educational technological solutions are tested for their added value for education. “Thanks to Covid-19, the accent has shifted somewhat,” says researcher Basiel Bonne. “Where we initially looked at truly innovative technologies for the classroom, such as virtual reality, we are now focusing mainly on streaming, the online taking and assessment of tests, 360° cameras and distance learning in general. In this way, we once again show that Howest is switching quickly within its research, which allows us to find practice-oriented answers to new challenges that organisations are facing. “

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Digitalisation is also penetrating the cultural sector. After all, under the impetus of progressive immersive technology, new opportunities for storytelling are opening up. “We see a lot of initiatives in which augmented, virtual and mixed reality are used creatively,” says Fauve Vanoverschelde, research coordinator in the Tourism & Recreation Management department. “Creating an experience for visitors is the starting point.

Unfortunately, it often remains ‘attempts’ in which immersive technology becomes a kind of gadget. The reason for this is that too little is thought of from the story and that storytelling using immersive technology to collect heritage and museums is still in its infancy. That is why we have reached out from tourism and recreation to Howest’s Digital Arts & Entertainment department.

Together we set to work on linking storytelling and immersive technology to exhibitions and museums. On the basis of six prototypes, we are developing a step-by-step plan to integrate the solutions and use immersive technology as a storytelling tool, and we are also giving the curators insight into the costs involved.”

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The trend towards digitalisation is also continuing in education. Schools are eager to use new technologies. Unfortunately, they often invest too little purposefully, which means that the meagre budget is sometimes spent on the wrong solutions. Howest wants to change this and assists schools in their choice by providing accessible training,

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Improving everyone’s quality of life with chemistry and life sciences Interview with Mr Yves VERSCHUEREN, Managing Director essenscia collaboration with UCL and engaged in innovation clusters in Flanders (Catalisti) and Wallonia (GreenWin, BioWin). essenscia is also the main shareholder in BlueChem, the first incubator for sustainable chemistry in Belgium, which opened its doors in May 2020.

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hat are essenscia's key figures and missions?

The chemicals, plastics and life sciences sector is a very important industrial sector in Belgium. In 2019 it represented 93,930 direct jobs, 220,000 indirect jobs, 65.1 billion € turnover, and € 24 billion in trade surplus. In addition, the chemicals and life sciences sector remains the undisputed leader in innovation. The amount spent on research and development (R&D) in Belgian chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals almost doubled to € 4.5 billion in 2019, a new record. The sector accounts for 2/3 of all industrial expenditures on R&D in Belgium. Remarkably, life sciences (pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies) account for 90% of total R&D expenditures in the sector. Innovation is undoubtedly a key element in ensuring the sustainable anchoring of the sector in Belgium.

And let us not forget that our federation was the driving force behind the foundation of the National Fund for Scientific Research in the 1920s. A decade characterized by an innovative alliance between science and industry (Solvay Conferences, Global conferences on chemistry in Belgium …). You will find more details in the book ‘Men and Molecules’ on 100 years of chemistry and life sciences in Belgium.

Could you give us some examples of new products, applications or services developed by the chemical, plastics and life sciences industries to address major global challenges?

Let me mention the projects of our Innovation Award 2019: it promotes sustainable agriculture, circular economy (making textiles and plastic packaging 100% recyclable), better medicine, …

As regards sustainable innovation, the ECLUSE industrial steam network in the port of Antwerp, the largest in Europe, is dedicated to saving CO2-emissions. On top of that, the chemicals, plastics and life sciences sector is striving to reach world-class in energy efficiency. In that prospect, it is designing insulation materials for construction and household appliances, lightweight materials for sustainable transport, components for renewable energy… It is also striving to turn CO2 and wastestreams into valuable resources.

In this framework essenscia’s mission is to improve everyone’s quality of life. Our world is facing important challenges in the use of energy, natural resources, and the provision of food, water and health for its growing population. Chemistry and life sciences are essential to making the world's development sustainable. Its innovative research is crucial to the development of new products, applications and services. Therefore, circular economy, sustainable development, energy & climate, product safety and innovation are among essenscia’s strategic priorities.

What services do you offer your members in terms of information, training and advice?

In the field of information, we offer discussions in working groups on strategic priorities as well as information sessions on hot topics. As regards formation, let us mention VLARIP (Vlaanderen REACH Implementation Project in Flanders) and WALRIP (Wallonie REACH Implementation Project in the Walloon region) for REACH and CLP – initiatives that were rewarded the European Responsible Care Award in 2018 – along with annual seminars on product policy, crisis communication, social themes, the Process Safety Academy/ Process Safety Club (several in depth training sessions on process safety), and the essenscia Patent Cell: it offers free advice and information on intellectual property management, including technology trend watching. essenscia also offers tailored advice, expertise and advocacy on new legislation and strategic priorities.

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Could you present essenscia's activities in terms of innovation and patents?

Innovation is at the core of our federation and numerous initiatives have been launched since 2011: the essenscia Patent Cell, the Innovation Award (130 innovation dossiers), the Innovation Circle (+100 projects), the Innovation Fund (28 promising companies), the Innovation Academy… What is more, essenscia has set up

Overview of R&D for chemistry and life sciences in Belgium

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essenscia: Innovation is at the core of the Belgian Federation for Chemistry and Life Sciences Industries The chemicals and life sciences sector remains the undisputed leader in innovation. The amount spent on R&D in Belgian chemicals, plastics and pharmaceuticals almost doubled to € 4.5 billion in 2019, a new record, and life sciences (pharmaceuticals and biotechnologies) account for 90% of total R&D expenditures in the sector.

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since last year. This comes as no surprise since Belgium is home to leading R&D’s centers with focus on sustainable innovation.

Indeed, worldwide technical competence centers are part of the Belgian chemical cluster: BASF Antwerp, Evonik, Covestro, Soudal, AGFA, Solvay, INEOS, Eastman, ExxonMobil, P&G, Total, Dow Silicones, Prayon… to name only a few.

nnovation is the life blood of the chemical and life sciences industry. essenscia’s innovative research is therefore crucial to the development of new products, applications and services in the federation’s 10 strategic priorities: Circular Economy; Sustainable Development; Energy & Climate; Talent (Labour market, education and training); Social dialogue (Labour relations); Product safety (REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances, CLP - Classification, Labelling and Packaging of hazardous Products); Safety, Security, Health and Environment; Innovation & IPR; International Trade; and Infrastructure & logistics.

Numerous initiatives in the field of innovation Numerous initiatives have been launched by essenscia. In 2011 the federation created the essenscia Patent Cell for chemistry and life sciences in order to provide support to the chemical and life sciences companies, in particular SMEs, so as to protect their innovation. Various actions are being undertaken such as workshops, tailor-made advice, technology watch, communication actions… “How to optimize your IP portfolio?” and “Technical tools to develop and protect your intellectual property” are among the topics covered.

A quarter of Belgium’s private sector researcher population is working for the chemical, plastics and life sciences industry (about 7,800 full time equivalent qualified scientific researchers).

That is why the Belgian pharmaceutical industry is highly R&Dintensive: according to EFPIA, it ranked second behind the United Kingdom in 2015 as regards R&D/production.

In 2016 Belgium was second in place in Europe with 1,399 clinical trials and 507 new applications. It also accounted for 20% of all clinical trials in the EU for cancer, 25% of all clinical trials in the EU for the digestive system and 23% of all clinical trials in the EU for virus diseases.

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In this framework essenscia has set up a strong IP strategy since it is a key to the sector’s competitiveness. Since 2010 the number of patents doubled. Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and biotech account for one third of all Belgian patents. A new record was even reached in 2019 with 466 patents, an increaseof 14%

Scientific researchers at work

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For its part, the biannual essenscia Innovation Award is the most prestigious prize for industrial innovation in Belgium. It was launched in 2012 and relies upon the support of the Patent Cell. With this competition essenscia aims to promote the many innovations in the Belgian industry and to encourage companies to invest even more in innovative and sustainable products and applications. Access to the competition is open to all industrial companies operating in Belgium. During the evaluation of the innovation projects the jury takes into account various criteria such as a clear link with chemistry, life sciences or materials, the contribution towards sustainable development, the strategy for intellectual property management and the value added for the Belgian economy. The winner is awarded a prize of € 30.000.

A European leader in clinical trials

Start-ups innovating in the BlueChem incubator for sustainable chemistry

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To date 130 innovation projects have been submitted. And the various editions of this high level award ceremony all enjoyed a nationwide press coverage, allowing broad recognition for winners (Emulco/BASF, Agfa Graphics, GSK) but also finalists.

vinced of this, it suffices to consider “Les Zinnovants”: this unique collaboration between the federation and UCL university has yielded ten humorous videos to stimulate innovation. “First is not always best”, “Convince3 or “Ask yourself the right questions” are among the themes investigated. These videos provide students and companies with alternative tools for creative brainstorming and innovation processes.

In 2019 the Innovation Award gained extra allure because essenscia celebrated its one hundredth anniversary. By participating applicants contributed to a century brimful of innovation.

The award ceremony, in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, took place in the Palace of the Academies in Brussels and rewarded Mithra and its flagship product Estelle, a new generation contraceptive pill based on the natural hormone estetrol.

What is more, essenscia is implied in competitivity clusters for open innovation, catalysators for a sustainable chemistry: Catalisti in Flanders, GreenWin and BioWin in Wallonia. Together they work on renewable chemicals (using nature’s power), process intensification (faster, smaller, better), sidestream valorisation (waste becomes resource), and advanced sustainable products (clean and green). This collaboration enables progress in the field of production of sustainable products and materials, as well as treatment and valorisation of waste.

Free assistance and strategic advice to start-ups and SMEs Following the success of the first Innovation Award, essenscia founded the Innovation Circle in 2013 with the support of Deloitte and KULeuven. Thanks to this Circle start-ups and SMEs active in the fields of chemistry, materials and life sciences are provided with free assistance and strategic advice by former CEOs of the industry. This partnership allowed the evaluation of more than 100 projects.

BlueChem: a unique incubator for sustainable chemistry essenscia is the main shareholder in BlueChem, the first incubator for sustainable chemistry in Belgium, which opened its doors in May 2020. Dedicated to start-ups and SME’s in chemistry and circular economy, BlueChem promotes collaborative research projects in cooperation with large enterprises and is a meeting point for technology scouting and open innovation.

As for the Innovation Fund, it was established in 2015 as a further step in essenscia’s permanent strive to boost innovation.

This initiative enjoys the financial support of major industrial companies. The Innovation Fund aims at investing in innovative start-ups in chemistry, materials and life sciences with a strong focus on sustainability and digitalisation. As a result a capital of € 35 million was invested in 28 promising companies such as InOpSys, PharmaFluidics, TrendMiner, Proceedix, REIN4CED, Univercells, Circular Organics…

The incubator relies upon state-of-the-art infrastructure (3,375 m²): 3 ready-to-use & 12 customizable labs from 16m² to 50m²; 24 private offices; 20 flexible workplaces; and 5 meeting rooms & a large board. It is also a top location for investment prospecting.

Innovations that contribute to a successful approach of the climate challenge

Another important step by essenscia was the Innovation Academy: this joined initiative of Deloitte and the Innovation Circle started in 2017. In this framework Deloitte professionals act temporarily as interim CxO in order to assist start-ups in their innovation process and commercial growth.

The chemicals, plastics and life sciences sector is striving to become a world leader in energy efficiency. Examples of innovations include hyper-efficient batteries for better energy storage, ultralight materials for a lower fuel consumption in transport, high-performance insulation for sustainable construction, essential building blocks for renewable energy, insulation materials for energy efficient household appliances, and CO2 as a raw material for the production of mattresses. These examples all contribute to address global societal challenges such as the reduction of CO2-emissions and the transformation of CO2 and wastestreams into valuable resources. This resonates perfectly with essenscia’s creed: improving everyone’s quality of life.

Les Zinnovants Essenscia is not only working with fellow member companies from the chemicals and life sciences sector. In order to be con-

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essenscia Federation for Chemistry and Life Sciences Industries

Innovation Award winner Mithra

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Contact: Yves Verschueren Managing Director essenscia Tel.: +32 2 238 97 11 E-mail : yverschueren@essenscia.be www.essenscia.be @essenscia_NL @essenscia_FR facebook.com/essenscia

Agoria Vlaanderen Innovation as a weapon against the crisis As the Belgian federation of the technology industry, Agoria guides its members into the future. The strategy is built around innovation based on the three foundations that are also at the heart of Europe: sustainability, digitization and Industry 4.0. The ultimate goal is to develop and apply technological novelties that improve the quality of life in all possible ways.

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ith more than 2,000 affiliated companies representing around 310,000 employees, Agoria is one of the largest trade federations in our country. “Our services are threefold,” says Peter Demuynck, general director of Agoria Flanders. “Consultancy, business development and creating an optimal business environment for our members. To this end, we not only work closely together with other sector federations, but also with a wide range of knowledge institutions and consultants”.

Age of Opportunities

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2020 was a strange year for everyone. Also the members of Agoria did not escape the consequences of Covid-19. “The importance of the strategy we formulated long before this crisis has been reaffirmed in this special period”, says Peter Demuynck.

Sustainability, digitization and Industry 4.0 are the most important building blocks for a successful recovery of our sector. During this health crisis, digital services have greatly improved the quality of our lives. Moreover, they created opportunities in the field of lifelong learning and workable from home. We believe that 2021 will mark the start of a new learning decade where education is central. In order to proactively anticipate this trend, we decided to develop digital training modules together with the VDAB. In addition, with Sirris we created ‘The 7 Transformations Experience’, a dynamic and interactive online course that provides more insight into the challenges of the ‘Factories of the Future’.

Peter Demuynck, general director of Agoria Flanders

says Peter Demuynck. “In order to succeed, it is essential that government, industry and knowledge institutions have their noses in the same direction. For our members to be able to continue innovating, they need to be supported by the researchers of our colleges and universities. In this respect, Agoria is the advocate of an even more demand-driven deployment of Flemish innovation resources. Applied research linked to the needs of the business world is an important key to success. Only in this way will there be enough resources left to make Flanders a leader in areas such as hydrogen, the circular economy, cyber security, clean connected automated vehicles, the low carbon industry, smart health and micro-electronics. Admittedly in a European context, because the seeds of further cooperation in European value chains are beginning to germinate in the meantime”.

Industry 4.0 is the future Covid-19 was also a very interesting school for Agoria. “The first corona wave clearly showed that it is difficult to keep our productivity at a high level in rapidly changing (crisis) situations,” explains Peter Demuynck. “Industry 4.0, which links the physical world and the digital world, is an enabler to stabilise and even increase productivity, even in the exceptional situations we are now facing. That is why we want to focus even more on a general migration to Industry 4.0 in the Flemish manufacturing industry. The Industrial Partnership - a consortium of 17 partners led by Agoria and Sirris - helps companies to implement the concept with the support of Vlaio. Concretely, this project consists of a scan and a coaching trajectory to successfully complete the transition phases. In 2020, we expanded this further with special initiatives to tackle the challenges of Covid-19”.

Need for additional applied research Agoria is convinced that accelerating the introduction of pioneering technologies (such as Artificial Intelligence and CyberSecurity) is crucial to prepare Flemish companies for the post-corona era.

“That is why we have taken on the role of bridge builder in 2020,”

Peter Demuynck Peter.demuynck@agoria.be www.agoria.be 28

Helping Belgian companies regain market share around the world Interview with Mrs Fabienne L'HOOST, Director General of the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency

posts around the world and regional export promotion agencies, our mobile platform Trade4U enables Belgian companies to be informed in real time of international business opportunities in foreign markets for their products or services.

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ould you tell us about the economic missions planned for 2020 and 2021?

In this particular year, our action plan had to be completely reorganised. Initially, Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid should have presided over an economic mission to the Republic of Senegal in June 2020 and another to the Commonwealth of Australia in October 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic decided otherwise. © Belgian Foreign Trade Agency

This is why, in these unprecedented times, in agreement with our institutional partners, we have deemed it appropriate to organise three rather than two economic missions next year as an exceptional measure. Indeed, the 2021 programme includes the following princely economic missions: a first one to the Republic of Senegal in June, a second one to the United Kingdom in September and a third one to the United States of America in October. Finally, with regard to the 2022 action plan, Japan (first half of the year) and the Commonwealth of Australia (second half of the year) should be the countries of destination for the Belgian delegation.

In this particular year, the application has been given a new look. From now on, subscribing companies will be able to request complete files for each business opportunity and even search for business partners to form consortia to successfully respond to a foreign public tender or project. Finally, economic and legal information relating to foreign trade is also disseminated via the Trade4U application.

In addition, a free 3-month subscription has been offered from 1 October to all companies registered in the Foreign Trade Agency's exporters' file; these companies will therefore be able to benefit from public international trade opportunities tailored to their markets and sectors of activity. We hope that this tool will help Belgian companies to regain market share around the world following the COVID-19 crisis.

How did the Belgian Foreign Trade Agency use the Trade4U package in this very specific year?

Despite the difficult times we are going through, the Agency does not lack resources to support Belgian companies. Indeed, thanks to the close collaboration with the Federal Public Service of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic

In your opinion, which sectors and markets do you see as promising for Belgian exporters in the short and medium term?

Foreign trade has always been of paramount importance for the Belgian economy. In 2019, total Belgian exports amounted to 397 billion euros, an increase of 0.1% (+ 437 million euros) compared to 2018. Although Belgian products and services are exported to the four corners of the globe, our neighbouring countries remain our preferred trading partners.

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In 2019, chemical products were still the leading export of Belgian goods, with a share of 25.1%. Exports of these products totalled 99.5 billion euros in 2019, 2.7% more than in the previous year.

In the midst of the global health crisis, exports of such products are also likely to rise in 2020.

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Transport equipment is the second most important export with a share of 12.8%. Exports of this type of product amounted to €50.9 billion in 2019, a significant increase of 10.4% compared to 2018. Machinery and equipment ranked third in the same year with a share of 10.5% and an amount of 41.9 billion euros (+2.6%). Finally, fourth and fifth places were occupied respectively by mineral products (8.8% share for €35.1 billion exported) and plastic products (7.8% share for €31.1 billion exported).

Plastics pipes under the magnifying glass Becetel is the white raven in testing plastics pipes. The combination of more than sixty years of expertise, total independence and extensive testing facilities is unique in Europe. Not surprisingly, a wide range of companies, organisations and certification bodies call on the services of this ISO 17025 accredited laboratory.

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hat started in 1957 as a spin-off of Ghent University has today grown into a test laboratory with international allure. Nevertheless, the core business has remained unchanged, but that is also the great strength of the Belgian Centre for Technological Research on Pipes and Fittings (Becetel for short). “In contrast to most of our competitors, we limit our field of activity to testing plastic pipes and fittings”, says technical director Joris Vienne. Of course, things have changed over the years. In our early years there was only PVC, whereas today a wide range of plastics are used in piping. The field of application has also evolved considerably. Initially we only talked about piping material for (drinking) water and gas, but today you can find plastics piping in all utilities, waste water treatment, construction, all kinds of industrial processes, rainwater infiltration,… By closely following the evolutions through international symposia, training and research, our knowledge has also evolved. As a result, Becetel is one of the few laboratories that has so much expertise in this specific field.

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ment for turning, milling, drilling, sawing and welding and even a CNC milling machine. The fact that we have a great deal of in-house knowledge of electromechanical controls and their programming is a great asset in this respect”.

A great strength of Becetel is that the knowledge was always proactively translated into test equipment. “We continue to invest in new solutions”, says Joris Vienne. “In doing so, we are not guided by what the market for test equipment has to offer.

Thanks to our in-house expertise and creativity, we regularly succeed in creating our own solutions. For example, we have our own installations for the accelerated Notch Pipe Test (aNPT), the Plain Strain Grooved Tensile (PSGT) test and various creep tests. These solutions are developed either in cooperation with local suppliers or in our own mechanical workshop with equip-

From water tanks to fusion machines Of course, Becetel has a lot of other test infrastructure: large water tanks for hydrostatic pressure testing, pressure stations, universal testing machines with load ranges from 5 kN to 400 kN, temperature chambers, impact testers, data-logging equipment, ultrasonic thickness gauges, hardness testers, flow meters, fusion machines, torque wrenches, dimensional measuring equipment, height and strain gauges, thermocouples, … All this test equipment is divided over four different departments. “We have a temperature conditioned lab (23°C, 50 % RH) for the dimensional measurements, creep testing and multiple universal testing machines for determination of tensile, flexural and compressive properties”, explains Joris Vienne. “In our multifunctional hall we perform the hydrostatic pressure testing, the RCP S4 testing (Rapid Crack Propagation), impact testing, leaktightness testing, temperature cycling tests, …. There is also a lab for physical properties, such as MFR, DSC, IR, Vicat, thermal stability testing, IR analysis, … And last but not least there is our department with microscopes mainly used for failure analysis. I would also like to point out that Becetel can handle various pipe diameters, ranging from 8 mm till 2000 mm.”

Today, Becetel mainly carries out mechanical tests on plastics pipes, including fusion joints, connections and accessories.

“How strong are the solutions? What is their lifetime expectancy?

Are they suitable for certain applications? These are the questions we are trying to find an answer to”, says Mr. Vienne. Thanks

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Creative with test equipment

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I n n o v a t i © Becetel

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to our former full-scale test site, we also have an extensive experience in performing rapid crack propagation (RCP) test. So far that we could substitute the full-scale test with the smaller S4 (Small Scale Steady State) test by correlation. Furthermore, Becetel developed a software package to perform the so-called Standard Extrapolation Method (SEM) analysis described in ISO 9080. Because we have built or modified some of our testing equipment ourselves, we can even carry out tests that fall outside the standards. Since a few years, we have also built up experience in the testing of elastomers (ageing, compression set, ...). In addition, we are sector operator, which means that we are the relay and contact point of the Belgian standardisation bodies. Becetel also acts as a partner in various certification systems and we play an active role in the international standardisation committees of CEN and ISO. Finally, we are regularly called in as an expert in the event of claims related to failures in plastics.

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and infiltrated locally. Another important trend is the evolution towards ever larger diameters. Logically, these changes create different needs and challenges in terms of testing. Thanks to our members, we always know fairly quickly what's ahead of us, allowing us to take proactive action”.

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The fact that so many parties call on Becetel‘s expertise has a lot to do with the independence of the organisation. After all, since its inception the laboratory has functioned as a member association in the form of a VZW. Today, Becetel has around forty members who are active in a wide range of sectors: manufacturers of basic materials, pipes and accessories, utility companies (gas, drinking water and waste water), installers/contractors and certification bodies. “This diversity of members is an important pillar on which the expansion of our expertise is based,” explains Joris Vienne. “After all, we operate in a market that is in a state of flux.

And we are not just talking about the creation of new materials.

The scope also continues to evolve. For example, investments in gas pipelines are falling. On the other hand, there is a sharp increase in solutions for the renovation of old or defective pipelines and infiltration applications in which rainwater is captured

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Gontrode Heirweg 130 9090 Melle Tel.: +32 (0)9 272 50 70 E-mail: info@becetel.be http://www.becetel.be

4.0 Made Real for the Belgian industry by Sirris Interview with Mr Herman DERACHE, Managing director of Sirris

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of data that will be generated may also be used for the benefit of production processes. This is why we launched our 4.0 Made Real Pilot Factory, in which smart, digital solutions can be developed and demonstrated, to help companies discover the possibilities and opportunities of Industry 4.0 in practice.

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hat is the task of Sirris and what are its key figures?

With a wealth of experience of 70 years, Sirris is the collective research and innovation centre for the technological industry in Belgium. Established on 8 high-tech sites (Antwerp, Ghent, Brussels, Kortrijk, Charleroi, Leuven, Hasselt, Liege), it gathers together 2,500 member companies and has a network of more than 200 partners. Each year, our 150 passionate experts support 1,500 companies in the realisation of their innovation projects (individual innovation projects or collective research projects). Our task is to help companies to make the right technological choices and to implement innovations to guarantee their sustainable economic growth and prosperous future.

Lastly, digital technology is affecting the way we do business.

Digital-based innovation often has an impact on the product and the business model. Sirris helps businesses to combine the technological possibilities and the opportunities linked to the business models of the digital era which will be the foundations of tomorrow’s innovation.

In your opinion, what are the main challenges that await industrial companies in the years to come?

March 2020 was an uppercut for our economy. COVID-19 brought about a tsunami of global changes. Consumer behaviour changed and key trends such as digitisation and the need for sustainability shifted up a gear. Disruptive times - the corona crisis, but also the Brexit, changes due to globalisation, climate change - bring enormous challenges, but also offer unique opportunities. Opportunities to do things differently, develop new products, produce more efficiently and sustainably or even develop new business models. New technologies based on data, automation and AI will be crucial to bring resilience to the Belgian manufacturing industry and safeguard our welfare.

What are your fields of expertise?

Businesses who want to innovate can count on the expertise of Sirris in 3 major fields: “the business of the future”, “the product of the business” and “the factory of the future”. Every day, 150 engineers, scientists and technicians explore the possibilities of over 20 innovative technologies. Thanks to Sirris, the combination of the right experts with a high-tech infrastructure opens up the path to innovation.

The main challenge for manufacturing companies today is adapting to the new reality of COVID-19. This is why Sirris has developed the Crisis Code Cracker, which is a thorough and pragmatic company screening to estimate its crisis resistance.

What services do you offer to companies along the 3 main lines which are “Product of the Future”, “Factory of the Future” and “Business of the Future”?

At disruptive times like these, while competition is still raging on the world stage, product innovation can take place by adding new functionalities and characteristics to products, making the products smart(er), connecting them, using other materials or entirely redesigning the products. Sirris focuses on these needs with a view to manufacturing the products of today and tomorrow hand in hand with businesses.

Beyond new products, other factors lie behind the drastic transformation of tomorrow's production: everything needs to go faster, be more and more accurate, smaller, customised, cheaper, more ecological, more complex etc. The integration of different (new) technologies is therefore essential within the production line. Operators will be supported in their role by cobots, vision systems, wearable solutions, tablets etc. The enormous amount

Making the shopfloor transparent demonstrator in the 4.0 Made Real Pilot Factory of Sirris in Hasselt

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Flanders: innovation at the service of the economy

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Supporting health research and strategic transformation for companies Interview with Mrs Hilde CREVITS, Deputy Prime Minister of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Economy, Innovation, Work, Social Economy and Agriculture on the greening of ICT. Within the Flemish Research Plan AI, for example, we are taking a leading role in the development of Edge AI (or edge computing) in which algorithmic calculations are done directly in the device and do not first have to be collected centrally. This evolution opens up a whole range of possibilities for AI use in low-power applications, which therefore consume less energy.

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hat are the strengths of the Flemish economy?

When I think of Flanders, I think primarily of our knowhow and of our innovative capabilities.

Our workforce is highly educated, and our employees are among the most productive in Europe.

Only Ireland and Luxembourg are more productive than we are. We also must mention our research institutions, such as our universities and our strategic research centres Imec, VIB, Flanders Make and VITO. Their strength acts as a catalyst for innovation among our companies. Our innovative expertise, our geographic centrality and our ports make Flanders an important logistics hub in Europe. It is imperative that we play on our strengths to emerge stronger and more resilient from the current crisis.

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The recent COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. What has the Flemish Government done?

This crisis is unprecedented. The Flemish Government initially focused on meeting the acute financial needs of our companies. With the corona ‘hinderpremie’ (a compensation given to all firms that were obliged to close down completely) and the corona ‘compensatiepremie’ (a compensation given to all firms experiencing a serious drop in revenue due to the measures), we helped companies that had to close down and/or saw a sharp drop in their income.

The speed by which the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Enterprise (VLAIO) implemented these measures is unprecedented.

More than 200,000 self-employed people were helped with more than 1 billion euros.

What role does innovation play in the dynamics of Flemish companies?

Peter Drucker, the godfather of modern management once said: “Innovate or die”. All companies must dare to innovate, as innovation determines whether companies flourish and grow, or languish and stagnate. Innovation allows companies to stay ahead of their competitors, respond more quickly to customer needs and produce products and services more efficiently. This in turn creates more added value and increases our labour productivity even more. Innovation is winning, in all areas. That is why I think it is important that our companies, especially our smaller ones, embrace and use new technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber security sooner rather than later. It is for this reason that I will make available in subsidies EUR 32 million a year for artificial intelligence, and EUR 20 million a year for cyber security. That will also help us to respond to the European digital agenda.

In addition, we also offered additional support through PMV by, for example, expanding possibilities in the area of guarantees and subordinated loans. We are currently working on a Welfare Fund to activate the savings of the Flemish people to strengthen our businesses.

We have also made additional investments in research and innovation. Both have been crucial during the crisis and will continue to do so during our economic relaunch. The importance of research and innovation in the healthcare sector could not be made any

How do you envisage Flanders contributing to the digital and green transition that the European Commission is prioritising?

The importance of the green and digital transition should not be underestimated. It motivates me to ensure that my policies are extremely responsive to the lightning speed of digitisation, and through close cooperation with industry, support the transition to a low-carbon economy and society.

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We are transforming how we procure our energy as an answer to the climate challenge. This is also strongly linked to the digital transition.Our dynamic spearhead clusters and innovative business networks will play an important guiding role in the Flemish green and digital transition. We want to build up future-proof green and digital value chains in Flanders, which will enable us to position ourselves strongly in the European value chains.

With the Moonshot programme (consisting of 20 million euros per year), we will finance research projects that support our industrial transition to a CO2-neutral industry by 2050.

We will also make every effort to participate in the new European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation “Horizon Europe” and look for other European co-financing opportunities to realize our ambitions. In addition to this, we are also working

Minister Crevits visiting Sioen Coating in Ardooie

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clearer than through the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has not only had an unprecedented financial and economic impact, but has also had an indescribable impact on people and on our way of life.

What means will you have to enforce these measures?

In 2017, we spent 2.89% of our regional GDP on research and development in Flanders. With that result, Flanders is steadily climbing to the top in Europe. However, our ambitions are higher.

We should be able to reach 3% by the end of this legislature.

This equates to a permanent increase of EUR 250 million in the research and innovation budget and one-off investments by EUR 195 million in research infrastructure by the end of this legislature.

Flanders launched two special calls for COVID-19 research projects. In a first call, 2.5 million euros was provided to fund research into possible therapeutics and vaccines, but also research on patient samples to better understand COVID-19 immunity.

Mathematical modelling, epidemiological research and technology development projects (e.g. masks, respirators, vaccine production technology) were also potential candidates. 9 projects were finally selected for launch.

What collaborations do you intend to develop in order to carry out your action?

When we talk about economy and innovation, we automatically think of our companies and researchers. But I also want to consciously involve citizens and civil society more closely in the coming years by introducing a new innovation model for our society: the quadruple helix. By introducing innovation to everyone, we will also make it known and loved by everyone. There is a double advantage in this. The involvement of civil society can contribute to a greater social and economic impact of our excellent scientific research and industrial R&D. Conversely, it is also necessary to create a better understanding and greater confidence in the work of scientists and technology managers because new technologies are often still frightening upon their release. Trust is essential for the rapid dissemination and social acceptance of new technologies. Moreover, cooperation is essential to increase the resilience of our open economy in the light of international events, such as the Brexit or other tumultuous trade relations.

The crisis has an impact on each and every one of us. We therefore need to look beyond the financial and economic consequences.

That is why a second special call was recently launched that focuses on the social consequences of the measures to combat COVID-19. Applications for this call must include research on COVID-19 pandemic-related topics, such as research into personal welfare, or answer legal, economic, political or social questions.

EUR 2.5 million has also been dedicated to this call.

Furthermore, the Flemish government is also currently providing 21 million euros in strategic transformation support for companies that make additional investments in the production of COVID-19 relevant products and services.

What are your priorities in terms of the economy and innovation?

I intend to make economic and innovation policy more missionoriented. We need to pursue more clear societal goals. A to-do list, as it were, with goals that we need to achieve, but on a larger scale. We see six broad projects. First of all, local entrepreneurship must flourish and we make our traders competitive in today's e-commerce environment by providing them with the necessary digital tools. Secondly, we guarantee the competitiveness and productivity of our manufacturing industry through having a future-oriented and integrated industrial policy. Thirdly, we support our provinces and regions in their development on the basis of regional specializations. The fourth point is the digital lead that we are providing to our researchers and businesses to take over the rest of the world via a Flemish agenda for digital entrepreneurship and innovation. Special attention will also be paid to the roll-out of necessary infrastructure such as 5G. The fifth project is our transition to a low-carbon economy and society, supported by an ambitious plan for climate-friendly innovations.

Lastly, in order to meet our needs for water and raw materials in the future, through focusing on a circular economy through research and new business models, we aim to safeguard our limited space and raw materials.

In your opinion, what are the most important challenges for Flemish companies to maintain and increase their competitive position?

When I talk to entrepreneurs, they often come back to the same three issues: the mobility issue (the traffic jams), the wage and energy costs and the skills of employees. Based on my competences, I try to respond to each of these issues. On the mobility issue, I support innovative projects on smart and connected vehicles and better use of data on our mobility. On labour and energy costs, we are supporting energy-saving measures and focusing on technologies that can boost productivity. Hence the importance of speeding up the roll-out of these technologies, especially to our SME’s. As far as skills are concerned, I will use the credo of our Lifelong Learning programme: “eudcating, educating, educating.”

This will be our mantra for the coming years, as well as our recipe for a strong recovery. I will also shortly be launching a renewed STEM action plan 2020-2030. In this way we will make even more young people enthusiastic about scientific and technological innovation.

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What measures does the new Flemish government intend to take to support innovative companies in Flanders?

The concrete measures that we will take within the framework of the projects mentioned previously are currently being developed in full consultation with all the parties concerned. Everyone must be united in this story. Impact is an important principle here: our actions and spending must make a difference. That is why we will predominantly focus on the instruments from which we can expect the greatest impact. We will place an important emphasis on the encouragement of small businesses to innovate as well as the development of our spearhead clusters. Nonetheless, we will also not lose sight of the more general support measures. Stimulating entrepreneurship, easy access to finance and capital, strengthening our scientific base and disseminating knowledge are just as important.

Minister Crevits visiting ArcelorMittal in Ghent

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EWI: Excellence is the keyword in scientific research Interview with Mr Johan HANSSENS, Secretary-General of EWI

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© EWI

hat are the core tasks of the EWI department?

The Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) is responsible for policy preparation, policy follow-up and policy evaluation for the sectors of Economy, Science and Innovation within the Flemish Government. In this framework, our most important goal is to allow Flanders to evolve into one of the most progressive and prosperous regions in the world. Our levers in this are the promotion of: (1) excellent scientific research, (2) an attractive and sustainable business climate and (3) a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial society. EWI strives towards excellence in fundamental research, strategic knowledge development and the exploitation of this knowledge. Prerequisites for this are human capital and research infrastructure. In addition, we follow up the policy themes that are related to the development of an attractive and sustainable business climate and the stimulation of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Odysseus programme is aimed at bringing researchers with a foreign career to Flanders via early stage funding for scientific research.

This may involve both leading researchers with international recognition - who lead the way and have a post at a foreign university - and researchers who have the potential to be among the world's best in the near future. For a period of five years, they are able to build up their own research group. The organisation of the Odysseus programme is in the hands of the Fund for Scientific Research - Flanders. Universities take the initiative to nominate candidates.

They provide an academic position, the infrastructure, offices etc. Universities can also nominate a candidate together. Approved projects receive between 100,000 and 1,500,000 euros a year for a five-year period.

What is the importance/added value of strategic research centres?

Strategic research centres (SRCs) have formed thanks to the excellent and relevant results of academic scientific research in a wide range of scientific fields in micro- and nano-electronics, biotechnology, broadband technology, environmental topics and our manufacturing industry. With a view to economic and social valorisation, we continually strive for an appropriate balance between targeted and non-targeted research. In that regard, the strategic research centres have an important bridging function between fundamental and applied research. SRCs therefore also play an important role in the transformation of the Flemish economy. The marketing of their knowledge through the (co)creation of spin-offs forms an important part of this. In addition, in other sectors - such as the agro-food industry, sustainable chemistry, sustainable logistics and mobility - Flanders also applies an integrated support, research and knowledge policy. Flanders has 4 SRCs that are world leaders in their field. VIB for biotechnology, imec (merged with former research center iMinds in 2016) for nanoelectronics and digital technology, VITO for environmental research and Flanders MAKE for the manufacturing industry.

How does the EWI carry out fundamental and strategic basic research?

Excellence is very much the keyword in scientific research. The ambition of Flanders is to finance the most excellent research using this criterion. Flanders has a number of different instruments for the funding of fundamental and strategic basic research at the Flemish public knowledge institutions such as universities, colleges, strategic research centres and other research institutions. Based on this, the EWI department implements a clear policy, coordinates and evaluates these funding mechanisms. Assignment of a specific grant or subsidy to a researcher takes place through the knowledge institutions themselves or through our agencies. In addition to this funding, it is naturally also important to be able to have excellent researchers and research infrastructure. For this reason, we are also investing in our human capital and in stateof-the-art research infrastructure in Flanders and internationally.

Can you give us a number of examples of research funds/programmes?

The Industrial Research Fund (IRF) is an internal designation fund of a university association (a university and one or more colleges) whose resources are used for strategic basic research and applied scientific research. The objectives of an IRF are - in the short to medium term - to stimulate the interaction between the association and the business world and to build up a portfolio of application-oriented knowledge within the association. In the medium to long term, an IRF must result in better coordination of the strategic basic research and applied scientific research with the economic needs and the application and exploitation of the profile of business knowledge built up. The IRF thereby fits into the broader whole of efforts to strengthen the interaction between higher education institutes and economic players.

Flemish Government Department of Economy, Science and Innovation (EWI) Koning Albert II-laan 35 box 10 - 1030 Brussels - BELGIUM Email: info@ewi.vlaanderen.be http://www.ewi-vlaanderen.be https://twitter.com/Departement_EWI https://www.linkedin.com/company/departement-economiewetenschap-en-innovatie-ewi36

Flemish universities must get the necessary means to remain appealing Interview with Dr. Koen VERLAECKT, Secretary General of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR)

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hat are the missions of the VLIR? The Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad (“VLIR”) is the National Rectors’ Conference of the five Dutch-speaking universities in Flanders: KU Leuven, Ghent University, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University. As such, it is an excellent platform to foster decision-making on common policies.

The latter regard varied issues such as quality assurance in higher education, diversity, internationalization, European R&D, science communication, doctoral schools or tech transfer. At the same time the VLIR actively promotes and defends the interests of its members as a privileged partner of the public authorities.

What were the highlights of the VLIR in 2020?

The COVID-19 crisis turned the academic year 2019-2020 into a very challenging one, forcing our universities to change their modus operandi almost overnight. Universities have been leading the way, openly pleading with the government to take drastic measures, constantly contributing expert advice and supporting the first national scientific conference on COVID-19.

VLIR elaborated a human rights assessment tool, which will be implemented by its members. It serves as a self-guiding toolbox to evaluate existing and future academic partnerships. VLIR also launched a dedicated website to support researchers in dealing with the complex legal requirements of the Nagoya Protocol.

What are the main facts and figures of Flemish universities ?

The academic year 2019-2020 witnessed a total of 125 188 students enrolling in our five universities, a 3.65% increase compared to 2018-2019. The continuous growth of the number of students puts tremendous pressure on teaching and research infrastructure, whereas the basic funding erodes due to the government’s continuing austerity policy.

A permanent VLIR working group on academic heritage has been established to realize the eligibility of universities for funding from cultural heritage sources.

Notwithstanding the budget cuts announced by the new government in late 2019, preparations were made to launch the first ever interuniversity call for basic research projects (iBOF). VLIR also contributed very actively to the lobbying campaign for a more substantial share for Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ in the MFF negotiations. The negative fall-out of Brexit on academic partnerships was another point of concern.

In 2019 our universities together employed 26 647 FTE staff and they generated a total income of € 2.5 billion. €170 million comes from internationally competitive funding sources, whereas €255 million was generated by contract research.

How do you assess the interactions between the VLIR and the Flemish government in matters concerning higher education policy?

The new government has set ambitious targets for higher education, focusing on reducing the number of study programmes and increasing study efficiency. VLIR and the government are working together in a spirit of co-creation. At the same time however, universities are very concerned about the ongoing erosion of their basic funding.

Which policy proposals do you put forward as regards higher education and research policy?

As for research policy we welcome the government’s plans to invest more in R&D and in research infrastructure, keeping a healthy balance between universities and other actors, but also between basic and applied research.

© VLIR

In our policy report “Kompas 2024” we formulated recommendations for an integrated internationalization strategy for research, development and higher education. Mainstreaming knowledge incentives across all government departments is key for the future of an internationally oriented region like Flanders.

From left to right: Luc De Schepper (Rector UHasselt), Rik Van de Walle (Rector UGent), Caroline Pauwels (Rector VUB), Luc Sels (Rector KU Leuven), Herman Van Goethem (Rector UAntwerpen) and Koen Verlaeckt (Secretary General VLIR)

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We also focus on reducing all red tape for knowledge workers from third countries. The introduction of the single permit procedure has created a lot of legal and administrative hiccups at all levels of government in our country. International brain circulation should never be hindered.

VLAIO: a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs in Flanders Interview with Mr Mark ANDRIES, General Administrator for Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) fail to yield the expected business results.

That is why cooperation enables risk sharing while subsidies encourage risk taking by companies. There are two kinds of subsidies. The first one covers research projects with a lower TRL, i.e. a focus on knowledge generation that implies a bigger support; higher development projects with a higher TRL, closer to the market and therefore less risky (which implies a smaller support); joint projects between companies or between companies and universities; and incentives for PhD students and postdocs to work in a company (this incentive has been very successful over the last years). The second kind of subsidies is related to the various European programmes (Eurostars, H2020, Eureka…) and acts as leverage towards European subsidies for companies willing to participate in European projects. In 2020, VLAIO selected several European Partnerships in which the VLAIO funding programs will be integrated in the future and joined the elaboration of European value chains in the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

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© VLAIO

hat services do you provide to entrepreneurs?

VLAIO is the agency of entrepreneurship and innovation of the government of Flanders. Its clients are the companies in Flanders. Thanks to our own front office, we can answer their questions, deliver guidance, send advisors to the company’s location to discuss business cases as a whole and innovation in particular, and match them with the relevant members of our network of partners. On top of that we can give companies in Flanders some basic advice on intellectual property, a key aspect of innovation, and we also provide them with financial support for their projects, be it directly or indirectly via other Flemish agencies. Since we have a wide portfolio of grants and subsidies, most of the financial support to companies is given by VLAIO. Subsidies can be granted to professionalize the staff of SMEs or help their growth; they can also be allocated to bigger companies wishing to make an investment to reduce their ecological footprint. Last but not least, our subsidies are mostly focused on R&D and innovation. And let us not forget the fact that VLAIO is an internationally oriented agency: as such, we are the coordinator of the European Regional Fund for Development in Flanders and we also act as contact point for European subsidies in the framework of Horizon 2020 and other European research programmes.

How do you help innovation clusters in Flanders to increase their competitiveness?

Clusters are an important instrument to promote cooperation and innovation within the same value chain. We mainly support 6 spearhead clusters: Catalisti (sustainable chemistry), SIM (materials), Flanders Food, VIL (logistics), FLUX50 (energy innovation), and the youngest one, Blue Cluster (economy and innovation in the North Sea). VLAIO grants subsidies for cluster projects. For instance Blue Cluster has recently launched the project “Blue Marine” with the aim to develop technologies for growing plants in the North Sea: these sea farms are interesting for various sectors such as the pharmaceutical industry, the textile industry, etc. Thanks to this project, different sectors work together via a very innovative, atypical approach which can benefit everyone.

VLAIO also supports smaller innovative business clusters (11 at the moment), which are bottom-up initiatives launched by companies active in drones, offshore energy, etc.

How do you help foreign entrepreneurs and investors to establish or expand a business in Flanders?

This task is carried out in close collaboration with FIT (Flanders Investment & Trade): with 99 officers around the world, FIT enjoys a strong connection with potential foreign investors. When one of them shows interest to settle down in Flanders, VLAIO and FIT join hands to give that potential foreign investor advice and provide him with the right partner. In terms of advice VLAIO proves to be a privileged partner considering the amount of information we have about subsidies for investments. Since foreign companies are often willing to carry out R&D activities in Flanders, VLAIO can connect them with universities and other knowledge institutions. We can also help them to find a location with the close cooperation of municipalities, project developers, realtor, and (air) port authorities.

Recent developments In 2020, VLAIO took an active role in supporting enterprises during the COVID-19 crisis. This includes several measures, from small grants to alleviate the direct financial impact on small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs to fast-track procedures in the R&D programs, additional investment aid for COVID-related topics and information to enterprises including measures from other agencies in Flanders.

What support do you offer for research & development?

We offer direct financial support for R&D activities and encourage companies to collaborate with universities and other institutions and/or companies. This incentive is in no way compulsory but it remains interesting given that R&D is a hazardous process: it can 38

Voka Health Community DO-IT for innovation in welfare and care

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© Voka

© Voka

Voka launched an open call for a new socio-economic pact 2030 with 'Plan Together for Growth'. In addition to smart sustainability and digitisation, the theme of health and well-being also forms a spearhead in this. Voka Health Community is already making a move with DO-IT, an action plan towards excellent innovation in health & wellbeing.

oka Health Community is an ecosystem of more than 500 welfare and care organisations, companies, knowledge centres and patient groups from Flanders and Brussels.

“We created this in 2011 to allow innovators to jointly build bridges between the increasing insights, the technological possibilities and the changing needs in healthcare in an open and entrepreneurial way,” says project manager Ria Binst. “The DO-IT action plan is our response to the ‘Plan Together to Grow’ that focuses on more prevention, data-driven self-care and proactivity or early detection. ‘DO-IT’ stands for ‘Data and digitisation’, ‘Entrepreneurship, care and collaboration models’, ‘Innovative infrastructure and investments’ and ‘Technology’. In our opinion, these are the pillars with which we must make a difference in order to position Flanders as excellent and become an international best practice in terms of social and economic added value, and in order to offer solutions for complex challenges such as staff shortages”.

consolidate and strengthen their top positions in this area. Ria Binst explains: “The expertise built up must drive welfare, care and the economy forward. For example, we can focus on the application of (big and real world) data and digitisation, the strengthening of R&D in the field of prevention and care, the search for specific solutions for the shortage of personnel, … The second axis is about implementation, upscaling and knowledge assurance. We need to speed up the adoption of the insights by both the pioneers and the followers. This requires advice and coaching, targeted learning trajectories, matchmaking and mentoring, as well as rule-less implementation and start-up experiments.

Finally, the flanking policy is also crucial. We are talking about the ethical and legal framework of innovations, the removal of barriers, efficient interaction with orders of care professions and other bodies,...”.

DO-IT for Bridge between stakeholders

This year, Voka Health Community is putting the action plan on the agenda with partners, healthcare actors and policy makers.

“Innovation and entrepreneurship are the pillars to make Flanders an innovative top region in the field of welfare, care and poverty alleviation”, says Ria Binst. “We need to evolve into a region where citizens, care users and care providers can make use of the cutting edge in valuable and necessary innovative solutions, developed with strong entrepreneurship.”

Towards an innovative top region

Of course, a great deal of R&D will be needed in order to achieve the objectives. “This is exactly where the ecosystem plays a crucial role,” says Ria Binst. “No healthcare organisation or company can innovate optimally on its own. Stakeholders need each other to share ideas, solutions and talent. That's why we also strive for partnerships that cross regions, countries and even continents. In order to bring together the right expertise, knowledge and skills, there is a need for continuous cooperation between care institutions, knowledge centres and industry.

Adoption and diffusion are also an indispensable cornerstone of the action plan. We need to evolve from ‘projects’ to broad ‘ownership’. Diffusion is the result, not the starting point”.

Three axes

Ria Binst Tel.: 0477/52.41.30 Ria.Binst@voka.be www.voka.be/healthcommunity

In order to translate the action plan into practice, Voka Health Community focuses on three axes. First and foremost, there is the strategic research with which Flanders and Brussels must 39

VARIO Independent advice for the Flemish Government The Flemish Advisory Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – VARIO – acts as the highest advisory body to the Flemish Government and the Flemish Parliament with regard to Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy. In 2020 VARIO had the publication of seven advisory reports on its agenda. These are characterized by VARIO’s distinctive approach: evidence-based, taking the international context into account and based on a system perspective.

To the top 5 innovation and knowledge regions

© VARIO

In the midst of the corona crisis, VARIO presented a triptych advisory report to Minister-President of the Flemish Government Jan Jambon and Vice-Minister-President Hilde Crevits on how to steer Flanders towards a top position of knowledge and innovation regions by 2030. “We ask the Flemish Government not to be tempted by short-term politics because of the crisis.

We must keep the long term in mind and focus on what is strategically important” explains VARIO director Danielle Raspoet.

“As a result of the sustained financial efforts of the past decades, Flanders has become one of Europe's top R&D spenders (according to the latest figures, 2.92% as a percentage of GDPR, private and public). Despite this, Flanders only ranks 40th in the latest European Regional Innovation Scoreboard and therefore remains in the category of ‘strong innovators’. Particularly in terms of the impact of its investments, Flanders needs to raise the bar: from strong innovator to innovation leader.”

VARIO chairman Lieven Danneels

© VARIO

VARIO chairman Lieven Danneels: “We are very pleased that the new Flemish coalition agreement has adopted the ambition of our VARIO memorandum to push Flanders to the top 5 innovation and knowledge regions. This ambition remains stronger than ever in the current corona crisis. Science, innovation and entrepreneurship are indispensable for solving this unprecedented health, social and economic crisis.”

VARIO director Danielle Raspoet

bachelors to strengthen the STEM-programmes, both short reports in reaction to a concept note. Furthermore VARIO carried out a study on the prospects for a Flemish hydrogen economy. The study shows that Flanders has a unique diversity of players located in different links of the hydrogen value chain, and therefore has all the assets to play a leading role in Europe in the field of hydrogen, provided the right support. Based on this study, Minister Crevits has developed a Flemish hydrogen vision. VARIO has also been working on scenarios to involve citizens more closely in science and innovation policy. All advisory reports can be found on vario.be.

A first advisory report of the triptych selects the countries and regions with which Flanders must benchmark itself on the way to the top in the coming years: innovation leaders Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands, and more particular thirteen regions within these countries, complemented by four German regions. The second advisory report provides a quality set of 20 key indicators to monitor Flanders’ progress in science and innovation. The third advisory report deals in greater depth with seven weak links in the Flemish innovation system that need to be tackled over the next ten years in order to raise the system to a higher level: (1) shortcomings in STEM; (2) lifelong learning; (3) ambitious entrepreneurship; (4) integrated vision of innovation; (5) regional impact of public R&D investments; (6) high-tech exports; (7) efficient and effective innovation policy.

VARIO council composition The chairman and nine members are appointed by the Flemish Government in a personal capacity. Members come from academia or industry and are selected based on their expertise, experience and knowledge of the field.

Other advisory reports of 2020

Lieven Danneels, managing director of Televic Group, chairs VARIO. The other members are Katrin Geyskens (Capricorn), Wim Haegeman (UGent), Johan Martens (KU Leuven), Leen Van den Neste (vdk bank), Koen Vanhalst (De Clercq & Partners), Vanessa Vankerckhoven (Novosanis), Dirk Van Dyck (UAntwerpen), Marc Van Sande (Umicore) and Reinhilde Veugelers (KU Leuven).

Other topics VARIO dealt with in 2020 are lifelong learning and the allocation of additional resources for the professional

The council is supported by a permanent staff directed by Danielle Raspoet.

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Vlaamse Hogescholenraad – Council of Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts Blikopener: The solution that makes the difference between survival and success for small and medium sized organisations Just suppose for a moment that researchers somewhere already have the findings and the expertise you need to make your organisation successful, but that this knowledge is stacked away somewhere on the shelves of its scientific environment and has never been applied in real life so far? It only takes the right tool to unlock these scientific treasures. This tool is called ‘Blikopener’ – which means ‘can opener’ as wel as ‘eye opener’ in Dutch – and offers the perfect platform to make research results available for the work field.

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n the one hand the Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts have always been active in applied research, leading to useful findings for small and medium sized companies as well as social profit organisations. On the other hand those companies for a long time didn’t know how to obtain these hidden treasures. Entrepreneurs talked about it, researchers knew it, but they hardly succeeded in finding each other. That was the case until IDEA Consult conducted a survey in 2018. The results confirmed common knowledge: the two parties had to be brought together in a closer relationship. The only question left was: who was going to be the intermediate partner?

or a request for information to a real joint project. Although it is the organisation that chooses who to work with, the Blikopener staff sees to it that it remains a ‘co-story’, a story of collaboration and co-existence. Transparent communication, generating new ideas, collective involvement and the proof of concepts are key factors in this tale.

A true success, but not there yet Until today about five thousand smaller organisations have been able to profit from the existence of Blikopener. They were given solutions in domains as broad as Artificial Intelligence or Supply Chain Management and even social themes like Corporate Social Responsibility or Human Resources Management.

By putting the demands of a company first, Blikopener succeeded in bringing expertise to the work field. Also helping Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts work together in favour of the needs of the requesting party is still a goal.

Single Point of contact For the Flemish government the answer to that question was quite obvious: Vlaamse Hogescholenraad, The Council of Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts, had always been the single point of contact concerning the needs and the motives of the Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts. So Vlaamse Hogescholenraad was best equipped for the challenge ahead: offering a platform where research results from the Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts could be made available to the best interest of companies and organisations.

This is a success already, but that doesn’t mean that the ultimate objectives have been reached. The Flemish Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts must be made aware that they can still improve and there are still domains of research left that haven’t been reached yet.

A story of collaboration and co-existence Acting as a catalyst

Blikopener brings together a commercial or social profit company and a University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Flanders with the solution for that specific organisation at hand. The contact between both parties can range from an exploratory encounter

© Vlaamse Hogescholenraad

Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts are designed to deliver practice-oriented research. They don’t have licenses or spin-off companies, but in a certain way this characteristic actually plays in their advantage. Their efforts and their expertise have the ability of not only saving many smaller companies and organisations, but also lifting them up to the next level. In that sense the double meaning of the Dutch word Blikopener serves its purpose: Blikopener comes in as an eye opener for companies and Universities of Applied Sciences and Arts as well as a can opener to unveil knowledge that has been put aside for much too long.

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Information: www.blikopener.vlaanderen

VITO Reducing the risk of sustainable innovation for companies We accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. We de-risk innovation for businesses and we strengthen the economic and societal fabric in Flanders, with interdisciplinary research and large-scale pilot installations. at full speed. VITO/EnergyVille is doing its bit in this respect, not only contributing to various European projects, but also putting itself on the map with its own far-reaching research. The need for a European battery that is not only sustainable, safe, efficient and inexpensive, but that is also an alternative to the traditional lithiumion battery is a fact. To achieve such a reliable and safe battery, a good battery management system is necessary. VITO/EnergyVille will gladly take care of the development of this system.

VITO & COMPANIES

VITO is working together with companies, either directly or in partnership with industry networks such as the spearhead clusters and employers’ organisations, to reduce the risk of sustainable innovation for companies. In Flanders and by extension internationally.

VITO & SCIENCE

VITO has a strong reputation in the Flemish and European scientific communities and works together with internationally renowned institutions.

Climate mapping Climate is a theme that concerns us all, and worries us too.

Climate is also what surrounds us, the city in which we live, the circumstances in which we feel good as citizens. In order to approach climate in the broadest sense of the word, numerous projects are being set up, because measuring is knowing. VITO deploys its expertise for many of these projects. From projects on biodiversity, to measuring devices for urban temperature, to the further development of the ATMO-Street air quality model.

VITO & SOCIETY

VITO makes objective and scientific information available to policymakers and citizens in order to have an impact on social debates on the transition to a sustainable society and the achievement of climate goals.

Circular economy Circular economy is a necessary condition if we want a sustainable society. We often want to make a U-turn, but we are not sufficiently aware of the consequences of these choices. Research is needed to provide the right answers and solutions. VITO takes the lead in this. Circular economy is a comprehensive concept. It concerns sustainable materials management, reducing waste streams and recovering what is still usable in those waste streams. Circular economy also involves raising awareness.

Sustainable agriculture WatchITgrow is a useful online information platform for the Belgian potato sector with the main objective of better estimating production and increasing it in a sustainable way. Using various data sources, including satellite images, weather data, soil and machine data, farmers have quick and efficient access to a lot of useful information about their parcels and crops. Based on the data collected, growers receive individual and targeted advice and alerts in the event of unexpected changes or problems so that timely action can be taken if necessary.

© VITO

Biomonitoring People are exposed day in, day out and often unconsciously to all kinds of chemical and other harmful substances. The Flemish centre of Expertise on Environment and Health charts exposure to pollutants via blood and urine samples and continues to look for the relationship with early health effects.

© VITO

Capture and use CO2 CO2 or carbon dioxide, however paradoxical it may sound, is crucial for life on earth. But our planet can no longer cope with the massive emissions of CO2 and it now poses a threat to our climate.

VITO is therefore actively looking for solutions to capture and use CO2. In order to prevent (too much) carbon dioxide from ending up in the air, we can capture CO2. VITO is strongly committed to research into the various possibilities of giving CO2 a sustainable second life.

VITO NV

Battery technology Storing green energy in a green battery. How wonderful would that be? Research into the development of sustainable, reliable batteries that can store renewable energy efficiently is therefore

Boeretang 200 2400 Mol - Belgium E-mail: vito@vito.be - http://www.vito.be 42

Imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies An interview with Mr Luc VAN DEN HOVE, President & CEO, imec and global partners including universities and world-leading companies from a multitude of industries. Our unique environment ensures more interactions, higher creativity and better integrated technologies.

© imec

Next to our R&D program offering, we also work together with companies on a bilateral basis, for private research. This can be an R&D collaboration supporting companies with the development of technological solutions to innovate their products and services. But this is not limited to R&D support: we offer support throughout the entire lifecycle of the innovation process. Whether it is hardware, software, or both. And for innovators from around the world, as well as for local initiatives in Flanders.

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hat are the key figures of R&D at imec?

Imec brings together more than 4,000 people from over 97 nationalities. We are headquartered in Leuven and have distributed R&D groups at a number of Flemish universities, as well as in the Netherlands, Taiwan and the USA, and offices in China, India and Japan.

Could you tell us about imec’s smart health research?

Imec leverages its expertise in chip design and chip technology, MEMS, bio-electronics, sensors, photonics, microfluidics, etc. to develop innovative tools for the life sciences, pharma R&D, clinical diagnostics, therapeutic and surgery, biopharma production and analytical biochemistry industries. Our IP is available for licensing, we provide research and development support, and we can also help companies with the prototyping, testing and manufacturing of their custom smart biochip solutions.

We also combine electronics and data science to develop and validate wearable solutions for our partners’ health applications. We develop solutions for a variety of wearable health applications, focusing on medical devices and chronic disease management, as well as on a healthy lifestyle and preventive care…

Could you introduce your expertises?

As a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, we combine our leadership in microchip technology with profound software and ICT expertise. Add to this our world-class infrastructure and local and global ecosystem of partners across a multitude of industries. Together, we create groundbreaking innovation in the semiconductor industry as well as in application domains such as healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics and manufacturing, energy and education.

What do you see as the main challenges facing life sciences companies in the coming years?

New diagnostics techniques are poised to play a crucial role in the future. These new techniques will have to be more sensitive, faster and cheaper so that we can test and treat all patients whenever there is a need. And this without overstretching the already heavily challenged healthcare budgets. Size, cost, power consumption, performance, sensitivity, within each patient’s reach and with medical accuracy and fast diagnostic results, become crucial parameters in research and diagnostics.

How is imec collaborating with companies across the world?

We offer R&D partnerships as well as innovation services. We firmly believe in the synergy of R&D collaboration. Together with universities, companies and public stakeholders, we aim to maximize knowledge and expertise to push technology forward.

As a pioneer in nanoelectronics, imec brings the power of chip technology to the world of healthcare to drive the development of innovative tools for diagnostics, sequencing, cell & gene therapy, neurotech, implantable medical devices, medical imaging and more. With silicon technology, we have the ability to design and fabricate breakthrough miniaturized tools and instruments at low cost, high parallellisation and ultra-high precision.

All our R&D partners benefit from the unique assets that imec offers such as our state-of-the-art infrastructure, our top-of-theclass international talent with multidisciplinary scientific background, our unique IP, and our one-of-a-kind ecosystem of local 43

UZ Leuven - University Hospitals Leuven High-level research On the Health Sciences campus Gasthuisberg, basic research, applied and clinical research are literally and figuratively in close proximity. The synergy between basic research and Clinical research leads to exceptionally high-level research.

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© UZ Leuven

n the field of basic research, the Group of Biomedical Sciences performs ground breaking research together with the University Hospital in order to create medical innovation. Each of the Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven is organized within 14 departments (cardiovascular diseases, cellular & molecular disease, chronic diseases, metabolism and ageing (CHROMETA), pharmaceutical & pharmacological sciences, human genetics, imaging & pathology, neurosciences, oncology, oral health sciences, development & regeneration, public health and primary care, rehabilitation sciences, movement sciences, microbiology, immunology and transplantation), each containing several research groups. Interdisciplinary networks and institutes (Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), Medical Imaging Research Center (MIRC), Rega Institute for Medical Research, Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), Leuven Bioinformatics Interest Group (BIG), Leuven Institute for Human Genomics and Society (LIGAS)) cross the borders of these departments. UZ Leuven is also involved in three strategic research centers: the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology, the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research and NeuroElectronics Research Flanders (NERF).

In translational research programs, basic biomedical research is linked with clinical research performed at UZ Leuven. Patientoriented studies in the University Hospital are coordinated by the Clinic Trial Center (CTC). Through core facilities researchers have access to innovative technologies.

Two week-old Arthur from Dresden was the 100.000th baby screened in the framework of trials supported by the global platform for the prevention of autoimmune diabetes (GPPAD) in which University Hospitals Leuven participates.

The normal risk is 1 in 250.” These children are invited to participate in the POInT (Primary Oral Insulin Trial) study: the POInT study examines whether the development of type 1 diabetes can be prevented in children with an increased risk through preventive treatment with oral insulin. In the meantime, infants can also be screened in 12 other Belgian centres. The aim of the trial is to screen 300.000 children by 2022. Until now more than 5000 babies have been screened in Belgium.

UZ Leuven is actively taking part in research on inflammatory bowel diseases. Since 2018 ustekinumab, a biological drug, has been available for the treatment of Crohn's Disease. The efficacy and safety of the medicine was recently confirmed in patients who no longer benefited from the standard medication.

This was done in two Belgian real-world studies, for which all patient populations qualified and as a result supplemented earlier controlled clinical trials. “The treatment with ustekinumab is userfriendly and it can tackle other inflammatory disorders”, according prof. dr. Severine Vermeire, gastroenterologist at UZ Leuven who contributed to both trials.

Lung disorders are another field of excellence at UZ Leuven. ArtiQ, a KU Leuven spin-off company which helps doctors diagnose, treat and monitor respiratory disorders, has recently conclued its seed financing round with € 1 million. The money will be used to launch ArtiQ|PFT, a software platform that will be able to quickly and reliably evaluate patients' lung capacity. The platform uses artificial intelligence to interpret pulmonary function tests and thus improves the diagnosis of lung diseases. The software was developed for and partly by doctors of UZ Leuven (among whom prof. dr. Wim Janssens, pulmonologist). The programme has been clinically validated and has supported UZ Leuven doctors for over a year during the diagnosis and treatment of lung disorders. At the moment, the platform can recognise nine common respiratory disorders, such as chronic bronchitis and lung emphysema, asthma and interstitial lung diseases.

UZ Leuven is also recognized for its involvement in diabetes research thanks to the works of its Diabetes centre. As part of the Global Platform for the Prevention of Autoimmune Diabetes (GPPAD), which was launched in 2015 to offer an infrastructure for trials, the team of prof. dr. Kristina Casteels, paediatric endocrinologist UZ Leuven, aims to trace babies of up to four months with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. In the so-called Freder1k trial, some drops of blood are enough to determine whether a child has an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes later.

Prof. Casteels, the leader of the Belgian trial, says: “A child with an increased risk has 1 chance in 10 of developing the disease.

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UZ Gent A dynamic organisation in full development

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atients can go there for a full range of highly specialised, high-quality care. The hospital has extensive facilities and more than 1000 beds for one-day and multi-day admissions.

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© UZ Gent

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With more than 3,000 patients a day and more than 6,000 employees, Ghent University Hospital is one of the largest and most specialised hospitals in Flanders.

hospitalised patients. A study team led by Dr Marie-Angélique De Scheerder (General Internal Diseases) wants to investigate the effects of the antiviral drug Camostat on a large group of respondents.

Quality customer-friendly service is central to the care provided.

As a university centre, UZ Gent also invests in scientific research and training. To this end, the hospital works closely with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Ghent University.

Doctors and physician-specialists are trained there, and researchers work on new techniques for diagnosis and treatment in numerous services.

Less sick Camostat is already being used in Japan to treat chronic pancreatitis. The drug was found to be safe, but it is not yet on the market with us. However, recent scientific research has shown that it also influences the action of the COVID-19 virus. For example, the drug may be able to alleviate the course of the disease and possibly also reduce the duration and severity of symptoms and infectivity.

The hospital campus is currently undergoing major renovation.

The UZ aims to be a modern, accessible and sustainable Health Campus by 2020 that meets the needs of all users.

Subjects sought The UZ Gent is now studying the effects of the medicine when administered in the event of an early COVID infection. The research team is looking for test subjects who have recently been diagnosed and have not been hospitalised.

Scientific spearheads The UZ Gent has pursued a scientific spearhead policy since 2009.

Together with UGent's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, four research domains were selected that receive extra funding to further expand their position: oncology, genetics, immunology and neuroscience.

Participants are given a dose of tablets during the initial consultation. They are asked to take this medication for 5 to 10 days.

They do not know whether they will be given the study medication or a placebo. Through home monitoring and online questionnaires, all subjects are closely monitored and invited for a new COVID test in the interim. A final consultation at the hospital follows one month after the treatment.

The choice of these four domains was made on the basis of objective criteria: leading position recognised by peers, number of A1 publications, current trends in epidemiology and care needs. The translational character and social valorisation of the research were also decisive factors. The spearhead research should quickly lead to research results that allow patients to be treated better.

For whom?

Anyone who took a positive COVID test less than 48 hours ago is eligible for the study. Patients with and without symptoms can participate. Participation, treatment and follow-up are free of charge. Participation is only possible after a positive COVID test has been taken.

Today, UZ Gent already has a leading position in each of these four research domains.

This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Ghent University Hospital.

Research at UZ Gent is carried out by the Kenniscentrum voor de Gezondheidszorg Gent (KCGG) or Ghent Healthcare Knowledge Centre and the Health, innovation and research institute (HIRUZ) which is structured in 5 units : Clinical Trials Unit, Data Management Unit, Contract Unit, Innovation & Valorisation Unit, and the Biobank.

New search for COVID-19 treatment in non-hospitalised patients On November 11th 2020 UZ Gent started for the first time a study into the effective treatment of a COVID infection in non-

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Thanks to a programme of high-quality and, above all, practice-oriented programmes, Vlerick Business School can call itself the best management school in the Benelux. It extends this reputation to research that can be perfectly described by 4 Rs: Relevant, Reliable, Responsible and Reach. In short, in an academic way, they are invariably looking for applicable solutions to real business problems.

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very year, the three campuses (Ghent, Leuven and Brussels) of the Vlerick Business School prepare an average of five hundred (international) students for a Master‘s or MBA degree.

In addition, a multitude of people follow a practice-oriented course.

In order to boost their careers, gain a better understanding of their tasks or optimise their management skills. “All functional areas within business management are covered,” says research manager Dr. Eva Cools. “From marketing and HR, over accountancy and finance, to operations and people management. On top of that, we specialise in certain industries, such as healthcare, the energy sector and financial services”.

climate,” says Dr Eva Cools. “The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated everything. Companies that let the digital express train pass by are doomed to go under. The power of entrepreneurship has once again become very clear. The big winners are the companies that saw the limitations of Covid-19 as an opportunity”.

Interesting mix of researchers Vlerick Business School has fifty professors who are expected to spend about 40% of their time conducting academic research.

“They often start from a practical problem that is then embedded in a gap in academic literature”, says Dr. Eva Cools. “In addition, we have about fifty researchers, a mix of (post)doctoral students and junior/senior researchers. These researchers are consciously looking for partnerships with companies. To finance the research, but also to keep a finger on the pulse. We believe that understanding what is going on within companies and

Two overarching themes This same broad focus is also used in the research, albeit topped off with a sauce of digital transformation and entrepreneurship.

“These are the trends that determine the future of the economic

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One of the most important objectives is to ensure that research results reach as wide an audience as possible. That is why Vlerick Business School translates them into white papers, articles or reports that are distributed free of charge. “Regularly, the research also leads to the development of a tool that allows companies to check how far they are in a particular area”, says Dr. Eva Cools.

“In addition, we sometimes work out cases that other educational institutions use in their programmes. Furthermore, companies can come to us for tailor-made research”.

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has nothing to do with management. Nevertheless, we have an important role to play. After all, we are developing a business model with which the financial feasibility of a wider dissemination of the technology can be calculated. Ultimately, this broad applicability always remains the key question within a project.

It is precisely in this area that Vlerick Business School has built up enormous expertise and knowledge. It is an added value that we are happy to play to bring research and practice together as much as possible”.

identifying the most pressing challenges together is the first condition for providing research with added value”.

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Over the years, Vlerick Business School has built up a solid reputation that goes far beyond national borders. Not surprisingly, the research team is increasingly involved in European research projects. “Our practice-oriented approach in particular is praised internationally,” explains Dr. Eva Cools. “This is why we are regularly asked to develop the business model behind a research project or to develop a concept that allows us to translate the results into useful tools. For example, we are currently involved in STORY, a European pilot project investigating the technical possibilities of energy storage in batteries. This in itself

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Campus Gent: Reep 1 - B-9000 Gent Tel.: +32 9 210 97 11 - Fax: +32 9 210 97 00 Campus Leuven: Vlamingenstraat 83 - 3000 Leuven Tel.: +32 16 24 88 11 - Fax: +32 16 24 88 00 Campus Brussel: Bolwerklaan 21 - 1210 Brussel Tel.: +32 2 225 41 11 - Fax: +32 2 225 41 00 Email: info@vlerick.com - http://www.vlerick.com

With six study areas and a multitude of study programmes, VIVES is a university of applied sciences where various sectors meet. This is also reflected in academic research, which is increasingly drawing the map of multidisciplinarity.

The result? Vives creates innovative knowledge that solves real problems. In the healthcare sector, for example, where technology and expertise about care, patients and nursing staff are effectively bridged.

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n the five VIVES campuses in West Flanders, an average of 15,000 young people annually opt for a study programme in health care, education, social agogical work, biotechnology, industrial sciences & technology, commercial sciences and business administration. “There is an expertise centre for each field of study. Together, 170 employees deliver scientific research there, full-time or otherwise,” says Koen Denys, coordinator of the Smart Technologies expertise centre. “As a university of applied sciences, we focus on practice-based research that is increasingly being initiated by a demand from the professional field,” continues Ingeborg Simpelaere, coordinator of the Healthcare Innovation Expertise Centre. “We work on research questions resulting from healthcare institutions, educational institutions and companies/organisations from a wide range of sectors.

We are extremely satisfied with this mix, because it enables us to

add value for people, society and the economic system. Conversely, the cooperation with practice results in new knowledge and insights that we share with the students”.

Strong together VIVES’ research portfolio is richly filled every year. As a result of Covid-19, one field of study was in the spotlight even more than usual in 2020: healthcare. “This is an area in which we score particularly high,” says Ingeborg Simpelaere. “On the one hand, we bring together researchers from healthcare, technology and economic sciences. On the other hand, we set up partnerships with producers and practitioners”. Sofie Van Hecke, coordinator of the Zorglab, picks up on this: “Many companies are very innovative, but launch innovations that are not entirely geared 48

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During the first phase of the Covid-19 epidemic, VIVES demonstrated how interdisciplinary research can lead to practice-oriented solutions. And this at a lightning-fast pace! “We got to work right away,” says Koen Denys. “Initially, we wanted to help solve the pressing shortage of protective equipment in care centres and hospitals. With our laser printers, we made face shields out of

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First aid on the front line of Covid-19

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PET sheets. We also developed the ‘earbuddy’: a PET strip with which the mouth mask presses less on the ears when it has to be worn for a long time. During the lockdown we produced and distributed 12,000 copies in hospitals. In the meantime, 80,000 copies have even been rolled out of our laser scanners. Another innovation is a stainless steel door opener that allows the handle to be manipulated with the elbow. We are also the inventors of the ‘maskpod’: a cardboard box in which mouth masks can be kept virus-safe. We also made low-cost versions of nose glasses and other components of breathing apparatus. In each case, we worked on the principle of open source development. After all, we wanted to give everyone in the world access to the design files. The only condition is that they sell everything at production cost”.

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to the needs. Conversely, healthcare organisations do not always realise how quickly technology is evolving and what new solutions are available on the market. Our research helps both parties to find each other, creating added value. VIVES also invests in labs where innovations can be demonstrated. These are meeting places that inform, motivate and inspire. For example, today in the Zorglab you will find a kitchen that is automatically heightadjustable. Or solutions with augmented reality and sensors that allow people with dementia to live longer at home. Other examples include a unique bed lift and a mat that notifies a care provider when someone has fallen. Soon there will be many more new innovations. In addition to Zorglab, there are other labs at VIVES, each with its own unique operation, such as Maaklab and Foodlab.

VIB Excellence-driven basic research in life sciences with a strong societal impact As a life sciences research institute based in Flanders, VIB performs basic research with a strong focus on translating scientific results into pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial applications. VIB is funded by the Flemish government.

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ith more than 1,700 scientists from over 76 countries, VIB performs basic research into the molecular foundations of life. Research is carried out by 8 VIB research centers embedded in KU Leuven, UGent, the University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University. Research areas cover bioinformatics, cancer, inflammation and immunity, microbiology, neuroscience, plant biology, proteomics, structural biology, and systems biology.

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In response to the global COVID-19 crisis, several VIB research groups have leveraged their expertise to address this immediate challenge. The team of Bart Lambrecht (VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) and colleagues investigated the use of rheumatism medication for mitigating excessive inflammatory reactions in severely affected COVID-19 patients. They are also studying the complement system – a complicated cascade of proteins that gets activated in response to infection and tissue damage – as potential therapeutic target. Another approach is being pursued by the teams of Xavier Saelens and Nico Callewaert (VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology). They are developing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that could provide immediate protection. The initial step towards this goal was published in Cell in May 2020. With the help of VIB’s Discovery Sciences team, the development of these antibodies has become the basis for a new start-up company, ExeVir Bio, which was officially launched in July 2020 – an incredibly rapid timeline to set up a new company.

Another recent spin-off, Animab, launched in October 2020, builds on work by the labs of Nico Callewaert (VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology), Ann Depicker (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology), Henri De Greve (VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology) and Eric Cox (UGent Faculty of Veterinary Medicine). Their new antibody technology combines the advantages of antibody-based therapies with the convenience of oral drug administration. Importantly, these antibodies are manufactured using yeast or soybean in a process as straightforward as food manufacturing. This work, led by Vikram Virdi, was published in Nature Biotechnology. This technology has potential uses in various areas, from fighting veterinary and human gut infections, treating inflammatory and metabolic disorders, to the development of microbiome altering food supplements. Animab will pursue this finding for the development of oral antibodies to prevent infections and improve the health of livestock animals.

bodies, an alternative energy source, stimulates the growth of lymph vessels and has substantial beneficial effects in conditions affecting the lymphatic system. The team has developed a dietary metabolic approach which will soon be tested in a clinical Phase II trial to treat lymphedema, a condition for which currently no cure exists. The first patients are already enrolled in the study, which is led by dr. Sarah Thomis, vascular surgeon and head of the center for lymphedema in UZ Leuven in collaboration with the Clinical Nutrition Unit, UZ Leuven. The Carmeliet team has also developed the hypothesis that endothelial cells are essential contributors to the initiation and propagation of severe COVID-19 in a paper in Nature Reviews Immunology, where they also propose novel therapeutic strategies.

And let us not forget the Flemish Gut Flora Project, which was launched in 2012 by Jeroen Raes (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology). Sequencing fecal samples of over 3,000 healthy volunteers, Jeroen Raes' team defined the boundaries of a normal, health-associated gut microbiota. Next, the team turned to

For its part, the group of Peter Carmeliet (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology) discovered that the administration of ketone 50

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Such antibodies could be first-in-class therapeutics that reverse protein crystals and treat asthma and other chronic inflammatory diseases of the airways. The study was published in the leading journal Science.

patient groups to identify microbiome alterations associated with diseases. Recently, they described the so-called B2 enterotype, deficient in some anti-inflammatory bacteria. In June 2019, their results on the high prevalence of this particular enterotype across multiple diagnoses were published in Nature Microbiology. Further research in 2020 identified the common cholesterol-lowering drug statins as a potential microbiota-modulating therapeutic. Also in 2020, the Raes team and international colleagues addressed the poor overlap in genetic association across human studies that look at genetic factors associated with gut microbiome variation. This work appeared in Nature and Nature Microbiology, respectively.

VIB has also founded several start-up companies such as Ablynx: now a Sanofi company, which is focused on the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of antibody-derived therapeutic proteins for a range of serious life-threatening human diseases. As for Aelin Therapeutics, it has pioneered a novel modality in drug development in order to create a completely new class of antibiotics and first-in-class therapeutics against high-value undruggable human targets. These startup companies clearly show VIB’s relevance when it comes to translating basic research into concrete solutions for patients.

Start-ups such as ExeVir Bio and Animab are examples of how technology transfer is firmly embedded in VIB’s mission. VIB inked more than 1,400 agreements with local and international companies, with small enterprises and multinationals, and in areas as diverse as the food, biopharmaceutical and agricultural industry. Another example is how, in May 2019 Belgian research groups from VIB, Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, and the biotech company argenx announced they had solved a century-long puzzle about the presence of protein crystals in asthma. They have now established that the crystals are highly abundant in airway mucus, stimulate the immune system and promote the inflammation and altered mucus production that is often seen in the airways of asthmatics. Together, the academic and company scientists also developed antibodies that can dissolve these crystals to reduce key asthma features.

An additional strategic initiative to increase the immediate social impact of VIB research is the Grand Challenges program. Projects funded through this program are by definition transdisciplinary, addressing immediate challenges in healthcare and agriculture, and involve extensive collaboration with partners beyond VIB. Each of the Grand Challenges projects will also involve close interaction with many stakeholders, such as patient organizations and policymakers. In 2020, the program cleared additional funds for projects specifically addressing the pandemic. These projects support trials aiming to repurpose existing medication and to characterize disease progression for the identification of susceptibility factors.

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beMedTech: medical technologies as enablers for a sustainable and value-driven healthcare system Interview with Mr Marnix DENYS, Director, beMedTech - Medical investment goods (Medical Equipment and Systems – MES, with or without software); - Medical Consumables (hearing aids, needles, wound care, eye contact lenses, mobility aids, etc.); - In vitro diagnostics (IVD); - Digital & Extra Muros Medtech, including Digital Health, as part of a transfer of care from the hospital to the home or in elderly homes.

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ould you tell us about beMeTech and the sector you represent? beMedTech, created in 1958, is the Belgian federation of the medical device industry and represents almost 200 companies, accounting for 80% of the market involved.

Our members are manufacturers and / or distributors of medical devices. They help patients and caregivers by providing innovative, high-quality and high-tech solutions.

Together they bring more than 500,000 medical technologies to the patient. They realize an annual turnover of € 2.4 billion, excluding exports, accounting for around 17,000 jobs in Belgium. Our members can rely on a team of 10 people, including myself and my secretary, 5 advisors (one for each main product group, see below) and experts on data & health economics, communications and external relations and trainings. Evidently, we work closely together with our members. beMedTech has set up 40 working groups that are product related such as hearing aids, pacemakers, diabetes care, in vitro diagnostics, etc. Transversal topics such as ethics & compliance and health economics are addressed in specific working groups.

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What services do you offer to your members?

Basically, beMedTech supports them to be successful within the Belgian context. This implies support to get the correct reimbursement for new technologies, the appropriate legislation, … to facilitate better patient access to and financing of medical technology. Let me give you an example: before 2018 companies responding to a tender for a scanner in a hospital had to pay individually for the services of an engineer to ensure that the hospital floor could support the weight of the scanner. But if the winning company had a return on its expenses thanks to the sale of the scanner, the others had paid for nothing. That is why we made the following proposal: the hospital itself appeals to an engineer to draw up an expert report and the winning company pays. This solution is far better for all stakeholders!

We offer our members the perfect mix of information and impact.

They can rely on up-to-date information, expert advice and a number of services (such as training and subscriptions to online databases). Furthermore, they can have a real impact on policymaking through our direct contact link with public administrations and policy makers. Over the past years we have built up a wide expertise through our representation within a wide range of committees inside the FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products), NIDHI (National Institution for Disease and Health Insurance), without forgetting the regional authorities, since mobility aids (like wheel chairs) now belong to their competence. Through the steering committee of the MedTech Pact, we have regular interactions with the Federal Ministry of Health. Lastly, we interact with other parties involved in health care like health expert associations, industry partners and patient associations.

What do you see as the main mission and priorities for beMedTech?

The common goal that unites all our members and drives everything we do is the knowledge that medical technologies can contribute significantly to keeping the Belgian healthcare system qualitative and sustainable. To grasp why this is so important you need to keep in mind the current context: the Belgian population is aging rapidly. Today, the number of 65+ people amounts to 2.2 million and should reach 2.9 million in 2030. This evolution has two immediate effects: first it puts a strain on the healthcare budget, knowing that health expenditure increases with age; second it exerts a huge stress on human resources since care givers are getting older too! Yet more resources are needed to care for the aging population. It is therefore foreseeable that the shortage of healthcare providers for the elderly will increase.

Which are your fields of expertise?

Medical technologies cover a huge area of + 500,000 healthcare solutions which are organized into 5 pillars or main product groups: - Implants;

Our healthcare system is under enormous pressure from both factors. Nevertheless, we need to make sure that our healthcare remains of high quality and accessible in the future. To do so a 52

change of the current paradigm and a deep reform of the health budget are crucial. Authorities need to look transversely at health care and dare to break through budgetary silos rethinking current financing mechanisms. It is of utmost importance to select the health-economically best solution taking into account the budget, the health gains & the efficiency gains. Changes are slowly happening but there still is a huge potential for improvement. We are convinced that making maximum use of the possibilities of medical technologies will enable us to keep healthcare qualitative and sustainable.

of an online one-stop-shop platform with ticketing system to help pharmacies enabling the rapid processing of requests for oxygen and associated equipment for ambulatory patients.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as mouth masks, gloves, safety goggles and protective suits has significantly reduced the risks for frontline health workers and allows them to provide appropriate care in a safe manner.

Mobile applications that are CE marked as a medical device can, now more than ever, provide essential support to patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare institutions.

How is the medical technology industry supporting healthcare professionals in their fight against COVID-19?

The outbreak of COVID-19 created an unseen public health emergency. Our healthcare professionals give their very best every day in the fight against this virus. The medical technology industry supports them in this challenge. Medical technology is essential to contain the outbreak of COVID-19, to ensure that health professionals can work safely and that quality care is available to anyone who needs it.

In the meanwhile companies active in other medical devices (such as medical equipment, implants, mobility aids, auditory and ocular material, etc.) also continue to support healthcare professionals so that all necessary care can be guaranteed in and outside hospitals, now and in the future.

What innovations do you expect in the coming years in terms of medical technologies?

Our sector is evolving & innovating constantly. One of the pivotal drivers as is the case in most sectors is the increasing digitization. mhealth applications can be used for telemonitoring, telediagnostics and digital therapeutics. Let’s also think of artificial intelligence.

Today, machines or robots are able to quickly recognize patterns and learn from the CT and MRI scans of patients. This helps physicians to detect pathologies not only a lot faster but also more accurately. Another example is robotics, in many cases combined with virtual and augmented reality. These technologies can be used by surgeons to work more precisely and safely. Virtual reality can also be used to bring patients under clinical hypnosis and it can even replace the anesthetic during an operation. It is also

Diagnostic testing for example allows us to quickly identify who is infected with the virus and who is not and has also helped experts understand the spread of the disease. This is crucial today but there is more. The tests for immunity response of the population will also play an important role in the restart of our economy.

Intensive care facilities, including ventilators, enhance the survival and healing chances of the most critical patients in intensive care. Furthermore, they are also much needed outside of the hospital and there was a huge increase of demand. I’m proud to say that we have been actively committed for the development

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increasingly used for pain treatment and rehabilitation. Digitization comes in many forms and their potential seems almost unlimited. A widespread misconception is that they will replace the healthcare provider. Their role is changing for sure, but I don’t believe that they can be replaced. Technology is there to help them, not replace them. It will help take the tedious repetitive tasks off their hands, allowing them to focus more on their core tasks of taking care of their patients.

It is also paramount to work on more efficient decision-making and adapting the structures accordingly. Regarding decisionmaking, the sixth state reform has led to more complexity and major challenges in the health sector. If we look at prevention for example, general prevention measures and (inspection of) quality in hospitals have become regional competences. This means the regions make the investments. However, their investments result in revenues (less unnecessary expenditures) for the federal government. We should invest in better chronic disease prevention by allocating a larger share of the health budget to prevention. The benefits should go to those who invest and get good results. Another example is the policy regarding mobility aids. This has also been regionalized, giving the 4 communities the competence to set their own reimbursement procedures and accents.

What do you see as the main challenges facing the medical device industry?

The first challenge is definitely the earlier mentioned deep reform of the health budget. Today no less than 20% of this budget is wasted because of suboptimal incentives. Let’s look at hospital financing for example. Hospitals in our country get money for their number of actions, regardless of the health outcome. Thus, they are encouraged to perform acts to be paid regardless of whether these acts are really necessary or not and whether they are creating health gains for the patient or not. In other words, they are paid to do something, not to keep someone healthy. This all but encourages them to use technologies which enable them to be more efficient and work more qualitatively. Let me take the example of low variable care: these are standardized procedures (cataract surgery, hip replacement…) with low risks. Hospitals receive a lump sum for this kind of interventions which include both diagnosis and care itself. A quality component could be added in the financing scheme, rewarding the absence of infection or penalizing the occurrence of an infection for instance. By doing so, hospitals would no longer buy the cheapest devices, but would also look at the value that better-quality products could provide.

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In short, the complex and layered political decision-making process in Belgium does not exactly facilitate things and quite frankly in some cases it is unclear who is responsible for what. The current structures and administrative procedures reflect this complexity.

The much needed “Redesign” of the health administrations (FPS Public Health, FAMHP and NIHDI) is aimed at improving this but things are moving slowly. All this makes it very difficult for new technologies to get adopted. Even though the right data are available, the assessment and implementation procedures of new technologies will have to be speeded up if we want to avoid already outdated applications to arrive on the market. Let's not forget that industrial cycles are much shorter than political decisionmaking processes!

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The value of mhealth really shows in COVID-19 times The coronavirus crisis presented health care with an unprecedented challenge. The health system was put under tremendous pressure and health workers and medical support staff worked around the clock. Still today, almost every day, they roll up their sleeves to provide lifesaving treatment to those infected and entrusted to their care often at genuine risk to their own wellbeing.

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This prove of added value didn’t come as a surprise. In 2015 mhealth appeared for the first time in the Belgian e-health roadmap. After a pilot test with 24 subsidized pilot projects, the evaluation revealed the need of a validation model. There are more than 300,000 health, lifestyle and wellness products in the two big app stores. How can patients or health care professionals navigate their way to high-quality apps? Very few of these apps are CE-marked as medical devices.

s a result of the first outbreak procedures that were nonurgent and not linked to COVID-19 were postponed and vulnerable patients could not risk traveling to clinics for appointments. This virus therefore also had and still has many indirect and particularly unpleasant consequences for people suffering from chronic and psychological illnesses. Furthermore, the latter group of patients is particularly subject to increased stress during the long period of quarantine and social isolation.

Similarly, people who have no medical problems but who have medical questions are not always able to turn to the appropriate medical staff and services.

The answer came early 2019 with the launch of the mHealthBelgium portal, https://mhealthbelgium.be, a joint initiative by industry and government. The platform lists approved apps on different levels. At the heart of the platform is a pyramid with 3 levels. Level 1 (M1) apps are CE marked as medical devices. This is a basic requirement to be listed on the platform. Level 2 (M2) apps meet ICT criteria on safe connectivity and interoperability, and Level 3 (M3) apps are integrated and financed in new care paths. After launching level 2 at the end of May 2020, the launch of level 3 is planned for early 2021. At that point the validation pyramid will be fully functional. Currently 23 mhealth applications that are CEcertified as medical devices are listed on the platform in level 1, 7 of these apps have already completed the cycle for level 2 and thus obtained this label.

To support care workers and ease the pressure on the health system all kinds of new technologies have been developed and immediately proved their added value. The first steps have been taken towards more telemedicine, and this is a good thing. In the end, this shift also leads to savings in health care.

These new medical technologies, namely digital health technologies (DHTs) and, in particular, mhealth apps, played a vital role in providing solutions. For example, using smartphones and tablets, digital tools helped to keep patients out of hospitals and avoid physical contact between patients and health care professionals while still allowing them to maintain crucial contact. At the same time these DHTs guarantee the same level of quality (and continuity) of care. And all this in a safe domestic environment.

The implementation of level 3 will represent a real breakthrough for digital health care in Belgium. beMedTech is convinced that the financing of new care pathways using mhealth applications will enable these technologies to go mainstream. Not only during the current crisis, but also in the “post-coronavirus” era.

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The COVID-19 pandemic clearly showcased the value of mhealth apps providing essential care (monitoring, diagnosis, treatment) and access to education, wherever the patient is, thus relieving the undeniable additional pressure on health care providers. They will remain widely applicable for society, even after the ongoing crisis.

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pharma.be A vibrant and leading biopharmaceutical valley in Europe Belgium holds a remarkable position in the European (bio)pharmaceutical sector. Among all countries of the European Union, Belgium has the highest level of pharmaceutical investments in pharmaceutical Research and Development per inhabitant. Together with the third largest number of medicines in development (in clinical trials) and the third position in pharmaceutical R&D employment per inhabitant, Belgium continues to achieve a solid performance for every aspect of the biopharmaceutical value chain, i.e., research and development, clinical trials, production and logistics, and exports.

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ith 11.4 million inhabitants, Belgium represents 2.2 percent of the EU population, and 2. 9 percent of the GDP in the European Union. Centrally located in Europe, gifted with an entrepreneurial mindset and benefitting from excellent medical and road infrastructure, a dense and fruitful eco- system has been developed over the years. It fosters collaboration between private enterprises, academic centers, clinical trials units in hospitals, and the healthcare community as a whole. © pharma.be

the last five years. With more than 5,300 employees in research positions, Belgium has the third largest number of researchers employed in the (bio)pharmaceutical sector per inhabitant in the EU. The huge investments in R&D combined with a high level of expertise put Belgium in third place in the EU, in terms of clinical trial applications per inhabitant. In 2018 two new clinical trial applications were submitted in Belgium every working day. 80% percent of these clinical trials are sponsored by private companies.

Hence, it does not come as a surprise, that Belgium Growing exports with a global logistics is recognized as a leading biopharmaceutical valley hub for medicines and vaccines in the European Union. The fact that these activities Caroline Ven, are focused on every phase in the pharmaceutical Belgium not only leads the way with respect to pharCEO of pharma.be value-chain adds to the attractiveness of Belgium as maceutical research. In absolute numbers, Belgium preferred location for pharmaceutical activities: from basic is the second largest exporter of pharmaceutical goods in the Euroresearch, over manufacturing and production facilities to supply pean Union. (Bio) pharmaceutical companies located in Belgium chain, to its world renown expertise in pharmaceutical import accounted for 12.74 % of the total EU (bio)pharmaceutical exports and export. This leading role became clear during the COVID-19 in 2019. The value of (bio)pharmaceutical products that were pandemic: 6 companies in Belgium are involved in the developexported from Belgium all over the world, totalled 49.9 billion ment of new vaccines and more than 30 clinical trials have been euros in 2019. Belgium's pharmaceutical companies have a started to find adequate treatments. resolutely global outlook. Nearly half of all pharmaceutical exports (49.5%) go to countries outside the European Union, primarily the A highly skilled workforce boosting United States, Canada, Russia and China.

the entire biopharmaceutical value chain

According to the latest numbers available, in 2019, (bio)pharmaceutical companies in Belgium invested nearly 3.8 billion euros in Research and Development of new pharmaceutical compounds. That is the equivalent of 10 million euros investments in Research and Development each day. These investments have surged with almost 50 percent over the last five years, compared to the 2.58 billion euros investments done in 2015. It represents more than 39.8 per cent of all R&D investments by private companies in Belgium.

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This increased attractiveness has also been translated into a remarkable increase in the number of patent applications, and in growing R&D-employment in Belgium. 359 patent applications a year in the pharmaceutical and the biotech industry (2019), it means that nearly one patent is being applied for, every day.

The number of patent applications has grown with 48 percent over

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Terhulpsesteenweg 166 Chaussée de La Hulpe Brussel 1170 Bruxelles | T 02 661 91 33 | F 02 661 91 99 www.pharma.be | info@pharma.be Ondernemingsnummer/Numéro d’entreprise 0407.622.902 RPR Brussel

Aphea.Bio I

Next-generation agro-biologicals for a sustainable future

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Aphea.Bio was created in 2017 as a spin-off of the VIB and its partner universities UGent and KU Leuven and successfully raised €21.7 M from key investors. The dynamic company is striving to develop biostimulant and biocontrol products in order to complement or replace chemical crop protection products and fertilizers. A winning bet for farmers at a time when regulatory and environmental demands are higher than ever.

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help of UCL and UGent, at defining combinations between bacteria and fungi in order to help plants grow better.

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Aphea.Bio focuses on the development of biostimulant products, which are meant to increase the yields of wheat and maize with less fertilizers and which are applied as a seed coating containing beneficial microorganisms. Furthermore biocontrol products, which consist of spray-on microbial products, are used to fight fungal infections of wheat leaves and spikes. To this end the spinoff relies on an R&D platform following 4 steps: microorganism identification (sampling, bioinformatics and metagenomics are deployed to generate in silico microbiome maps that will help to pinpoint the best strains for further product development); microorganism culturing (using a unique culturing technology and microorganism collection building); microorganism validation (to prove the biostimulant/biocontrol effects through a series of in vitro validation assays, in-house in planta validation and finally validation in open fields of maize and wheat); and product development (with focus on scale-up and product formulation).

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Aphea.Bio works towards putting its first products to the market by 2023-2024. In order to reach this goal the spin-off recently closed a new fund-raising campaign that provides sufficient capital for the next 3 years. These extra resources make it possible to put prototype products into the development track directed to optimization of production and formulation. Before market entry the biological products will need to get regulatory approval, validating their efficacy to complement or replace chemistry and confirming their safety. But that is not all: during the years to come, Aphea.Bio is planning to further grow its staff. Five extra employees should join its ranks in 2021 and an equal number is expected in 2022 as well. No doubt these additional specialists will help the spin-off to realize its ambitions to launch its products in the years to come both in Europe as in the United States!

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phea.Bio’s 4 founders and 27 staff members from 9 different nationalities share a high-flying, broad expertise: they have solid scientific and technical know-how in various fields such as microbiology, plant physiology, phytopathology, bioinformatics, data management, metagenomics, agronomy… They are financially backed by Astanor Ventures, V-Bio Ventures, Agri Investment Fund, PMV, VIVES fund (Sopartec, UCL), Qbic Fund (UGent), VIB, Gemma-Frisius Fund (KU Leuven) and Group DC.

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What is more? Aphea.Bio was awarded two R&D grants from VLAIO for a total amount of €2.5 M. The first project entails a collaboration with VIB, UGent and KU Leuven on discovery and optimization of biostimulants. The second one strives, with the

Cutting-edge science to accelerate your drug development A privately held Ghent University spin-off co-founded in 2008 by Dr. Jan Hellemans and Prof. Jo Vandesompele, Biogazelle is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) specializing in high-value applications to support pharmaceutical research, clinical trials and diagnostic test development. It aims to accelerate the development of therapeutics, including small molecules, RNA targeting drugs, and adoptive cell therapies.

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testing effort to validate and set up high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing platform. To date the platform still serves both a multitude of clinical lab partners as well as clinical trials in the search for COVID-19 therapeutics.

ver since its founding days, Biogazelle has held a unique forefront position in the application of quantitative PCR, digital PCR and dedicated RNA sequencing workflows, optimized for quantification of coding and non-coding genes, on precious clinical samples such as liquid biopsies and formalinfixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. With this suite of genomic and transcriptomic technologies, Biogazelle has been successful in the identification, validation and development of RNA and DNA biomarkers to support drug discovery and drug development for a multitude of pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners.

To ensure the best customer experience for the services, Biogazelle has set up a dedicated and cross-functional team of experienced, PhD-level educated project managers and scientific experts. One example where that made the difference is that of DNAlytics.

When their previous provider discontinued their qPCR services, DNAlytics needed to find a new partner they could trust to perform the analysis for their diagnostics test, RheumaKit. “We had to find a partner with a high level of expertise, a good reputation and a technology that was not far from what we were doing.

And only Biogazelle fitted all the criteria” stated Dr Thibault Helleputte, founder and CEO of DNAlytics. Biogazelle’s specialist scientific, technical and operational guidance enabled DNAlytics to operate a smooth, stress-free transition from their previous provider and focus back on their core business – offering patients suffering from undifferentiated arthritis with an accurate, early diagnosis.

Biogazelle has also been supporting the development of novel adoptive cell therapies (ACT) such as CAR-T, CAR-NK and TCR-T, through vector copy number assays, detection of replication competent virus events (RCL, RCR), and ACT pharmacokinetics.

Another innovative service consists of a proprietary low-cost and high-throughput molecular cellular phenotyping service to characterize any type of therapeutic molecules, including oligonucleotides. This provides drug developers with the necessary insights in regulated pathways, target toxicities, compound similarities and target deconvolution.

Relying upon the strong scientific background its staff, Biogazelle has built an impressive track record during its 12-year history.

In an ISO17025 certified and GCLP-compliant environment it has conducted the study of thousands of samples, addressing research questions in many different disease domains, and designed and validated thousands of PCR assays and panels in its high-throughput laboratory facilities with state-of-the-art technologies. As a testament to this excellence, Biogazelle was invited as a key partner in the Belgian government-led COVID-19

Biogazelle Technologiepark 82 - 9052 Zwijnaarde Tel.: +32 (0)9 245 96 43 Email: info@biogazelle.be https://services.biogazelle.com/ 58

Fujirebio Europe I

A pioneer in the field of Alzheimer diagnostics

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Dementia is expected to affect 74.7 million people worldwide by 2030 and 131.5 million by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, but it is not easy to diagnose due to the overlap in clinical symptoms between different types of dementias and pseudo-dementias. The pathological changes that occur in AD are present long before one starts developing symptoms. With high unmet needs to correctly diagnose AD, biomarkers related to the pathology offer the opportunity to diagnose it early and accurately. Based on the sampling of cerebrospinal fluid, this technique is much simpler to implement and less expensive than medical imaging. Four tests have recently been developed and launched by Fujirebio on the fully automated Lumipulse® platform, measuring ȋ-amyloid1-42, ȋ-amyloid1-40, total Tau and hyperphosphorylated Tau. When the measurements of these biomarkers are indicative for AD, the likelihood of AD dementia

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Under the name Innogenetics N.V., acquired by Fujirebio Inc. (Japan) in 2010, the company has distinguished itself as pioneer in the field of Alzheimer diagnostics - first with the manual assays and now again on a fully automated platform.

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The teams at Fujirebio Europe N.V. are especially proud of their fully automated solution for AD biomarker testing. Both the automation itself as well as the implementation of the certified reference materials for ȋ-amyloid1-42 add to the highly anticipated standardization of these markers. With implementing Lumipulse G automated assays, this “operational” standardization leads to a higher precision and more reliable results. To further support the progress in the field of AD, Fujirebio is working on plasma and other novel biomarkers as well as actively looking for partnerships to offer a wide range of solutions to clinicians and researchers.

When the progress in IVD could be matched with a success on the pharma side, patients have every reason to hope!

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ith more than 50 years’ accumulated experience, their products range from specialized manual testing to fully automated routine testing for infectious diseases including Covid-19, oncology, genetic testing, thyroid, fertility, tissue typing, bone, cardiology and neurodegeneration. Over the past 25 years Fujirebio has also shown the way with innovative automated immunoassay testing solutions such as the robust Lumipulse® chemiluminescence platform, now available across Europe, USA, and Asia.

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Over the years clinical diagnostic criteria have evolved to incorporate these biomarkers. They have first been adopted by research centers and specialized memory centers. Now they are becoming more and more implemented in routine, thereby increasing the volume of tests and creating a need to have them on an automated system. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry is highly interested in these tests as a means to include patients into their AD-trials.

When a drug will finally be approved, drug prescription can be based on the results of these assays.

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being the underlying cause of the cognitive deterioration increases.

Therefore, IVD testing offers each patient suffering from cognitive impairment a chance to receive better and more relevant care.

Fujirebio, the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) branch of the global Japanese healthcare group H.U. Group (formerly known as Miraca Holdings Inc.), is a leader in the field of high quality IVD testing solutions and a privileged partner for distribution, contract manufacturing and custom OEM solutions.

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Fujirebio Europe N.V. Technologiepark 6 - 9052 Gent - Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)9 329 13 29 Email: info@fujirebio.com - https://www.fujirebio.com

Pioneering for patients Galapagos, headquartered in Mechelen, is active in the research and development of synthetic drugs (“small molecules”) with a new mode of action based on the discovery of new targets. Galapagos focuses on medications that address the cause, not just the symptoms, of diseases with a high medical need. Piet Wigerinck, Chief Scientific Officer at Galapagos, provides an overview of current and future developments.

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hat are Galapagos' main activities currently?

We have been active in research and development of small molecules for over 20 years now. In 2020, we intend to take an important next step as a biotech company: the launch of our first own medication. It is a potential treatment option in inflammatory diseases, and it is currently under review for approval with the European Medicines Agency. After more than 20 years in business, this is a very special moment for Galapagos. We are currently active in the following therapeutic areas: inflammatory diseases, fibrosis, metabolic diseases and infectious diseases, and we have potential drug candidates in the pipeline in each of these areas.

Piet Wigerinck, Chief Scientific Officer at Galapagos

Key figures for Galapagos

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What is Galapagos' expertise in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs and their new mechanisms of action?

Using human primary cells and patient cells, Galapagos discovers the proteins (targets) that play a key role in causing diseases.

We then develop small molecules that inhibit these targets, restore

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the balance and thereby positively influence the course of the disease. In order to do this efficiently and effectively, Galapagos has developed a unique technical platform and is also able to rely on a toolbox with a collection of more than 6,000 genes that code for potential targets. Galapagos is one of the few companies that focuses on discovering new targets. Thanks to our many years of focus, we have developed extensive expertise in this area.

Which Phase I clinical trials are you currently carrying out?

There are currently several phase 1 research programmes in progress on inflammation and fibrosis.

Can you give some examples of ongoing Phase II and Phase III clinical trials? Which diseases are they targeting?

Several trials are situated in these phases, including for the potential treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), Crohn's Disease and psoriatic arthritis. In addition, we also have an extensive clinical programme on osteoarthritis walking.

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Could you tell us a little more about the three main programmes from target to proof of concept?

We have found the targets in a range of different therapeutic areas thanks to our technical platform. For example, we have developed molecules that have gone through the various clinical phases, or that are or will be in the research phase. Hopefully, we will be able to make these potential medications available to all patients in the next few years. After a long time, and providing everything goes according to plan, our first medication will be available to doctors and patients. We are in the final clinical phase with a potential medication for fibrosis and next year we are awaiting data that will allow us to decide whether to go to phase III for our osteoarthritis programme.

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Do you have any examples of partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry, biotech companies, foundations or universities in the fields of inflammation, osteoarthritis and fibrosis?

Galapagos has had several collaborations with pharmaceutical companies in the past, and still has collaborations running with a number of them. Examples include GSK, Servier, Gilead and Abbvie. We have previously combined our own R&D activities with services for pharmaceutical companies. Recently, Galapagos concluded a transformative R&D agreement with American biopharma company Gilead. This means that for at least the next 10 years, Galapagos can continue to set its own course and continue to grow into an integrated international biotech company.

In addition, it gives us access to sufficient financial strength to double our R&D organisation and support the further growth of the company. On top of this, we are continuously working with various academic centres to conduct basic research into diseases.

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For all other potential medicines in our pipeline, and for a period of 10 years, Gilead will have the option to inlicense after phase II. If Gilead opts in, Gilead and Galapagos will jointly conduct phase III research. For these programs, Galapagos will be responsible sales & marketing for Europe, and Gilead for the rest of the world, as soon as it receives the necessary approvals. If Gilead does not join, Galapagos may decide to take over the global marketing itself or to set up another partnership.

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What are your prospects in terms of development?

We remain focused on research into potential new medications.

In doing so, we will substantially expand the basis for finding new targets. We hope to bring our first medication to patients next year. We also believe that many other medications will follow. We are not afraid to go down completely new roads in our research and development in order to make a genuine difference for patients. It is no coincidence that our motto is “Pioneering for patients. We discover. We dare. We care.”

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Has Galapagos already established partnerships for the licensing and/or development of new medications?

Yes, sure. For our first potential licensed medication, we have a partnership with American company Gilead. Once licensed, Galapagos aims to bring this medicine to patients in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. For France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, an agreement has been made with Gilead for shared market responsibility. Gilead is also responsible for marketing & sales outside Europe.

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In terms of therapeutic areas, where are you thinking of entering into future alliances?

We are focused on our key areas, inflammation & fibrosis, in collaboration with our partner, Gilead. We also work on additional therapeutic areas, including osteoarthritis. Should Gilead decide not to opt in for any of our future programs, we can evaluate the possibility to close an alliance with other biotech or pharma partners, or alternatively, to bring these independently through clinical research and to patients.

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Galapagos Generaal De Wittelaan L11 A3 - B-2800 Mechelen Tel.: +32 (0)15 34 29 00 - Fax: +32 (0)15 34 29 01 E-mail: communications@glpg.com http://www.glpg.com

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The nanobody toolbox for research and industry Founded in 2018, Gulliver Biomed builds on the expertise acquired in the field of immunomodulation to foster nanobody research and bring these powerful tools to the scientific community and private industry at large.

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industry significantly and expect that monoclonal antibodies in diagnosis and therapy will ultimately be replaced by affordable nanobodies, performing the same trick, and sometimes even better. This is especially relevant to developing countries in Africa.

Gulliver Biomed BV generates nanobodies against a broad variety of proteins. It takes barely two months to develop a nanobody.

We can produce antigens recombinantly in bacteria or in mammalian cells. Nanobodies can be used as a research tool in biomedical labs worldwide, as a diagnostic or as a therapeutic, in any experiment similar to conventional antibodies. Indeed they can also be expressed in the cytoplasm of mammalian cells to directly interfere, delocalize or even degrade its target. The cytoplasm contains numerous therapeutic targets. Nanobodies will quickly reveal if it is worthwhile to develop a ‘classical’ drug against a given protein, which will save you a lot of time and money. It can also be used to investigate potential side effects of a drug.

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anobodies were serendipitously discovered at the end of the eighties in Prof. Haemers’ Immunology Lab at VUB, Brussels. They correspond with the antigen binding part of a camelid heavy chain antibody and are ten times smaller than a normal antibody. Importantly, one obtains their cDNA and they can be expressed in unlimited quantities in bacteria at a much lower cost than expensive monoclonals.

Mr Jan Gettemans, founder and CEO of Gulliver Biomed

Gulliver Biomed has developed nanobodies for researchers targeting tumor progression, cancer cell invasion, inflammation, and amyloid disorders worldwide: Harvard University (Boston), the Francis Crick Institute in London, and other players in Belgium, Germany, and South-Korea. Nanobodies are also ideal tools for medical imaging and have many applications in agriculture and food safety.

Gulliver Biomed is also developing nanobodies against proteins of the coronavirus that could be used to diagnose or treat covid-19. Such a disease is difficult to tackle worldwide with a monoclonal antibody because billions of doses are required. Therefore it should be replaced by a nanobody. In the long rung we will not be able to justify the use of expensive antibody therapeutics that can cost up to €20,000 per patient per month in extreme cases. Once an affordable alternative is developed, markets will have to reconsider their bias in favor of monoclonal antibodies…

In the future Gulliver Biomed anticipates the development of many new nanobodies for treating a broad variety of diseases, including thousands of rare diseases listed worldwide.

Within 5-10 years nanobodies might also be available for targetting today untreated proteininduced diseases inside cells (and not on their surface as is the case with most therapeutic antigens). Good reasons to hope! © Gulliver Biomed

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Currently, Gulliver Biomed BV is working on nanobody derivatives that can be coupled covalently and site-specifically to other compounds such as fluorophores, drugs, quantum dots etc. (socalled antibody drug conjugates or ‘ADCs). What is more, they remain biologically active because conjugation occurs at a predetermined safe site in the nanobody. All this results from their cDNA availability. We aim to increase our contacts with private

Gulliver Biomed I.I.C., Technology park 82 - 9052 Ghent-Zwijnaarde Tel.: +32 (0)53 570 727 E-mail : jan.gettemans@gulliverbiomed.com https://gulliverbiomed.com/ 62

Health House I

Experience the future of health and healthcare

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physical walking tool, 3D-printing, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, exoskeletons… You will find all these technologies and many more at Health House. In this very unique experience center visitors are told 12 different stories: those of Health House’s founding partners (University Hospital of Leuven, KU Leuven, City of Leuven, imec, Province of Flemish-Brabant) together with stories on the impact of technology on health, the hospital of the future, sensibilisation of alcohol and its effects on the body, deep brain stimulation for people with Parkinson’s disease, technologies enabling people to stay at home as long as possible and the latest story Planet Virus (www.planetvirus.net) on the learnings of the corona pandemic. Don’t be fooled by the word stories : all audiovisual content shown at Health House is expert-validated.

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Open in 2018 in Leuven as an experience center, Health House shows scientifically validated content on health and healthcare to the public with the help of very high-level technologies and immersive storytelling.

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Today Health House is willing to anticipate challenges ahead.

These are both technological as well as ethical and regulatory if we want to harness innovation in the right direction. To make sure the misuse of health data is avoided and innovation is not only dedicated to a happy few. All these issues have to be dealt with as a society and Health House is definitely part of the equation... and part of the solution!

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Health House is involved in societal and European projects that strive to make a difference. Its storyline on deep brain stimulation through surgery is part of an EIT Health research project focusing on the best way to provide patients with Parkinson with detailed and expert information on the surgery. This societal

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Today Health House can rely on its prestigious (international) partners: major health players (C-level executives), pharmaceutical companies, medtech companies, hospitals, the 5 founding partners, … The center is also enthusiastic about technological innovations that change the lives of patients on a daily basis and can serve as a springboard for start-ups. To find potential investors and financial partners is also part of the mission of Health House!

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project also helps to create a community of patients and their caregivers. On top of that the center is participating in a project application with KU Leuven in which people are asked their opinion about new technologies and their ethical aspects.

Health House is also working on a project to figure out how to integrate technologies at home in order to help the elderly to stay longer at home. And that is not all: the center also has a sensibilisation trajectory on alcohol for different target audiences.

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After two years of opening Health House already welcomed 10,500 visitors, 90-95% of whom are medical professionals including policy makers, pharmaceutical companies and medtech companies. The center also organises events for groups and individuals on reservation. Over time it developed an activity of health consultancy by building a broad and unique network of healthcare partners: Health House can write a digital story according to a given topic and a client’s needs. Health House thus is turning into a center of excellence for health topics and networking, a true living lab for end-users in co-creation, and a provider of highlevel education for health professionals as well as the general public.

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Health House Gaston Geenslaan 11 - B4 - 3001 Heverlee Tel.: +32 (0) 16 79 92 40 Email: info@health-house.be https://www.health-house.be/en/

Innovation from field to beanburger?

Now more than ever, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO) is the place to be for applied scientific research on sustainable agriculture, food and marine themes. ILVO tackles complex issues from the agri-food chain in an integrated and multidisciplinary way. Its expertise is also being noticed across Europe, as shown by the growing number of international research projects. Supported by funds from Flanders, Belgium, Europe and from private companies, ILVO is doing innovative work around protein diversification. This line of research is currently receiving a great deal of attention.

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e come from a time when the (very complete) proteins from milk, eggs, meat and fish were our first choice for a balanced diet. Animal protein is likely to stay relevant in the future, and the animal production chain will remain economically important. ”We support them by researching a variety of sustainability-related questions.”

At the same time, ILVO is answering the loud calls for more edible proteins from plants, algae, insects and microbial processes. “This will not be a protein ‘transition’,” predicts administrator-general Joris Relaes. “Instead, the various sources of protein will co-exist.

We are proactively building scientific knowledge and expertise for the newer protein sources, often together with companies”.

the soil and reducing the need for fertilizer), and several beneficial effects on biodiversity.

“These new crops are a great economic opportunity. All the necessary links are in place for the further processing and marketing of legumes”.

New chain, thanks to research

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Before the flywheel of this new chain can catch on, research is needed on several fronts. Farmers need grounded advice about which cultivation method to use, which seeds are best for their farm, and about their choice of machinery. Food processors want to know how they can control or improve the ILVO administrator-general Joris Relaes texture, taste, mouthfeel, (anti-)nutritional characteristics, and other aspects of those plant-based (and Pulses: the future other alternative) proteins in order to develop truly tasty, healthy and commercially feasible recipes. “In recent years ILVO has ILVO has more than 600 researchers, including bio-engineers, invested in developing knowledge in all of these areas,” says microbiologists, IT and robotics specialists, social scientists and Joris Relaes. “Those efforts are being recognized. A whole series economists, food technicians, field trial experts and more. “Our of our protein-related research project applications have already cross-sectoral approach is a strength. And we try to diseminate been approved and are in progress. We substantiate the ‘value’ and implement our scientific results as much as possible throughout of legumes for society and their contribution to the European the economy,” says Joris Relaes. ILVO is meeting the increasing Green Deal”. demand for knowledge about the local cultivation, processing and consumption of protein-rich crops such as soy, chickpea, faba (red) bean or edamame within Belgium - and by extension across Europe. The seeds or beans of pulses (legumes) are essential ingredients for people who either want to vary the protein on their plate or who eat an exclusively vegetarian or vegan diet. This protein evolution has potential benefits for agriculture: a wider crop rotation, the ability of leguminous crops to fix atmospheric nitrogen in their roots (thus improving

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Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO)

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Burgemeester Van Gansberghelaan 92 9820 Merelbeke Tel.: +32 (0)9 272 25 05 Email: Greet.Riebbels@ilvo.vlaanderen.be http://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be

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The packaging sector continues to reinvent itself, today even more than ever before. Research is flourishing and results in extremely interesting solutions. This is also the case in Belgium, where Pack4Food is the driving force behind the optimization of food packaging. The secret behind the success of this non-profit organization? A crosssector approach in which all stakeholders combine their knowledge and expertise.

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Working together on innovative food packaging

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ack4Food is a consortium of Flemish research institutes and about fifty companies (food products, packaging materials and printing inks, machines, filling and measuring equipment, …). “Based on the principle ‘together we are stronger’, these parties join forces to stimulate innovation in food packaging”, says co-director Peter Ragaert. “Pack4Food acts as the bridge builder and communication channel. An important task for our six-person team is to initiate and coordinate research with added value. After all, we are always looking for answers to real food packaging issues, and this from a neutral vision and approach”.

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Peter Ragaert, co-director of Pack4Food

The fact that Pack4Food is involved in a wide range of national and European research into new and improved food packaging concepts has a lot to do with the thoughtful and well-founded vision of the organization. In collaboration with Flanders‘FOOD, Catalisti, SIM and VIL, this has been translated into a cross-sectoral ‘Roadmap Food Packaging of the Future’. An Vermeulen: “This is an innovation trajectory that aims to formulate answers to the packaging challenges of 2030. Think of circularity, e-commerce, globalization, the personalization of packaging, …

Packaging is and remains a sector that is constantly changing under the impulse of new technologies, raw materials, regulations, needs and trends. That is why research must continue to focus on existing and upcoming challenges”.

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Substantiated vision

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Logically, Pack4Food's field of research is very broad. Nevertheless, in recent years the emphasis has mainly been on sustainability. “Although always in relation to an optimal shelf life of the food,” says co-director An Vermeulen. “A good example of this is CIRCOPACK, a research project that aims to develop a scan that allows companies to correctly interpret sustainability. This should help to optimally align the packaging policy with the circular economy without compromising functionality and safety. CIRCOPACK looks at the issue from different perspectives and across the entire chain. For example, the footprint of both food production and packaging is calculated”.

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Also active in Europe

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In the meantime Pack4Food has also earned its footprints internationally. The organization is increasingly involved in European research projects. Peter Ragaert explains: “We currently play an important role in GLOPACK where waste from the agrifood industry is converted into a new type of packaging material that can be composted at home. For example, experiments are being conducted with citrus peelings and agricultural waste such as manure. In addition, we are actively involved in the FoodPackLab 2 that started in the autumn of 2020. The aim is to promote the collaboration between food processing, packaging and deep tech innovation clusters in the EU”.

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Coupure Links 653 - 9000 Gent Tel.: +32 (0)9 264 99 30 - +32 (0)9 264 99 39 E-mails: a.vermeulen@pack4food.be - peter.ragaert@pack4food.be https://www.pack4food.be/en/home

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Primoris & Ciboris

A spin-off of Ghent University founded in 2001, Primoris is a specialized laboratory for residue and contaminant analysis in the agri-food industry. In 2016 Ciboris, a knowledge center focusing on long term basic research, became a partner of the Primoris group. In 2014, the certification company CKCert had already joined the group.

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rimoris started operations with a staff of 25 people performing the analysis of 10,000 samples a year. In 2020 its 85 employees analyzed more than 70,000 samples. The lab analyses a wide variety of samples: fresh products, organic products, baby food, animal feed and complex matrices (oil containing seeds and vegetable oils, plant extracts, animal products, spices, sugar crops, tobacco, tea, coffee, cacao) for which it is important to determine the level of pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, mineral oil, foodborne viruses and other contaminants. 10% of these analyses are reported the same day and 20% the day after.

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Contributing to the enhancement of food safety, product quality and sustainability

and consultancy services in the fields of food quality, food safety and risk assessment. It builds upon a scientific approach for quality management systems and a strong knowledge of current and upcoming legislation thanks to its close links with the Belgian Authority for Food Safety, senior officials at EU level, and expert panels at national and international level. With the help of Ghent University Ciboris designed a detailed and comprehensive method for risk assessment and food production chain based on the latest scientific findings. Such a method helps the customers of Ciboris to comply with current stringent regulations.

Moreover, Ciboris helps them to set up revised quality management systems for the food chain in the aftermath of COVID-19. The organization is also participating in research projects targeting the development of analytical methods for food fraud. In the same prospect, it explores the possibilities of foodomics, i.e. the application of omics analytical techniques based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, to detect food fraud in samples or group samples.

Primoris draws its expertise from the Research Group on Pesticide Residue Analysis of the Faculty of Agriculture at Ghent University.

As this research group started to develop commercial activities the need was felt to create an independent laboratory, Fytolab, renamed Primoris in 2015. Today Primoris offers its expertise to a variety of customers ranging from individual farmers to processing companies through supermarkets, inspection & certification bodies, import & export players, federal food agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Primoris generates 50% of its turnover in Belgium and 50% abroad, having customers from all over the world.

Ciboris combines scientific knowledge, legislative status and practical implementation in companies, which makes Ciboris a reliable partner in topics related to food quality, food safety and risk assessment along the food chain.

At the time being Primoris focuses on the development of new analytical methods for additional components and other byproducts which will soon be the subject of legislation. On top of that the lab invests heavily in new equipment to enjoy more sensitive methods that will be able to detect pesticides in trace amounts. The lab wants to support the market in detecting residues on ever decreasing levels. Primoris is also taking part in a research project together with the Belgian Authority for Food Safety. The project studies the migration of ink and glues from packaging in food.

Primoris & Ciboris Technologiepark 90 (Zone A6b) - 9052 Zwijnaarde Tel.: +32 (0)9 330 10 10 Email: info@primoris-lab.com – info@ciboris.org http://www.primoris-lab.com - http://www.ciboris.org/

Primoris relies upon Ciboris for its long-term development prospects: as a nonprofit organization, Ciboris offers research, training, 66

Yesse Technologies I

A technology platform to ultimately decode the last mystery of the senses

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Founded in 2016 by Dr. Charlotte D’Hulst and Prof. Paul Feinstein, Yesse Technologies, The Odoromics™ Company is headquartered in New York with a subsidiary in Leuven, established and managed by Dr. Elke Giets. It is distinguished by ORion21™, a proprietary technology platform that – by harnessing the biology of the real nose and merging it with cutting-edge nanotechnology – is bound to ultimately decode and catalog every single smell.

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encoded reporters that generate fluorescent signals once they are activated by a smell.

Today, Yesse Technologies is focusing on developing the ORion21 library and expanding the types of receptors to deploy in assays, as well as devising more applications of the technology. The aim is to move from a service-based model to a product-driven one as the chip technology becomes available. In the meantime, the company is ready to close the series A of its fundraising campaign to complete the platform development and start to commercialize services.

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Olfaction requires input from over 350 odorant receptors that are found in olfactory neurons in the human nose. Since their initial discovery 30 years ago, little progress has been made in decoding olfaction. One of the persistent challenges to decoding olfaction lies in the fact that any given receptor is expressed in only about 10,000 olfactory neurons. Adding to this, odorant receptors are notoriously difficult to express in an artificial setting, e.g. in a culture dish. ORion21 makes it possible to increase the number of olfactory neurons that express a chosen odorant receptor directly in the nose of a mouse, thereby generating a large number of fully-functional receptors that can be harvested and activated outside of the nose. Once isolated, these receptors can be stored long-term and integrated on a lab assay. Scientists at Yesse Technologies are pursuing a more high-throughput approach by miniaturizing the assay onto a chip using nanotechnology. The integration of the ORion21 platform with nanotechnology is the result of a partnership with imec, driven by Dr. Elke Giets. The imec silicon chip serves as a support for the ORion21 olfactory receptors, which couples to genetically-

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Potential applications of the Odoromics™ Company include facilitating the R&D pipeline for the Fragrance & Flavor industry, as the application of AI to the digital database could help predict how a given molecule will smell, and the identification of diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease or even COVID-19 through their smell. The company considers the co-development of medical diagnostics with pharmaceutical companies. Odors will soon have no secrets for Yesse Technologies!

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esse Technologies relies on Prof. Feinstein’s 30+-year expertise in olfaction and the knowhow of Dr. Charlotte D’Hulst in genetic engineering. Both scientists strived to figure out how to make odor receptors that retain their full biological function as found in their natural environment: inside the nose. This led to developing a method to use the nose of a mouse as a bioreactor for these proteins, for which a patent was filed in 2015, followed by a publication in 2016. In 2018, Yesse Technologies successfully achieved a first fundraising round of $3.3 million, which enabled the start-up company to set up their ORion21 technology platform. ORion21 uses advanced technology to transfer engineered receptors onto nanochips with silicon technology in order to create a biological nose on a chip. The platform will ultimately be able to codify every single smell.

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Yesse Technologies, Inc. (headquarters) 430 E29th Street, Fl14 - New York, NY 10016

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Yesse Technologies BV Philipssite 5, Bus 1 - 3001 Leuven Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)4 79 30 53 91 Email: elke@yesse.tech - https://yesse.tech/

Your valued partner for bioactive small molecules, antimicrobials, and fine chemicals for research and diagnostics TOKU-E EU NV, active since 2015, is a privately owned European branch of the TOKU-E global organisation. We help to further your discoveries with the distribution of our TOKU-E antimicrobials and with contract research services from our R&D facility in Ghent.

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ith a network of more than 20 distributors and an average annual growth rate of 32% over the last 4 years, TOKU-E EU offers an extensive product portfolio of over 800 optimized antimicrobials and other small bioactive molecules in order to meet the research needs of its customers: large and small enterprises active in the pharmaceutical, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), medical device and agro-biotech domains, resellers, academic laboratories and research institutes from Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Lia Verdoodt, Managing Director, TOKU-E EU

TOKU-E has nearly 40 years of experience in antimicrobial manufacturing. The TOKU-E affiliates collaborate closely together in the field of antibiotic production through fermentation and the related specialized expertise for pharma and biotech research. In general, pharmaceutical antibiotics are not always optimized for laboratory use or unique in vitro applications, such as antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). TOKU-E services are designed to complement AST testing platforms, using optimized antimicrobials for improved workflows, added efficiency, and increased effectiveness.

Given that antimicrobials are used in many research domains in life sciences and in all kinds of in vitro applications, TOKU-E EU makes room for discoveries in cell/plant biology, microbiology, virology, stem cell therapy, and cancer research by removing contamination and streamlining gene selection. As multidrug resistance is spreading globally, weakened COVID-19 patients may develop secondary infections, requiring increased antibiotic treatment, resulting in an increased rate of multi-drug resistant micro-organisms spreading through the health care system. Undoubtedly, TOKU-E EU will contribute to the diagnostic and therapeutic multidrug resistance research in the upcoming years.

At the same time TOKU-E EU aims to keep growing its distribution activities through organic growth, by increasing the number of partnerships, settling new distributor agreements in currently unaddressed geographical regions and expanding its sales channels to new business trends. Additionally, the company started investing in a new purification and quality control laboratory for the commercialisation of high potential bio-active small molecules. Finally, the Microbiology lab and Cell culture lab will be rolled out for specific IVD medical device services in order to meet the needs of the diagnostic market. Such developments are perfectly in line with TOKU-E EU’s mission: to provide innovative solutions for a breadth of applications, manufacturing capabilities, and dedicated expertise, all driven by its commitment to further discoveries in pharma, diagnostic and life science research.

The TOKU-E EU R&D team is driven to provide quality services from its Cell Culture and Microbiology research facilities. TOKU-E EU executes internal research and development projects as well as contract research projects for third parties. In 2016-2017 TOKU-E EU R&D team developed purification protocols for different highly pure fractions of the Polymyxin and Bacitracin antibiotic families. The fractions are now commercialized as reference materials for the EvoPure® product brand. To support the CulturePure® portfolio, the TOKU-E EU cell culture research team is investigating the impact of different small bioactive molecules for culture medium supplements on mammalian cell lines such as human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC).

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Rejuvenate Biomed I

In the fight against ageing

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Everyone dreams of a healthy and vital old age. A young Belgian company could make these dreams come true.

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ejuvenate Biomed aims to increase the healthy years of life by protecting the health status in the aging population. The company applies the research of the biology of aging (geroscience) to develop new safe combination drugs to maintain and re-activate our natural capacity to self-restore our cells and our cell-to-cell communication.

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Dr Ann Beliën became interested in the field of healthy aging when her father started to suffer from age-related diseases. At that time, she worked at Janssen Pharmaceutica, owned by Johnson & Johnson (J&J). During more than 17 years she gained international expertise ranging from discovery to full development, from bench to strategy including due diligence activities, company integration and open innovation experience at J&J. This resulted in specific scientific ideas to fight aging. In 2017, she was given the opportunity to translate her train of thought into reality. “In consultation with my employer at the time, I decided to develop the concept further independently,” explains Ann Beliën. “This laid to the foundation of Rejuvenate Biomed, an independent Belgium-based clinical internship R&D company.”

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Already a first result Dr Ann Beliën, founder of Rejuvenate Biomed

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The first entry to the market is sarcopenia, a newly established muscle failure disease that comes with age and causes disability, low quality of life and death. Ann Beliën: “Further, sarcopenia is also induced during immobilization resulting in muscle mass and quality loss during bedrest as seen in the current Covid-19 hospitalizations and in any type of bedrest after surgery, slowing down patient recovery. Based on Rejuvenate’s preclinical efficacy data and safety profile in human, we are ready to start our phase Ib/IIb studies in sarcopenia and beyond.”

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Weapon against Sarcopenia

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support our first Clinical Study that is due to start in the third quarter of 2021”, tells Ann Beliën. “During the course of next year, a second fund raising will take place, allowing us to explore the effectiveness in sarcopenia patients as well as in two other indications. This way, our first compound will be ready in 2024 to move to phase III via international collaborations and co-developments in three different age-related diseases.”

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Rejuvenate identifies opportunities to impact the aging process by combining individual Rx products into unique combination products that exert synergistic effects. “Our portfolio currently contains seven individual compounds, selected via systems biology, focusing on safety and their efficacy potential,” explains Ann Beliën. “Our lead combination product, RJx-01 is a new safe IP protected product based on a combination of known safe prescription drugs. Based on the preclinical data we can conclude that it has the potential to impact multiple age-related diseases simultaneously.”

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Research at Rejuvenate is an ongoing process. That is why the company is currently busy with a fund raising of 9 million euro.

“Our goal is to further establish the preclinical platform and

Vrunstraat 153 - 3550 Heusden-Zolder Email: info@rejuvenatebiomed.com https://www.rejuvenatebiomed.com/en 69

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More resources for faster results

DOCTORATE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION TUR RN EXPER RIENC CE IN NTO KNOW WLED DGE AND MA AKE A REA AL IM MPACT T ON N YOU UR BU USINE ESS

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Brussels: a laboratory for smart specialization

© Takeda Belgium

© chombosan - Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Syndo Health NV

For a better readability of the Brussels research and innovation support tools Interview with Dr Daniele CARATI, President of the Science Policy Council of the Brussels-Capital Region (CPSRBC) and technological careers and entrepreneurship; strengthening the support and guidance of innovative companies throughout their development; strengthening support for potential niches of specialisation (health, environment, ICT); stimulating the approach to urban challenges through initiatives such as ‘living labs‘; and developing a more concerted and inter-regional policy on animal experimentation. Finally, we highlighted certain cross-cutting issues such as supporting the transfer of knowledge from the academic world to the private and public sectors, exploiting Brussels' international image and developing cooperation with other regions. In addition to this memorandum, at the end of September 2020, the Council issued an opinion on the ERDF 2021-2027 programming. This opinion concerns the framework, priorities and budget lines that will commit the Brussels region for the coming years. Part of these commitments obviously concerns research and innovation.

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ould you tell us about the CPSRBC's expertise in Brussels research and innovation?

The Council develops expertise in the analysis of scientific policy and not in research or innovation as such. It aims to achieve a balance between representatives of university and higher education institutions, employers, workers‘ representative organisations and representatives of collective research centres. The participation of the four Vice-Rectors on the Board is as much justified by their political and strategic role within their institutions as by their scientific expertise.

Similarly, the representatives of workers‘ or employers‘ organisations have an in-depth knowledge of the world of research but are not necessarily personally involved in research activities. The Council's expertise therefore lies more particularly in its good understanding of the various facets and implications of scientific policy for the Brussels Capital Region.

How do you view regional policy on science, research and innovation?

Although science, research and innovation would certainly like to benefit from more material support, we can be pleased that public resources for R&D have increased by almost 50% between 2009 (€34M) and 2021 (€57M). This is one of the largest increases among the Belgian federated entities. This awareness of the economic importance of research and innovation is reflected in regular consultations between political decision-makers and research players, which go well beyond the relatively formal framework of the Science Policy Council.

© CPSRBC – Innoviris

What opinions have you recently issued?

Just before the formation of the current government, the Committee had provided a detailed memorandum based on five pillars: strengthening the supply of human capital by stimulating scientific

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What do you think are the main challenges to be taken up in order to stimulate research and innovation in Brussels?

Maintaining, and ideally increasing, the level of funding for actions in support of Brussels research and innovation is certainly the first challenge. Dedicated regional budgets are quite limited and the current crisis is further highlighting some of the Region's immediate needs in very many sectors. Investing in research and innovation, the benefits of which are very rarely observable in the short term, will therefore require real vision and a strong political support. Fortunately, the pandemic is also highlighting the importance of this research and should motivate quite broad support. Another challenge is related to the definition of a new regional innovation plan that will identify the priorities in terms of research and innovation funding for the coming years.

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Mobilising Brussels’ research and innovation capacities to accompany transformations to come

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Interview with Mrs. Ji-Hyeon KIM VANGUERS, European Programmes Internationalisation & Innovation, hub.brussels

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ub.brussels acts as the National Contact Point of the European Horizon 2020 programme for the Brussels Capital Region. Could you tell us more about it? hub.brussels supports all potential applicants and participants to Horizon 2020: companies, universities, research centres, public authorities, Belgian and international non-profit organisations…

The objective is to support and increase the participation of Brussels actors in European research programmes. To do this, we organise dissemination, training and information activities.

We answer their questions and we may signpost some requests to other funding programmes if relevant. NCP Brussels focuses in particular on SMEs and new comers to Horizon 2020, to bring them in line with the requirements of this highly competitive programme. Our specialised advisers, with their sectoral expertise and soft skills offer them a tailor-made service. The general success rate is 20% in the Brussels region, while the average success rate at European level is 12%. Many factors can explain this success, e.g. a strong presence of European actors in Brussels, and well performing universities and colleges which have been able to align their objectives with those of the European Commission.

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project (2.2Mio €) as part of the Enhanced EIC Pilot instrument.

This funding supports the development of an automated low-cost solution to generate reliable wind resource data and analytics.

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Besides these mono-beneficiary EIC-SME instruments, I would also like to mention the involvement of the Brussels public authorities in various collaborative projects. The STIB (Société des transports intercommunaux de Bruxelles) is partner of the “PREVENT” project (PRocurEments of innoVativE, advaNced systems to support security in public Transport), a project born in response to the terrorist attacks of 22 March 2016 in Brussels, and gathering 22 organisations from 10 countries. Brussels Environment has been involved in several projects on the circular economy, the energy performance of buildings, etc. The City of Brussels itself is taking part in the “URBiNAT” project, which aims to find solutions inspired by nature for urban developments of the city.

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Could you give us some examples of Brussels companies that have received subsidies in this context?

This year, the small company Fyteko received a subsidy of 1.9Mio € for its project “Nurspray”, an innovative biostimulant to help crops manage the effect of climate change. The EU funding will allow the company to improve its formulations, upscale its production process, and prepare for European market launch in 2022-2023. Three months later, the company MoveUp obtained a 2.7Mio € grant & equity as part of the EIC Accelerator pilot / Covid-19 special cut-off of March. This will enable this SME to develop its mobile health platform that monitors, informs and treats patients via standardised & validated protocols.

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Could you tell us about the “European Green Deal” call for projects?

This is the last major call for projects of Horizon 2020 with a submission deadline date of 26 January 2021 and a budget of 1bn €. NCP Brussels helps applicants build partnerships and set up their proposals. Projects should respond to the needs related to the climate crisis, the protection of the environment and biodiversity, and contribute to Europe’s recovery. The EU challenge is to mobilise research and innovation capacities to support the environmental, social and economic transformations to come.

The Green Deal Call is expected to improve the resilience of European governments and societies while supporting green growth.

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In 2018, the technical consulting company 3E had already received a SME Instrument Phase 2 grant of 2.5 Mio € for its “Synaptic Building” project, a tool using Artificial Intelligence to improve comfort and decrease energy, operational costs and CO2 emissions of buildings. This further enabled the creation of DeltaQ, a company aimed at continuous optimisation of building management. In 2019, 3E also benefited from a 900k € funding as coordinator of a “FTI – Fast Track to Innovation”

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Making Brussels a model of economic transition

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immediate actions aimed at the public weakened by the crisis, improving the attractiveness of Brussels,... But also accelerating the redeployment towards economic transition and the development of an impact economy (relocated and decarbonated production, circular and regenerative economy, social and democratic entrepreneurship).

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ould you please tell us about the missions and services of hub.brussels? hub.brussels is the Brussels Agency for Business Support. It offers a wide array of free advice, services and tools to ensure the success of entrepreneurial projects, with challenges ranging from setting up a legal entity to finding the right funding sources. There have been many challenges in this year of health crisis, during which we have had to reinvent ourselves and adapt the agency’s services to this unprecedented situation in order to be able to respond quickly to the needs of the companies affected.

The crisis has made many people aware of the urgent need to change the way our economy works. hub.brussels is participating in this paradigm shift by making the economy a lever for positive societal change for the people of Brussels. The economy must be at the service of people and not the other way round. © hub.brussels

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Interview of Mrs. Isabelle GRIPPA, CEO of hub.brussels

hub.brussels also supports businesses wishing to export beyond the country’s borders, just as it promotes foreign investment in Brussels. For these services, we can count on our network of economic and commercial officers that provide solid support for our companies abroad, covering more than 140 countries from 90 offices.

What are the projects for 2021?

This review of our agency’s activities is just the first step in the transition of hub.brussels. Internally, we have launched a reflection on our next roadmap, a working outline that will gradually and ambitiously integrate the challenges of transition into all hub. brussels services. This transition roadmap should be completed by spring 2021. We are starting a major transformation, a great evolution, to make Brussels a model of economic transition.

2021 will of course also be a year of recovery for our companies, which have gone through very difficult months and with whom we will continue to be by their side day after day to help them get back on their feet and redeploy their activities.

How has hub.brussels repositioned itself during this health crisis? hub.brussels was mobilised from the very first days and refocused its activities to deploy, within a very short and mediumterm timeframe, support actions for entrepreneurs that meet their information and support needs.

More information on www.hub.brussels

New services have been created, others have been completely rethought, initiating a transition articulated around four axes: universality or how to inform and raise awareness among all Brussels residents, accessibility or how to support the most vulnerable groups in order to access entrepreneurship, attractiveness or how to make Brussels a capital of economic, social and environmental innovation that is particularly attractive for entrepreneurs, and finally the transition, how to help entrepreneurs evolve towards an economy that respects the planet and people.

Thanks to its international network and its cluster dedicated to medical technologies lifetech.brussels, hub.brussels has also been strongly mobilised to assist the Brussels health sector in the development and supply of protective equipment for its hospitals, rest homes, companies, etc. E-health and medical devices were already priority sectors for the Brussels Region, but with the arrival of the coronavirus, things took on a different dimension.

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Our team of 330 people works hard to make innovation and entrepreneurship accessible to people in Brussels, and to create a urban economy capable of supporting innovation, internationalization and socio-economic impact.

What place do you give to economic transition in the activities of hub. brussels?

The aim of our refocusing is to ensure the long-term future of the Brussels company. This means accompanying the recovery with

hub.brussels is on the front line to support Brussels companies impacted by the health crisis.

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Medical technology for Brussels’ well-being I

5th edition of the MedTech Accelerator®

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Since its creation in 2016, the hub.brussels’ MedTech Accelerator®, an accelerator programme specifically dedicated to the development of medical devices, has assisted 43 projects focused on improving the health and well-being of Brussels residents.

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The five finalists of the MedTech Accelerator® 2020 VR4GOOD uses Virtual Reality and provides a catalogue of immersive experiences to more efficiently handle stress, pain and recovery and reduce chemical medication.

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Lilo Health helps make deadly, but highly preventable, diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and a wide variety of cancers, much easier to detect and prevent. Nutrition, sports activities, measurement of medical constants,… the application works like a coach who accompanies people before, during and after the illness or a possible intervention.

The MedTech Accelerator® 2020’s first prize went to the SMARCOS start-up, which specialises in building exoskeletons. The project leader, Victor Grosu, was able to develop his network in the MedTech industry thanks to the accelerator. “We made many excellent contacts in the sector. My time at the accelerator gave me a 360° view of the process and I was able to see my project from different angles and perspectives”.

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SMARCOS develops smart actuators used to build much faster various exoskeletons and assistive devices in a simple modular way. This technology is used to develop high performance, user centered devices for quality and affordable rehabilitation.

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“The health sector is facing many challenges. This year, more than ever, events have proven the usefulness and importance of these businesses and the pressing need to search, understand, innovate and share”, says Isabelle Grippa, CEO of hub.brussels.

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ow can the medical sector be made more innovative?

How can Brussels become an e-health leader? Where do you start to bring a medical device to market that will improve the quality of doctor’s work and patient health? These are all urgent questions hub.brussels addresses with the MedTech Accelerator® via its lifetech.brussels cluster.

DORI revolutionises the method of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders. The method, based on ocular screening, allows a faster diagnosis.

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One of the MedTech Accelerator®’s ultimate aims is to support its candidates in building a more resilient world and a society which is more respectful of the environment, with human beings at its centre, and an economy relocated to where it is needed and flexible enough to adapt quickly in case of emergency.

“To build this new world, we need innovators, people who have ideas and implement them; people who dare. The finalists and winners of this fifth edition of the MedTech Accelerator® see beyond technology. They give it meaning by putting it to work for a noble cause: facilitating the life of patients and of healthcare workers”, concluded Barbara Trachte.

The DORI project revolutionises the method of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders.

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The SMARCOS project develops assistive devices in a simple modular way.

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“The current health crisis has severely tested the healthcare sector and highlighted its crucial importance”, emphasises Barbara Trachte, Brussels Secretary of State for Economic Transition.

“Over the past years, the MedTech Accelerator® has demonstrated that Brussels is very innovative, has advanced technology know-how and noble goals. This is what we need, even more now”.

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D-Health provides an innovative, fully cross-platform and responsive Electronic Patient Record for residential and ambulatory care facilities as well as retirement homes. The LIFELINE solution is particularly suitable for the mental health sector.

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This year, a special prize was exceptionally awarded to DORI (Diagnostic Ocular Regression Interface), which is revolutionising the method used to diagnose Alzheimer’s and memory problems.

“The programme enabled us to investigate aspects we weren’t familiar with as scientists. Particularly, the economic aspects related to the development of a new medical device: funding, how to present and sell a project”, explains project leader Arno Libert.

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MedTech Accelerator® - hub.brussels Tel.: +32 494 57 62 80 - http://www.medtech-accelerator.eu/ Chaussée de Charleroi 110 Charleroisesteenweg - 1060 Brussels Tel.: +32 (0)2 422 00 20 - https://hub.brussels/en/

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The Innovation Fund, the first Belgian investment fund dedicated to innovative projects in chemistry and life sciences

€3 million, with a maximum of 10% of our portfolio. We also offer start-ups professional assistance by facilitating access to our main shareholders who can be represented on their boards of directors.

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hat are the key figures and partners of The Innovation Fund?

The Innovation Fund was created in 2015 with the help of shareholders sharing the same longterm vision. This fund is unique in its structure, shareholding and ambition, and far away from the mindset of financial funds: it is scheduled to operate until 2027. Since 2015 we have raised €35 million and invested an average of €5 to 7 million per year. A total of 28 investments have been made and two have already been resold. Today, we still have some 15 million euros to invest. Our aim is to achieve 50 investments, about twenty of which are to be resold, in order to build up a portfolio of some thirty holdings. To do so, we can count on our partners who include all the major European chemical companies, the main Belgian universities, and federal and regional investment companies. As an Evergreen fund we have agreed to meet again in 2027: the dividends and unpaid capital gains, by mutual agreement with our partners, are accumulated in equity in order to buy out the holdings of those who would like to opt out of the adventure at that date.

© The Innovation Fund

Could you give us some examples of companies supported by The Innovation Fund?

We have made significant investments in materials, processes and life sciences. The first start-up to benefit was InOpsys, specialised in the treatment of industrial process water in the pharmaceutical industry: it developed units installed in containers in order to offer a more ecological alternative to incineration. We also support REIN4CED, which specialises in the development of carbon fibre and steel alloys, shaped by thermoplastics and robotised to produce bicycle frames. This project to reintroduce an activity that has long been relocated to China is in the scale-up phase. Another example is Tools4Patient, which develops algorithms to help predict individual placebo behaviour in clinical studies. I would also like to mention PharmaFluidics, a spin-off of Ghent University that focuses on the production of high-precision chromatographs based on microcomputer technology.

To conclude, I would like to mention Spentys: this start-up is developing the scanning, modelling and 3D printing of more flexible, more airy and more suitable splints to replace the standard ones.

What support services and funding mechanisms do you offer to start-ups and innovative companies in chemistry and life sciences?

We offer free assistance to start-ups in the form of equity or convertible loans representing 1 to 40% of their capital. This investment is often matched by local investment companies or university-based investment companies. It generally takes place in one or two rounds for an amount between €500,000 and

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Interview with Mr François CORNELIS, President of The Innovation Fund, Creator of The Innovation Circle

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What do you see as the future challenges for the financing of chemical and life sciences companies?

As a seed fund The Innovation Fund is dedicated to the financing of start-ups that are still difficult to finance. Indeed they have acquired proof of concept but are still without a client or in the scale-up phase from laboratory work. It is therefore risky to finance them at this stage and even more risky to find partners willing to take this risk with us. Moreover, it is sometimes tricky to convince the manager of a start-up to raise enough funds and to favour long-term financing which gives him more respite. It is better to become rich in a company where you own 30% of the capital than to vegetate in a company where you lose 70%!

There is a third challenge not to be underestimated: that of moving from inventor to entrepreneur, manager and technical director.

There is a whole human resources management system to be set in motion. That said, the current opportunities are immense: we are in the midst of an intellectual renaissance and our pipeline of new projects is always full. It’s a really exciting job that ours is! And even if the choice is not always easy, we are betting more than ever on our support and consulting mission. That’s what The Innovation Circle is all about (see next page).

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Innovation Circle, an initiative of essenscia dedicated to the free assistance to entrepreneurs and startups in chemistry and life sciences.

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o Lower row from left to right: Yves Verschueren (essenscia), Staf Van Reet (Janssen Pharma), Jean-Marie Solvay (Solvay), Carl Van Camp (Total) Middle row from left to right: Sonja Willems (Janssen Pharma), Guido Vandervorst (Deloitte), Koenraad Debackere (KU Leuven), Edouard Croufer (Exxon, UCB), Jacques Maigné (Hutchinson) Upper row from left to right: Luc Vansteenkiste (Recticel), Silvio Ghyoot (AlbeMarle), François Cornelis (Chairman), Christian Jourquin (Solvay)

In order to respond to requests from abroad, and notably France, a French member has been appointed to the board. International exposure is on the agenda.

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Subjects to be studied and discussed are selected by the general secretary. Edith Coune is the former head of communication of BASF Belgium. She keeps contacts with the technology transfer offices (TTO’s) of the universities, the research institutes, the incubators and the public innovation clusters. She maintains an active network in the chemical world.

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In 2015, Innovation Circle decided to create a fund to be able to help entrepreneurs in their financing. The board members contributed each 50.000€ for one share of the new fund.

Leaning on that building block, Innovation Fund raised from other parties more than 35Mo€, aiming at co-financing close to 50 new ventures over a period of 12 years.

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Innovation Circle is, by statute, limited to 13 board members, captains of industry and academics, who contribute free time to the association. Innovation Circle meets once a month for a two hours meeting and a dinner. It is hosted by essenscia, Belgian federation of the chemicals and the life sciences industries. It is supported by Deloitte, which contributes 75 days of free consultancy per year.

Since its inception, Innovation Circle has already reviewed more than 100 projects. Half of the presented projects were related to process technology, a Belgian specialty. Other projects came from the material sciences, circular economy, biosciences and medical devices domains.

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t was created in 2013, in the footsteps of essencia’s first Innovation Award. François Cornelis, ex-CEO of Petrofina and Chairman of the Chemicals of Total, chaired the Awards’ jury.

Impressed by the quantity of innovative projects emerging from the chemical and life sciences ecosystem in Belgium, he decided its creation with the help of experienced CEO’s of the industry.

their financial model, their search for public subsidies or marketing advice. The meeting will generally appoint a board member volunteering as “godfather” to the project who will accompany the entrepreneurs for the following years.

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Innovation Circle is a non-profit association dedicated to the free assistance to entrepreneurs and startups in the Chemicals and the Life Sciences.

c/o essenscia Boulevard Auguste Reyers 80 - 1030 Schaerbeek Tel.: +32 475 90 15 10 Email: edith.coune@gmail.com - https://innovationfund.eu/

Presentations to the board are being made by entrepreneurs looking for industrial contacts, business consultancy, assistance in 77

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Bolstering the appeal of ULB research centres at a global level Interview with Prof. Oberdan LEO, Vice-Rector for research and promotion at the ULB, Institute of Medical Immunology, Immunobiology research unit I would also like to mention the research carried out within the inter-faculty Immunology Institute by the teams of Dr A. Marchant and Dr S. Goriely which aim to study the mode of action of the adjuvants present in vaccines, the various forms of immune memory and the action of regulatory T cells, and the Vascular Signalling Laboratory led by Prof.

Benoit Vanhollebeke, whose work has been published in Science, on vascular biology using the zebrafish as a model. Lastly, I would like to remind the recent funding, by the federal government, of a state-of the art laboratory dedicated to the monitoring of immune responses in vaccinated individuals. This project illustrates the well-recognized expertise of ULB in the field of vaccine development and clinical immunology, important fields of research that the current pandemic has put at the forefront of the news.

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hat are the key figures for research at the ULB? The ULB's research budget is €184M, €51M of which come from operating allowances and the rest from competitive financing (€54M from the FNRS and the remainder from public and private funding agencies, both Belgian and European). In addition, the ULB has nearly 3,400 lecturer/researchers of whom around 800 are members of the academic staff (700 from the ULB and 111 from the FNRS) and approximately 2,000 doctoral students. In 2019, 243 doctoral theses were presented. Currently we are able to identify 3,000 research projects in progress, i.e. 3 or 4 per member of the academic staff. The ULB also offers a dozen starting grants for researchers just entering their academic career.

What are the strong points of health research at the ULB? I would like to begin with the works of Prof. Cédric Blanpain, who studies the stem cells responsible for the continuous generation of tumour cells in his laboratory on the Erasme campus. This year again, he has made an outstanding set of observations that have led to numerous publications in prestigious journals such as Nature or Cell. His work has led to the creation of a cancer cluster in partnership with Erasme hospital and the Bordet Institute. In addition, Prof. Blanpain created the spin-off ChromaCure with a view to developing inhibitors for a new target which is a key regulator in tumour initiation and development.

In your opinion, what are the main challenges that await researchers in your field of research, immunology?

The recent pandemic has clearly demonstrated how our modern lifestyle (living in urban, densely populated areas and engaging in frequent long-distance traveling activities) has put us at risk for infectious diseases of pandemic nature. There is clearly an urgent need for developing new vaccine strategies, more efficient immune-monitoring techniques and a better understanding of the natural immune response to viruses. This last topic has been clearly overlooked in the past, despite previous examples of immune-mediated pathologies associated to viral infections (cf. the Spanish flu in the early 20th century). Efforts need to be dedicated to a better understanding of the mechanisms causing over-exuberant immune responses to viruses, the major cause of morbidity in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.

For his part, Prof. François Fuks stands out through his works on cancer epigenetics and more specifically the link between alterations in RNA and the appearance of breast cancer. He too has created a start-up, EPICS Therapeutics, with a view to giving his research clinical applications. Moreover, the ULB is pursuing other cancer immunotherapy research projects using animal models and clinical trials on breast cancer.

What still puzzles immunologists is the regulatory mechanisms that regulate such inflammatory responses. Whether immunosuppression (the capacity to dampen an immune response) appears as defective during inflammatory responses to viruses, or it acts in a predominant fashion in tumor bearing patients, thus opposing the spontaneous response to cancer cells. Notably, the recent successes in cancer immunotherapy can be explained through our better understanding of the mechanisms put in place by tumors to escape the control of the immune system and the development of treatments opposing this tumor-mediated immunosuppression. Despite the recent progress made in immunotherapy however, the majority of patients do not respond to these treatments, and today it is therefore important to continue our research efforts so as to learn to make better use of the immune system to control the various pathologies.

We should also point out the ULB Neuroscience Institute and its works on the development of the nervous system from stem cells (Prof. Pierre Vanderhaegen, KULeuven/ULB), drug addiction and the role of genes in potential resistance to this addiction (Prof.

Alban de Kerchove d’Exaerde) and also the pioneering study on the role of a class of receptors in the detection of extracellular signals linked to inflammatory phenomena (Prof. Marc Parmentier).

The ULB is also present in research on diabetes with the ULB Center for Diabetes Research, directed by Prof. Miriam Cnop, who is studying the cell death of ћ-pancreatic cells which produce insulin.

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COVID-19: Launch of six FNRS research projects at ULB Six exceptional research projects (FNRS) were launched at ULB in October 2020. From the role of antibodies in the diagnosis and pathogenesis of the infection to the impact of the pandemic on our economy, these projects aim to answer essential questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.

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he FNRS supports 13 exceptional research projects in life and health sciences, exact sciences, and human and social sciences. Among these are six projects carried out by ULB researchers in the fields of health, human and social sciences and science and technology.

automata and the design of methods to estimate the probability of an individual being infected. This estimate of probability can be used as an indication for prescribing tests.

And why not eliminate viruses naturally in the environment? Surfaces represent an important indirect mode of contamination for SARS-CoV2: a project aims to develop hybrid surfaces with photocatalytic and thermal activity that can rapidly inactivate viruses, thus preventing a major route of contamination. It is led

by François Reniers - Surface Chemistry, Interfaces and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Sciences -, Anne Op de Beeck - ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Faculty of Medicine - and Carine Van Lint - Molecular Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences -.

Antibodies are at the centre of several key issues in the SARSCoV-2 epidemic, in particular the diagnosis of the infection, the pathogenesis of severe infection, the bases of protective immunity, and the development of therapeutic and prophylactic approaches.

However, little information is currently available on the quality and dynamics of the humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The project coordinated by Arnaud Marchant - IMI, Faculty of Medicine - aims to determine the amplitude and quality of systemic and mucosal humoral responses and to identify the cellular and molecular determinants of the longevity of the humoral response.

Who are COVID-19 patients? The question is explored by Andrea Rea - GERME, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences -, Catherine Bouland, Yves Coppieters - School of Public Health -, and Jean-Christophe Goffard - Erasmus Hospital -. Thanks to a better understanding of the profiles of vulnerable populations due to social and epidemiological factors, the main objective of this interdisciplinary project is to strengthen prevention policies targeting the situations and populations most at risk.

Another medical issue: the infection of cells with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is mediated by its binding to the angiotensin-2 converting enzyme, which plays a pivotal role in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Understanding the deregulation of the RAS during infection is therefore of paramount importance in order to unravel the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the COVID-19 disease, to identify associated risk factors and to design effective therapeutic strategies. Mariane Rooman - Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Sciences - and Fabio Silvio Taccone - Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine - explore this issue by combining modelling and clinical research.

Finally, let us conclude this panorama with the 6th project, carried out within ECARES, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management - Glen Magerman, Bram De Rock, Mathias Dewatripont: it focuses on the impact of the pandemic on our economy.

What are the entry/exit dynamics of companies and the links in the supply chain? How can we identify the impact of significant aggregate shocks on economic output and growth? What are the implications for relocation, on vertical/horizontal mergers, etc.?

These are some of the questions studied in this framework.

Led by Emanuele Garone - SAAS, Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles -, another project aims to define intelligent policies for the selection of individuals to be tested during an epidemic, the objective being to maximise the effectiveness of certain selective containment measures. The starting point of this project is the definition of an epidemiological model based on the Stochastic cellular

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https://actus.ulb.be/fr/actus/recherche/covid-19-lancementde-six-projets-de-recherche-fnrs-a-lulb

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From a Belgian reference centre to a European network serving patients suffering from hereditary red blood cell diseases The LHUB-ULB has built up a solid reputation in hereditary red blood cell diseases. It relies on a pool of scientists and 11 national reference centres in the fields of microbiology, haemophilia and rare diseases. Over the last two years it has supported 12 PhDs and 15 clinical research projects. In addition, it publishes more than 50 peerreviewed publications every year.

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ereditary pathologies of the red blood cell like sickle cell disease, thalassaemia, G6PD enzyme deficiency, hereditary stomatocytosis, pyruvate kinase deficiency, are linked either to anomalies in its membrane or its content. They may be frequent in certain populations (where these mutations confer relative protection against malaria) or much rarer. However, giving a diagnosis remains a challenge in the field of rare diseases. The LHUB-ULB is interested in ektacytometry, a diagnostic technique based on the study of the deformability of the red blood cell under various constraints. This technique also enables it to evaluate the rheological properties of red blood cells in sickle cell disease in order to monitor the effectiveness of new treatments. As sickle cell disease patients are treated by blood transfusions, the teams are studying the risk factors for alloimmunisation, the correlations between the immune profile, the risk of alloimmunisation and the development of autoantibodies, as well as the contribution of blood group genotyping to transfusion management. Clinical expression of sickle cell disease may vary between patients. Those aspects are evaluated by different teams in the fields like immunity and haemostasis. In addition, the LHUB-ULB is involved in public health research via neonatal screening for sickle cell disease in the Brussels-Capital Region.

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(eurobloodnet.eu) for its non-oncological haematological diseases section. Its main objective is to provide patients suffering from rare haematological diseases with quality diagnosis and care through 5 areas: “cross-border health”, “best practices”, “continuing medical education”, “telemedicine”, and “clinical trial and research”.

The possibility of benefiting from European support is a major asset for the LHUB-ULB as it facilitates multicentre research projects.

Nevertheless, the laboratory still faces the same challenges as all those dealing with rare diseases: the recognition of these pathologies and the promulgation of centres of reference which must be supported in terms of visibility and funding.

Different sectors of the LHUB-ULB collaborate on clinical research projects with clinicians from hospitals in the ULB network (paediatric and adult haematologists at the HUDERF, CUB Hôpital Erasme, CHU Saint-Pierre and CHU Brugmann), the ULB Genetics Centre, the Institute of Pharmacy and the School of Public Health of ULB, as well as other faculties, Belgian and European research institutes and diagnostic companies. These clinical experiences have led to a network of collaborators at the national level through the Belgian Hematology Society (www.bhs.be) and a working group “Red Blood Cells Disorders” created at the initiative of LHUB-ULB. One of the successes of this group is the creation of a national registry of sickle cell patients. Guidelines for patient management have been published. In addition, LHUB-ULB is supporting thesis projects with Burkinabe, Malian and Congolese collaborators in order to address the epidemiology of sickle cell disease, to strengthen its diagnostic tools and to find therapies accessible to patients. At the European level, the LHUBULB participates in the coordination of the ERN EuroBloodnet

LHUB-ULB Rue Haute, 322 - 1000 Bruxelles Tel.: +32 (0) 535 20 00 - Fax: +32 (0) 535 20 19 Email: beatrice.gulbis@lhub-ulb.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHOQNcGtCPM 80

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Combining cross-disciplinary expertise to advance research in neurophysiology Interview with Prof. Alban de KERCHOVE d’EXAERDE, Research Director FRS-FNRS at the Laboratory of Neurophysiology of ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre of Brussels (ULB), President of the Belgian Society of Neuroscience (BSN), Vice-President of the Brussels Commission on Animal Experimentation

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ould you please present your research work to us?

My research work focuses on a subcortical region of the brain, the basal ganglia, which play a key role in motor control (locomotion and motor learning, procedural memory in relation, among other things, to skills) and the reward system, but also on associated pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease, with its well-known motor disorders, addictions (result of hijacking of the reward system. This region is also involved in neuropsychiatric diseases such as Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, compulsive obsessional disorders. I’m working with mouse models to better understand the fine neuronal circuitry, and roles of genes involved in these diseases, which would not be possible in humans or primates yet. This requires behavioural studies following gene expression modifications or the activation or inhibition of neuronal populations of basal ganglia through approaches such as optogenetics or in vivo calcium imaging.

Neurone of the indirect pathway of the Basal Ganglia

In 2018 you received the triennial award of the Simone and Pierre Clerdent foundation for your project entitled: “Genetic identification of neural circuits involved in the ADHD syndrome (attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder)”. Could you please tell us more about this?

I was awarded this prize for the development of a preclinical model of attention and hyperactivity disorders in mice. This model relies on triple validity: conceptual validity (a dysfunction located within the same region as observable in humans); face validity (the animal imitates human behaviour in terms of hyperactivity, impulsiveness and attention deficit disorders); and predictive validity (a given molecule has an identical effect in humans and mice). The model enables us to precisely evaluate how the therapies work and understand the neuronal circuits involved in this disorder in order to potentially develop new therapeutic approaches. In addition, very recently, we have published in Biological Psychiatry an article deciphering from molecule to behaviour how an alteration of a gene (mTOR) and its pathway, frequently isolated in ASD patients, in a specific neuronal population are responsible of autistic-like behaviours.

What do you think are the main challenges that researchers must tackle in the field of neurophysiology in the coming years?

Advances in in vivo technology have led to the simultaneous recording of many neurons (electrical activity, imaging etc.), thereby generating a massive amount Behavioral test to evaluate of data to be processed. Today, the reinforcing properties of drugs a laboratory like mine needs to combine transversal expertise in molecular and cellular biology, electrophysiology, behaviour, signal analysis, programming, legal expertise etc. The difficulty lies in recruiting profiles that are increasingly becoming ever broader and deeper in scope. Furthermore, these new in vivo technologies have a very substantial cost, thereby raising the cost of research. It is, however, vital to understand the exact role of a neuron and how it encodes information in a structure as complex as that of a live animal.

Can you tell us more about the work of the Brussels Commission on Animal Experimentation?

The agency is the result of the transposition of the EU directive on animal welfare at regional level. It was set up by Bruxelles Environnement as part of the 6th State Reform under the aegis of the then responsible minister. Belgian experts were recruited to sit on the commission, on which I serve as Vice-President. The commission receives applications for approval of animal facilities for animal experimentation purposes; it must then check whether they meet the legal standards in force. In addition, the commission gives advisory opinions to Bruxelles Environnement; 81

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these opinions also involve the monitoring of animal facilities and experimental practice to ensure the proper management of the experiments. The commission meets once or twice a year at the premises of Bruxelles Environnement and also issues ad hoc opinions, which are provided in electronic format, in response to the individual positions of its members. For example, in an opinion issued to the previous Ministry of Animal Welfare on the possible reduction of animal experimentation, we had to emphasise the fact that the practice remains indispensable in certain pathologies.

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Saving lives by advancing breast cancer research Interview with Pr David CAMERON, Chair of BIG (Breast International Group), University of Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, NHS Lothian only global study to test the addition of pertuzumab to chemotherapy and trastuzumab, and demonstrated for those patients with a higher risk of cancer (as evidenced by its spread to lymph nodes) adding pertuzumab gave an additional benefit since it showed a 28% decrease of the risk of recurrence.

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ould you remind us how BIG started?

The Breast International Group (BIG) was created in 1996

by Prof. Martine Piccart and Prof. Aron Goldhirsch as a not-forprofit organisation dedicated to finding the right treatment for every patient with breast cancer. The not-for-profit became a legal entity in 1999, with its headquarters in Brussels. Today, the BIG network unites over 55 groups and reaches across more than 50 countries and 6 continents, connecting thousands of hospitals and more than 10.000 world-class breast cancer experts. Indeed global collaboration is crucial to make significant advances in breast cancer research. Over 20 years later, more than 60 trials have been run under the BIG umbrella, including several landmark trials that have had a real impact on breast cancer treatments. So far, approximately 95.000 patients have taken part in BIG trials all over the world. What is more BIG has invested over 94% of its income in pioneering breast cancer research.

What treatments did BIG help develop within the last 20 years?

In addition to these studies with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, we carried out numerous studies in order to improve all types of treatments, be it hormone therapy, chemotherapy, bisphosphonates or radiotherapy. Our goal remains to change the way patients are treated for the better.

What do you think are the main challenges in the field of breast cancer research?

We remain committed to better understand the biology of various breast cancers and defining the subgroups where particular drugs work for particular kinds of cancer. In that perspective we collect samples of cancers for translational research. Whilst many of our studies are sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry, some trials and research programmes are sponsored by BIG member Groups or BIG as in the case with AURORA, and in all cases BIG (together with other academic groups) retains an independent control over the data and its analysis. Furthermore BIG carries out a variety of fund-raising campaigns in order to obtain relative financial independence. What is more BIG is working more and more with patients and patient advocacy groups: they have become important partners in recent years and BIG should increase its engagement with them in the years to come.

Could you tell us about the international clinical trials you are supporting?

Let me start with HERA: this study aimed at testing the benefit of the drug Herceptin® (trastuzumab) in treating women with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2- positive primary breast cancer. Each year 2 million people – 1% of which are men - are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide, and you may be aware that HER2-positive breast cancer represents approximately 15-20% of these patients, and is a particularly aggressive form of the disease that previously meant poor survival rates. The first large trial of its kind with 5,102 patients recruited, HERA was designed and coordinated by the Institut Jules Bordet in Brussels together with Frontier Science Scotland and BIG, and enjoyed the financial sponsorship of Roche. It was the biggest, most successful pulling together of data so far, which made it possible to avoid duplication of research. HERA’s results indicated that one year of treatment with trastuzumab, together with other conventional curative treatments such as chemotherapy, had a significant and sustained benefit in preventing cancer recurrence and reduced by 26% the risk of dying. Furthermore two years of the drug was not found to have a significant benefit in comparison to one year of treatment.

AURORA is another important, ongoing research study. Its goal is to understand genetic and molecular changes happening in all types of breast cancer when it is first present as well as when it comes back. According to the first results, cancers do change between their first appearance and their reappearance; yet the meaning of these changes and their implications for treatment remain to be clarified.

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I would also like to mention APHINITY, which focused on further improvements in the chances of cure for patients with HER2 positive primary breast cancer. Building on the results of HERA (and some other similar trials elsewhere in the world) it was the

Workshop about progress in breast cancer research with Her Majesty the Queen of the Belgians on BIG’s 20th anniversary

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The Institute Jules Bordet, a comprehensive cancer center with a research program devoted to solid tumors and hematological malignancies Interview with Prof. Martine PICCART, Research Director of the Institute Jules Bordet on a PET-scan of tumor sites likely to be reached by the antibody-drug conjugate. The resulting “map” can reveal significant heterogeneity between metastases as far as uptake of the labelled antibody which has been shown to compromise the chances of success of the new molecule in up to 1/3 of patients.

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hat are the key figures in relation with breast cancer (BC) research at Institut Jules Bordet (IJB)?

The IJB is a comprehensive cancer center with a research program across a wide variety of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Breast Cancer (BC) represents its most dynamic field of research with one laboratory fully dedicated to a better understanding of BC biology, a team of research nurses and data managers in charge of many national/international clinical BC trials, and a Clinical Trials Supporting Unit (CTSU) able to initiate, conduct and analyze clinical trials centered on patients’ critical needs. Close to half of the CTSU clinical trials (18/33) are BC trials, and CTSU has been the “data center” for some of the BIG famous pivotal adjuvant trials. In addition, the IJB welcomes each year 3 to 4 oncologists from different regions of the world, who spend 2-3 years at IJB conducting clinical and translational research in BC.

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IJB oncologists have designed the BIG “AURORA program” and included more than 177 Belgian patients (close to 1/5 of all included patients so far!). This ambitious program, supported by the Breast Cancer Research Fundation in the US, relies on the most advanced technologies to dissect the molecular evolution of metastatic BC with the hope to better understand and counteract its lethal evolution.

IJB also wants to contribute to research aimed at rendering BC more “immunogenic”: pre-operative trials allow for the exploration of stereotactic radiotherapy on the primary tumor in combination with new drugs able to activate the immune system… and their results are obtained within 6-9 months since the therapy will make an impact that can be measured at the time of surgery.

Such a preoperative trial, designed by IJB and ongoing in Belgium/France (NEOCHECKRAY), focusses on the most aggressive hormone receptor positive breast tumors which are characterized by late relapses in spite of initial treatment with surgery/ postoperative radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.

It explores, in combination with standard preoperative chemotherapy, 3 immune-enhancing strategies: stereotactic radiotherapy alone or given with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), a drug that relieves the brake exerted by tumor cells on immune cells, or with the combination of this ICI and a new compound able to reduce anti-immune signals in the tumor microenvironment.

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What is the current BC research agenda at IJB? Like many other cancer centers/departments IJB contributes to pharmaceutical industry trials which investigate new promising anticancer drugs. Among those, antibody-drug conjugates generate much excitement at IJB: they link a potent cytotoxic agent to an antibody able to direct this “poison” to the tumor cells and to spare healthy cells to a great extent (since they do not recognize the antibody). These “Troye horses” have already generated impressive results in HER2 positive and triple negative BC. Efforts at understanding better which patients might derive the greatest benefits from these compounds are ongoing thanks to a close collaboration between the departments of medical oncology and nuclear medicine: indeed the antibody, labelled with an isotope, can be injected into the patient, allowing visualization

Prof. Piccart with the CTSU team (former BREAST)

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What are according to you the main future challenges in BC research?

Beyond the challenge of making this tumor detectable by the immune system, other challenges include the development and implementation of improved personalized screening approaches (see the EU supported research program “my PEBS” for “My Personal Breast Screening” with 85.000 European volunteers), an improved understanding of mechanisms of “resistance” to our current anticancer therapies, as well as of “tumor dormancy”, the robust development and validation of “biomarkers” that improve treatment tailoring and the financial means to devote more attention to survivorship issues.

Understanding the Nucleolus and Ribosomes at the service of biomedical innovation Interview with Pr Denis LAFONTAINE, Research Director at F.R.S./FNRS, RNA Molecular Biology laboratory & Lafontaine Lab, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)

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hat are the key figures and area of expertise of your laboratory?

Created in 2001 at the ULB, my laboratory employs a dozen people and carries out several dozen research projects. It has to its credit ~80 scientific publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals accounting for >7,000 citations (h-index 41) as well as the training of some forty researchers of 15 nationalities. The area of expertise of my laboratory is RNA biology. Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) play fundamental roles in our cells, being part of essential nanomachines, they are also among the most ancient molecules dating from the prebiotic world.

What research partnerships have you developed?

The laboratory is a member of several European academic consortia including RiboEurope, funded by the European Commission within the framework of the EJP RD (European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases).

It also offers its expertise in the form of services or scientific collaborations to Belgian companies (GSK, Progenus, OncoDNA…).

Could you tell us about your spin-off project?

Our spin-off project is based on the filing of a patent focused on the morphology of the nucleolus. The size, the shape, and the number of nucleoli per cell vary greatly in disease making them potent biomarkers for diagnostic or prognostic purposes, in particular for cancers, blood and brain diseases. The main market segment interested by our technology is Digital Pathology: a biopsy is taken from a patient and the nucleolus is observed under the microscope to find out whether it is normal or not, whether it reflects a disease state and at what level of severity the disease is. We have partnered with Prof. De Vleeschouwer at UCL (Université Catholique de Louvain) to develop a powerful software to analyze quantitatively the structure of the nucleolus. We have benefited from two funds from the Walloon Region (a FIRST Spin-off and a PoC - proof of concept) and are currently organizing a first fund raising with the help of Biopark Dev., Theodorus and SambreInvest. The company should be created in 2021.

Could you tell us about your main areas of research and give us some examples of current research projects?

My team is interested to understand how ribosomes, the nanomachines inside our cells that produce all our proteins, are made and how the structure of the nucleolus (the cell’s ribosome factory) is organized and maintained. We are studying the diseases associated with the poor assembly of ribosomes. If ribosomes are in excess, they cause cancers because the excess protein stimulates the proliferation of cancerous cells. If they are in deficit or defective, they induce ribosome-related pathologies, the so-called ribosomopathies, affecting primarily the blood (haematopoiesis) and the brain (brain malformation, neurodegenerative diseases).

As an example, we are studying Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a genetic disease that affects the production of red blood cells and makes patients dependent on weekly blood transfusions. In a collaborative effort, the study of the mutations underlying this pathology has enabled us to develop and test therapeutic vectors based on gene correction to restore normal ribosome production.

We have also been involved in characterizing the impact of ribosome biogenesis dysfunction on leukoencephalopathy with calcification and cysts, a terrible brain disease and we hope our findings will soon translate into biomedical applications.

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What do you see as the main challenges ahead for molecular and cell biology research?

The main challenge for us will be to integrate the concepts of soft matter and biophysics in biology. There is an urgent need to decompartmentalize research. In the September 2020 issue of Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, we have developed the view that the nucleolus is a multiphase liquid condensate.

Put simply, the nucleolus behaves like a liquid droplet inside our cells sharing many of the biophysical properties of immiscible liquids like “when oil and vinegar are mixed”. In fact, each cell comprises many such compartments or “droplets” that do not mix. The biophysics underlying the behavior of immiscible liquids will therefore be essential to understand how cells are organized and functionally compartmentalized.

a, The nucleolus (the ribosome cell’ factory) in a healthy (left) and diseased (right) cell (size range microns); b, The ribosome is the nanomachine inside our cells responsible for producing all our proteins (size range nanometers).

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For more information: - Lab website www.LafontaineLab.Com; - Lab Twitter: @LafontaineLab - Denis L.J. Lafontaine, Joshua A. Riback, Rümeyza Bascetin, Clifford P. Brangwynne (2020) “The nucleolus as a multiphase liquid condensate” Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology DOI: 10.1038/s41580-020-0272-6.

Research at Vrije Universiteit Brussel – VUB Connecting university, business and society The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) provides top-level fundamental, strategic and applied research with an international reputation. Together with VUB Foundation - the philanthropic fundraising team - and Crosstalks the interdisciplinary networking platform - VUB TechTransfer forms the Vice Rectorate for Innovation & Valorisation, headed by Prof. Dr. Ir. Hugo Thienpont. Every day they strive to connect science and society.

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re you a VUB researcher and would you like to come forward with a groundbreaking invention? Are you a company looking for specific VUB expertise? You will be guided in matching common needs and supported with the necessary expertise in every phase of the complex ‘valorisation’ or cooperation process.

Zebra Academy: Speed & Competence through next generation telemedicine Zebra Academy streamlines urgent patient care by integrating pre-hospital and in-hospital procedures. By bringing the medical expert virtually in the ambulance, we believe it is possible to win those minutes that will make the difference in outcome for patients while the ambulance staff cares for them. Critical data can already be gathered & shared with the hospital staff through the Zebra Web Platform in order to be ready for the arrival of the patient. To maximise the chances of good outcome for stroke patients it is recognized that speed & competence are crucial in order to give the right treatment to the patient within the right timeframe.

Research concludes that efficient patient triage and effective pre-hospital procedures lead to a more positive outcome for patients.

VUB Tech Transfer VUB TechTransfer facilitates the implementation of the knowledge and technology produced at VUB into industry and society. Its multidisciplinary team supports the process leading from scientific discovery and exploration of new knowledge up to invention and development. Researchers, companies and non-profit organisations can contact VUB TechTransfer for any universityindustry-society interaction. They will find answers to their questions on applied and strategic contract research, patent portfolio and licensing of technologies, financing opportunities in case of collaboration, consultancy and testing facilities, incubation and infrastructure, and VUB spin-off portfolio. https://vubtechtransfer.be/

The PreSSUB Technology (“Prehospital TeleStroke Study at the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel”) has been developed by the “Center for Neurosciences” of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and UZ Brussel, also in collaboration with the VUB-department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO) to improve outcome for stroke patients by redesigning acute stroke care using a wireless telemedicine platform.

VUB Crosstalks Since 2003, VUB Crosstalks creates a dynamic knowledge exchange through thematic and transdisciplinary encounters. Since 2005 Crosstalks has been organizing open and constructive dialogues on health and future-oriented health care. With the fifth project, 'Shake the Disease' (2018-2021), Crosstalks explores the ethical and social impact of the rapid digital and radical changes in health care, focusing on 3 themes: perils & potentials of connected medical data & devices; robotization, AI and VR & the transformation of patient care; genomics and eternal life?

Enhancing or healing? ‘Shake the Disease’ links state-of-the-art scientific research, visionary case studies and arts & design projects to generate new insights and take it from there. https://crosstalks.vub.ac.be/

http://www.zebra-telemedicine.com/

VUB Foundation

© VUB

The VUB Foundation raises philanthropic funds from companies, organisations, institutions and individuals. It does so within the framework of the TechTransfer service of the Vice Rectorate for Innovation and Valorisation. In this way, the VUB Foundation fulfils its role as coordinator of all fundraising for the VUB under the supervision of the Innovation and Valorisation Council. Since 1969, the VUB has contributed to knowledge, innovation, technology, education and research. Thanks to the VUB Foundation it will definitely continue to play that role! https://www.vub.be/foundation#vub-foundation

2016: exclusive worldwide license from VUB/UZ Brussel for the patented PreSSUB Technology (see boxed text)

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UZ Brussel

The UZ Brussel is a university hospital with almost 4,000 employees. With 721 hospital beds, the hospital has more than 30,000 admissions per year, almost as many day admissions, 360,000 consultations, and this for patients from Belgium and abroad.

© UZ Brussel

© UZ Brussel

A fully-fledged partner in the (university) hospital landscape in Flanders, in Brussels and in the world

Research The UZ Brussel and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), which are linked to each other, are together a typical ‘research institution’.

After all, in addition to care and education, research is an essential task of a university hospital. Scientific research guarantees the positive evolution of medicine for the benefit of the patient. For the VUB and the UZ Brussel, scientific research is directly linked to scientific ethics and integrity. In this context, they subscribe to several charters. The research at the UZ Brussel and the VUB is free, based on the right of initiative and on independent and critical thinking. It always focuses on people.

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he UZ Brussel offers complete medical care, consisting of various specialisms. Moreover, this is inextricably linked to its training function at a university hospital. A medical training can only be organised if the hospital has the full range of clinical care on offer. Another important focus is scientific research.

An important part of the clinical research carried out at the UZ Brussel are the clinical trials that are intended to be carried out to determine or confirm the clinical, pharmacological and/or other pharmacodynamic effects of one or more investigational medicinal products, and/or to report any adverse reaction(s) to one or more investigational medicinal product(s), and/or to study the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of one or more investigational medicinal product(s). All this in order to establish the safety and/or efficacy of these medicinal products.

Examples of clinical trials carried out by the UZ Brussel include “Cerebral effect of paracetamol measured by f-MRI”, “Histological and Transcriptional Changes caused by Endometrial Flushing with Lipiodol: A Cross Over Study”, “N-acetylcysteine for the treatment of cannabis dependence: working mechanisms”, “Evaluation of 68GaNOTA-Anti-HER2 VHH1 uptake in brain metastasis of breast carcinoma patients”, and “Initiation of ovarian stimulation with recombinant-human FSH (Bemfola®) in the late follicular phase, a randomised controlled study”.

Since its foundation in 1977, the UZ Brussel has grown into a fully-fledged partner in the (university) hospital landscape in Flanders, in Brussels and in the world.

Expertise In addition to classic primary care, the UZ Brussel has developed its own areas of expertise. The most well-known ones are represented by 7 centres of excellence: the Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases (CHVZ), the Medical Imaging Centre, the Centre for Reproductive Medicine (CRG), the Medical Genetics Centre, the Diabetes clinic, the Children's Hospital: KidZ Health Castle, and the Oncological centre. In addition to these centres of excellence, the UZ Brussel has many other areas of expertise and acts as a multi-disciplinary third and fourth-line reference centre. Its domains of expertise include skin diseases, paediatrics, neurology and surgery, oral, maxillofacial and facial surgery, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, and urgent medicine. On top of that the UZ Brussel has set up multi-disciplinary third and fourth line reference centres: the Aortic clinic, the Breast clinic, the Constipation clinic, the Lymphedema clinic, the Centre for Rare Diseases, the Memory clinic, the Mucoviscidosis clinic, the Multiple miscarriage clinic, the Obesity clinic, the Oncofertility Clinic, the Pain clinic, the Travel clinic, and the Spine clinic.

Tomorrow's care I We build for you By mid-2027, the UZ Brussel will undergo a real metamorphosis.

The hospital is creating a care environment that fits in with its vision of the future. The realisation of the entire Medical Technical Block is planned for 2027. At that time, the new surgical day hospital will also be ready. These are great news for the future patients of the UZ Brussel! www.uzbrussel.be 86

Universities and university hospitals offer guarantees to external partners in terms of techniques, knowledge and expertise Interview with Mrs Dominique VAN OPHEM, Administrative Director of the Clinical Trial Center (Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc)

monitoring and closure of studies (performance indicators). The CTC also promotes quality assurance of clinical research projects, including AAHRPP accreditation (Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs), harmonisation of training, setting up of an internal audit unit and the implementation and monitoring of quality procedures within the institution. Internally, the CTC has close links with the biobank of the CUSLs, whose objectives are to make human body material from the CUSLs available to internal and external researchers in compliance with the rules issued by the ethics committee and the legislation in force.

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© CTC - CUSLs

hat are the key figures for the Clinical Trial Center (CTC) and clinical research at Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (CUSLs)?

In 2019, via the CTC, the CUSLs carried out 568 study submissions to the Saint-Luc UCLouvain Hospital-Faculty Ethics Committee, 35% of which concern academic research. 654 prospective studies (51% academic and 49% commercial) are underway, 51% of which are medicinal.

Drug trials carried out at the CUSL represent 28% of the clinical trials registered annually at the FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products). The drug trials carried out at the CUSLs cover phases 1 to 4. In 2019, 1035 patients were recruited in commercial studies. In addition, clinical research employs 100 FTEs and the CUSLs work in collaboration with UCLouvain by supporting translational research “from bench to bedside”.

Could you give us some examples of clinical studies in progress in relation to the pharmaceutical industry?

In adult and paediatric onco-haematology, the CUSLs frequently conducts early phase (phase 1- first in man) studies on all solid and haematopoietic tumours. In neurology, its studies focus on strokes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases as well as multiple sclerosis. The CUSLs is also active in adult and paediatric hepatogastroenterology with a focus on liver disease and Crohn's disease. It is also interested in rheumatology (lupus, polyarthritis), cardiology (rhythm disorders, high blood pressure, heart failure), dermatology (dermatitis, psoriasis), pneumology (asthma, fibrosis, apnea) but also infectious pathologies (HIV, bacterial and viral infections).

© CTC - CUSLs

Could you tell us about the CTC’s mission?

The mission of the CTC, composed of 12.3 FTEs, is to professionalise clinical research in the institution and to cover all aspects relating to commercial and academic research both economically and organisationally. The CTC ensures the implementation and monitoring of all clinical research projects, from the preparation of technical-regulatory dossiers, the supervision and approval of contracts, the issuing of project start-up authorisations to the

The building of the Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc

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What do you see as the next challenges for post-COVID-19 clinical research?

I see two main ones. The first is the integration of intensive digitalisation of clinical research in compliance with the legislation in force. This concerns contacts with the pharmaceutical industry (remote monitoring, electronic signature of contracts, Investigator Site File type electronic files, artificial intelligence, etc.) and with patients (electronic consent, data collection via applications or electronic devices, remote visits) with a triple challenge: ensuring respect for privacy, enabling the development of research without dehumanising the patient/doctor relationship and respecting the respective roles of industry and research centres. The second challenge is to maintain the attractiveness of Belgian clinical research centres by continuing to highlight the quality of the research carried out in our hospitals and the expertise of our researchers. This implies speeding up the start-up of trials by standardising practices with the support of the authorities and the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately, the future relies on close links between universities and university hospitals that offer guarantees to external partners in terms of techniques, knowledge and expertise.

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strategies are comparatively applied to samples razilian of origin, Teresinha Leal defended collected from healthy subjects and from patients a PhD thesis in 1989 at the UCLouvain Uniwith CF. versity in cell physiology of transepithelial ion transport under the supervision of Prof. Jean The Bubble test project is conducted in collaboCrabbé. Two years after her involvement in Cliration with the CF centre of KULeuven, the dutchnical Biology at Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, speaking sister university of UCLouvain, and it she published a paper in Clinical Chemistry on benefits from the scientific advice of Prof. Jeffrey Pharmonitor, an aminoglycoside dosage modelling Wine from the University of Stanford, California, database software developed to ensure data US. During the test, sweat secretion, a watery traceability and to improve data archiving quality. solution, is imaged as droplets of sweat, “bubbles”, She then devoted herself to the sweat test, the formed at the surface of the skin underneath a cornerstone of CF diagnosis: she redefined the layer of oil using a camera with a macro lens test’s quality criteria and gave it a scientific dimencoupled to a computer. The originally described sion for data interpretation and criteria of test test includes multiple intradermal injections to standardization. She developed the nasal potenTeresinha Leal stimulate cholinergic (phase C) or ȋ-adrenergic tial difference, a new diagnostic test for which she (phase B) sweat secretion. The ratio of sweat has become a worldwide reference in patients as secretion rates obtained during B/C phases, its most sensitive in mice. Recognised as a qualified operator of both tests by the parameter, is almost null in CF. During the CFTR-dependent American CF Foundation and/or by the European CF Society, ȋ-adrenergic B phase, bubbles from patients with CF are reduced she has enabled the CF Reference Centre of Cliniques Universiin number and they do not grow over time in contrast to healthy taires St-Luc to participate in sponsored international clinical controls. A major advantage of the test is that it is able to better trials (Actelion, PTC, Vertex) in the search for a curative treatment define diagnosis, prognosis and efficacy of CFTR-directed therafor the disease. She has created her own research laboratory pies. However, it requires labor-intensive, operator-dependent with a multidisciplinary team and built an inter-university network, multistep image analysis, a severe limitation on its spreading giving her research a wide international visibility. Recognised among CF centers. The main goal of the bubble test project is to by the Belgian Research Foundation FNRS (clinical researcher develop a non-invasive needleless version of the test consisting in 2010-12), she has published around one hundred research artidelivering the multiple drugs required for sweat stimulation by cles in the best international journals of clinical and experimental iontophoresis or by electroosmosis, a variant of iontophoresis, pneumology. instead of intradermal injections. Moreover, the project aims at evaluating the efficacy of the automated analysis of serial bubble The MucoSweatOmics project, funded by the FNRS, is conducted images recorded during the test. In collaboration with an IT spein collaboration with Dr. Gabriel Mazzucchelli from the Laboracialist of the University of Goettingen, the AutoBuSTeD software tory of Mass Spectrometry of the University of Liège. In this has been developed to circumvent the limitations of the manual study, multi-(proteo, peptido and metabolo)-omic analyses of image analysis. sweat and sweat glands are characterized and their dynamic functional interactomes are drawn. Moreover, after MALDI imaging Both projects are in the prospect of personalized medicine (over mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) and profiling, laser microdis2,000 CFTR putative mutations identified) with the hope to offer section is carried out in the different portions of the sweat gland an individual-based treatment to each patient with CF. obtained from punch biopsy of the skin of a forearm. The OMICS

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Over the past twenty years, the group of Teresinha Leal (Louvain Centre for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology LTAP) has been working on Cystic Fibrosis (CF), the most common lethal genetic disease in Caucasian populations affecting multiple organs and systems. The group is currently involved in two clinical projects aiming at identifying new non-invasive biomarkers of CF Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) in sweat and in eccrine sweat glands to allow evaluating the efficacy of novel CFTR-directed strategies.

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Teresinha Leal’s research on the identification of biomarkers in the sweat gland to evaluate the efficacy of treatments of Cystic Fibrosis

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Louvain Centre for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology Avenue E. Mounier 53 - 1200 Brussels - Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)2 764 94 73 - E-mail: teresinha.leal@uclouvain.be - https://uclouvain.be/fr/instituts-recherche/irec/ltap 89

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A widely recognized expertise in interdisciplinarity Interview with Prof. Pierre JADOUL, Rector of Université Saint-Louis - Bruxelles (USL-B) Our research centres also develop international cooperation programs with a great number of European universities. This is the case, for example, of our European Studies Institute, which was selected in 2019 by the European Commission to launch a second Jean Monnet module.

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hat are the key numbers and areas of excellence in the field of research at Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles?

The Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles (USL-B) excels in social sciences and humanities: law, political and social sciences, economics and business administration, philosophy, history, literature, translation and European studies. But far from having succumbed to compartmentalization, which at times may lead to differences in methodology and subjects between the various disciplines, USL-B has acquired a widely recognized expertise in interdisciplinary practice, even in research, the originality of which makes its excellence. Whilst research contributes to opening new fields of knowledge, the interdisciplinary methods remain among the most efficient ones, due to their intrinsic creativity.

The University also obtained a 300 000 € grant for an Erasmus+ Partenariat Stratégique (Strategic Partnership) project, for a 2-year duration: “Arriver en Europe, partir d’Europe : trajectoires turques et marocaines” (Arriving in Europe, leaving Europe: Turkish and Moroccan trajectories).

How do you value the research work coming from USL-B? Our university has developed the valorisation of its research with the support of the Walloon (DGO6) and Brussels (Innoviris) Regions. Our Knowledge Transfer Office (KTO) ensures the link between research at the university, and in the non-academic world.

Its task consists in taking care of the diffusion, the mobilisation and the knowledge transfer to society, and in creating collaborations and exchanges between society and the university. We are also an integrated member of the LIEU network, which gathers the KTOs from Universities within the FWB.

The following key numbers translate the FNRS’ recognition of our fundamental research. Over the last 5 years, an average of 39% of our FNRS applications were successful, putting us regularly ahead of the global figures of the FWB (Fédération WallonieBruxelles - Wallonia-Brussels Federation). We are equally proud of our average 36% admission rate to the Humanities Research Fund (Fonds pour la Recherche en Sciences humaines – FRESH) launched 8 years ago, which is an essential tool in our field of disciplines.

Although this type of research valorisation represents a quite recent development, let us stress that, for a long time now, some of our research centres have shown a keen interest in regional integration, particularly with regards to very advanced research on Brussels. Our Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Brussels (IRIB) gathers these centres and hosts centres from other universities. We play a leading role in the Brussels Studies Institute (an interuniversity research platform on Brussels) and in the online magazine “Brussels Studies”. Thanks to our expertise, acquired through our research work on Brussels (particularly with regards to mobility issues), we have obtained many regional-funded research projects.

Could you cite a few examples of the current research programs at Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles?

Like the other universities of FWB, USL-B benefits from special research funds and manages to finance a great number of doctoral research fields. We simultaneously work on different interuniversity research projects (Action de Recherche Concertée - Concerted Research Action - or ARC).

The University obtained three BELSPO-BRAIN projects (Belgian Research Action through Interdisciplinary Networks Phase 2) in 2020: HOME (Human Remains Origin(s) Multidisciplinary Evaluation), BABEL (Basic Income in Belgium: stress-testing basic income in the digital era) and BBOX (OCMW/CPAS & new migrants/ refugees: opening the black box of policy in practice).

We are also very happy to have been granted three “PDR” from FNRS, which provide funds for projects of excellence, for a 4-year duration: “Transition & Récits judiciaires de l'UE” - Transition & EU Judicial Stories, “Genre et prison” - Gender and prison (co-directed with UCLouvain) and “Littérature et cartographie” Literature and cartography.

© USL-B

What research partnerships have you developed at a European level?

A Marie-Skłodowska Curie grant was also recently obtained for a project called “Nation – Power – Subjectivity: The Making of National Subjects in Late Medieval Bohemia and Brabant (1300-1450)”, for an amount of 166 320 € and a duration of 24 months.

St. Louis - Brussels University has fifteen research centers covering all the humanities field. A network and two institutes provide the interface between research centers: the Interdisciplinarity and Society Network (RIS), the Institute forInterdisciplinary Research on Brussels (IRIB) and the Institute for European Studies.

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PP-MG-BE-0049 – May 2020 - ELB – Markiesstraat 1/4B Rue du Marquis, 1000 Brussels

To all healthcare professionals and caregivers, THANK YOU. Lilly’s purpose - to create medicines that make life better has never been more important. We are bringing the full force of our scientific and medical expertise to attack the covid-19 pandemic around the world. As we stay apart, pharmaceutical companies are combining efforts to fight against COVID-19. #WeWontRest until a solution is found.

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50 year of Innovative healthcare in the heart of Brussels

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s a healthcare company with an international dimension serving patients and healthcare professionals, Lilly has been present in Belgium since 1969. The company employs around 150 people in two subsidiaries, Eli Lilly Benelux SA, the human health division located in Brussels, and Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA (ELECTS), the clinical trials division located in Mont-Saint-Guibert (Walloon Brabant).

ELECTS is focused on importing and exporting to Europe and outsourcing the packaging and distribution of drugs for clinical trials (IMP-Investigational Medicinal Products).

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Lilly Benelux is also part of the Pharma.be association, the Belgian General Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry, which brings together more than 130 innovative pharmaceutical companies based in Belgium and aims to provide patients with the fastest possible access to the most recent treatments from R & D.

Aiming to accomplish their mission for improving people's lives by developing treatments that meet those needs that are not yet fulfilled, Eli Lilly reinvests 21,6% of its sales into R&D. “Our company’s vision is to improve global health in the 21st century, which is why 7.500 of our employees work in our R&D sector”, Frédéric Clais, Country Manager for Belgium explains. “Investing in people and their development is key for success”, he says.

Belgium plays also an important role in the development of new medication. The company is collaborating with multiple hospitals and institutions. Last year, nearly 1.000 patients were included in these clinical trials. “Belgium wants to maintain its leadership position in the implementation of Clinical Trials. Together with the Minister of Health, we are striving to keep this competitive advantage and maintain Belgium as a leading country in clinical investigation. We do have a very open attitude for cooperation.

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© Eli Lilly Benelux

The activities of the division located in Brussels contains three main areas: the medical department, the sales department and the support departments. Through the medical department, which deals with the management of clinical studies, Lilly contributes greatly to the development of our new innovative medicines through intense collaboration with a vast network of academic and clinical researchers.

Innovation at the heart of our mission

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© Eli Lilly Benelux

Eli Lilly Benelux, part of Eli Lilly and Company, is a world-wide biopharmaceutical company specializing in innovative research of new biological and pharmaceutical compounds. As one of the world leaders in the health sector with 33.000 employees on global level, Eli Lilly focuses on five specific therapeutic domains: oncology, metabolic diseases (diabetes), immunology (including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Psoriasis), pain (including migraine) and neurodegeneration.

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We are looking for instance to welcome new partners with expertise in digitalization, since this is becoming an increasing opportunity in health care”, the Country Manager points out.

Eli Lilly Benelux Be_Brussels_Reception@lists.lilly.com Rue Marquis, 1-B - 1000 Brussels Tel.: +32 (0)2 548 84 84 http://www.lilly.be

PP-MG-BE-0054-Janvier 2021

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To reinforce its position, Taradon Laboratory has defined as priority targets baby food (Lait Nacre), oral care products, food preservation, and pharmaceutical properties (antiviral activities of lactoferrin and ions produced by lactoperoxidase). A marketing strategy promised to success!

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Taradon Laboratory has partnered with the French pharmaceutical company Alaxia for the development of a lactoferrin-OSCN-ions complex (hypothiocyanites) produced by lactoperoxidase to fight against pulmonary infections in people with cystic fibrosis. Based on these results it developed and patented a new lactoferrin-I2 (SCN)-complex (iodine-thiocyanate) produced by lactoperoxidase which is very reactive against viruses such as H1N1 and SARSCoV-2. This should enable the development of an oral spray and a nasal spray to prevent the spread of viruses.

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Dr Perraudin developed a very specific technology for the extraction of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase and opened three successful production units in collaboration with Synfina-oléofina, Sud-lait, Domo Food Ingredients and Belgomilk. Moreover, he developed and patented a new production technology to obtain lactoferrin with an optimal biological activity and no side effect. A secondgeneration Lactoferrin or Lactoferrin-NFQ (Lactoferrin Novel Food Quality) is under development and by 2021 the first purification unit of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase will open its doors on Taradon Laboratory’s production site, in Ghislenghein, with the collaboration of the Ideta Group, WapInvest and other financial partners. Second-generation lactoferrin will give Taradon Laboratory a technological advantage over its competitors worldwide.

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Taradon Laboratory created its own baby food (Lait Nacre) containing lactoferrin: distributed in China and South-East Asia, it avoids premature and newborn babies to suffer from late-onset sepsis. In 2010 Taradon Laboratory launched in India “Laktrum”, a food supplement for babies which allows to cope with the Failure To Thrive (FTT). For its part, the Anoxident range of mouthcare products contain a patented, bio-mimetic complex to help correct imbalances which could increase free radicals and cause unwanted plaque build-up.

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Dr Jean-Paul Perraudin, managing director of Taradon Laboratory

Meanwhile Taradon Laboratory collaborates with the Centre d’Economie Rurale (in Marloie) which collects the colostrum in order to preserve the activity of the biological molecules it contains. Dr Perraudin has developed a technology to extract immunoglobulins and growth factors with a two-fold objective: to improve human and animal health in a preventive way and to replace toxic synthetic molecules used for food preservation by molecules of natural origin.

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ince the years 70’, Dr Perraudin has devoted his research activities to understand the biological significance of molecules contained in secretion liquids for human and animal health protection. The most important molecules in that respect are lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, immunoglobulins, growth factors, superoxide dismutase, oligoelements, vitamins and others. In order to market his scientific research Dr Perraudin chose cow’s milk after demonstrating its molecules worked similarly to those extracted from human milk, while being usable to protect human and animal health.

Dr Perraudin then carried out a scientific study of these molecules for formulation, production and marketing purposes.

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Created in 2008 and led by Dr Jean-Paul Perraudin, a worldwide leader in the lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase domain, Taradon Laboratory specialises in researching and applying the health-promoting properties of naturallyderived milk and plant molecules which are biologically equivalent to those present in human secretion liquids.

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A pioneer of lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase production for health and food applications

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Taradon Laboratory Avenue Léon Champagne 2 - 1480 Tubize Tel.: +32 (0)495 51 90 64 Email: jp.perraudin@taradon-laboratory.com http://www.taradon-laboratory.com/

Structure of lactoferrin : on the left side, iron binding protein as it is extracted from milk. The molecule can bind 2 atoms of iron. The molecule is composed of two lobes. In the middle when lactoferrin is free of iron (Apo-lactoferrin) and in the right side when lactoferrin is saturated (Holo-lactoferrin)

Support patients to achieve a new lifestyle As a start-up created in June 2018, Syndo offers chronic cardiac patients the needed support to gain full control over their pathology. This is done by educating the patient, by giving the patient and the doctor visibility on the evolution of the most important health parameters and by helping patients to adapt their lifestyle step by step.

This enables behavior change, reduces anxiety and promotes self-care.

Why Syndo?

Patients that are overweight, have high blood pressure, suffer from heart failure, or that are recovering from a heart attack often do not know how to adjust their lifestyle to their new health situation. Lifestyle, however, has a tremendous impact on one’s health.

During a consultation, a patient receives a lot of expert advice.

However, putting that advice into practice is not always that easy. Unfortunately, time and resources are often lacking for a close follow-up of each patient (adherence, diet, exercise, etc.).

Because many patients struggle to adjust their lifestyles, fail to follow their treatment or recognize (too late) important symptoms of their pathology, a large number of them are often re-hospitalized quickly.

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Syndo Health

Doctor Can Consult A patient’s treating doctor and/or cardiologist have direct access to the patient’s data via a secure dashboard; Easy integration with doctors’ existing data systems.

Free application - Scientific background about the condition and medication; - Reminds the patient of the prescribed medical treatment; - Health parameters are accurately followed-up digitally; - Daily tips, recommended by a cardiologist.

What are the advantages of Syndo?

For the physician: - The patient continues to learn at home and adheres better to his prescribed treatment.

- The Syndo coach works with the patient on his lifestyle and thus avoids (re)hospitalizations.

- Based on tracked data, the physician gains more insight into the impact of the treatment.

- It is a first step towards a more digital healthcare system with changing reimbursement.

Professional Coaching - The Syndo coaches are certified nurses; - Experts in guiding people towards a healthy lifestyle; - Weekly counseling sessions by telephone.

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The Syndo program provides additional support for patients through an app and personal guidance delivered remotely by a certified nurse.

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For the patient: - Anxiety and stress are reduced because of reassurance through constant follow-up.

- The patient learns how to recognize symptoms and how to deal with them.

- The patient is guided in carefully adhering to the prescribed treatment and medication.

- A personal coach provides support for the necessary behavioural change.

- Improved quality of life and increased patient satisfaction.

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How does Syndo work?

Ingenious in its simplicity: the combination of a personal coach, the Syndo app and the Syndo PRO dashboard.

A patient has received treatment for a heart problem: something like that can completely turn their life upside down. A lot

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Recognized by the Federal Government The Syndo program is recognized by the federal government (mHealthBelgium). Our dashboard and application all have the CE marking for medical devices.

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One of our representatives will be happy to provide a more detailed explanation and a demonstration about how we can help physicians guide and support their patients even better!

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Interested?

Contact Syndo via info@syndo.be or via the contact form on the website: https://syndohealth.com/info-for-physicians/

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From January 2020 a reimbursement of €20 is already made possible by Partenamut and Partena Ziekenfonds, two mutualities in Belgium. And as from January 2021, Syndo will be covered by the complementary insurance of Partenamut.

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Reimbursement The Syndo program is currently demonstrating its socio-economic added value in the mHealth validation pyramid (M3 criteria) in order to be eligible for reimbursement by the government.

That is why we need as many patients as possible who want to participate in the program.

First the physician gives the recommendation by introducing Syndo to his patient. Then a nurse can provide further explanation at the patient’s request. The Syndo coach registers: the patient contacts Syndo and receives the necessary explanation. After signing the contract (online or on paper), Syndo registers the patient in the Syndo system and then the programme starts. The physician and the medical team get access to the online dashboard that allows the patient to be followed at home. The patient gets reminders to take his/her medication correctly and to carry out measurements. The Syndo app sends handy daily tips: dietary requirements, stress reducers and physical exercises, symptom recognition, etc. Last but not least, the chat button ensures the Syndo coach is always available to answer questions.

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of relevant information was provided at the hospital, but there are probably many questions still to be asked. With Syndo, the patient regains control and is able to adjust his/her lifestyle.

Re-admission becomes less likely, and the patient can enjoy life again. In addition, his/her doctor will receive an up-to-date overview of the patient’s situation.

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v The coach: personal counselling in behavioural change Every patient receives a personal Syndo coach. These are nurses with a wealth of experience in coaching counselling. They focus on the behaviour of the patient and how they can make adjustments if necessary.

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What is more, Syndo offers each patient a free trial period to get them started on the road to a healthier lifestyle: - 1 month free access to the application, follow-up and weekly telephone sessions; - A personal report with insights into how a patient’s lifestyle affects his/her condition.

Patient-centred innovation One of the oldest pharmaceutical companies with nearly 240 years of existence, Takeda has grown internationally while maintaining its values of integrity, respect and patient focus. With a presence in 80 countries and over 50,000 employees worldwide, it is in the top 10 of pharmaceutical companies. In Belgium, the company is a top10 employer in the sector, with a factory in Lessines and commercial and administrative headquarters based in Zaventem. which affects approximately 300 people in Belgium, and we hope to introduce this year another treatment to change the course of the disease and thus strongly contribute to a higher quality of life for these patients.”

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Takeda Belgium

Laurent Henaux, General Manager at Takeda Belgium

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A major innovative employer

Geoffrey Pot, Head of Lessines production site

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Takeda is always looking for new and innovative solutions for patients. Currently, the company is running 40 new product projects, which are in various stages of development. Here, Belgium plays a leading role with 20 clinical studies in various hospitals. In the field of research, Takeda has entered into more than 100 partnerships worldwide with scientific teams, start-ups, university laboratories and biotechnology companies that adopt innovative approaches, particularly in cell and gene therapy. In 2020, Takeda co-founded the CoVig-19 Plasma Alliance, an unprecedented partnership of the world’s leading plasma companies, spanning plasma collection, development, production, and distribution in the fight against COVID-19.

“Over 1,100 employees work 24/7 in this centre of excellence, which is active in immunoglobulin G purification, aseptic filling and packaging for immunoglobulin products and even biological (haematological) products. The immunological products manufactured in Lessines are indicated for the treatment of primary immune deficiency and distributed in over 80 countries including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France etc.,” explains Geoffrey Pot, Head of the Lessines production facility. In 2020, Takeda Lessines was selected as one of the manufacturing sites for the purification and filling of the potential hyperimmune therapy of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance, which is currently being tested in a Phase 3 Clinical Trial.

Takeda's plant in Lessines is ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certified, which clearly illustrates its quality of service, strategic choice of safety and desire to work more with renewable energies and to increase the recyclability of its production process.

Protecting the planet is indeed one of the main priorities for the company. It aims to become carbon neutral by 2040, a.o. by reducing its energy consumption and by reducing significantly the indirect emissions. The site in Lessines is already ahead of schedule, with CO2 emissions in 2020 that were 33,7 per cent lower than in 2005.

Laurent Henaux, General Manager at Takeda Belgium explains: “It is about meeting unmet medical needs, for example in lung cancer and immunology, or for disabling orphan diseases such as hereditary angioedema. For this indication, we already have three products in our product portfolio to treat this disease,

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y acquiring the pharmaceutical company Shire in January 2019, Takeda grew its global sales to $30 billion per year.

This visionary capacity is also reflected in the three major therapeutic fields in which Takeda is active in Belgium: oncology (with a current focus on specific blood cancers such as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin lymphoma), gastroenterology (with highperformance products to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease) and rare diseases (with a leading position in haemophilia and metabolic diseases such as Fabry disease and Gaucher's disease, which are highly debilitating hereditary illnesses). The common thread: these diseases require innovative solutions in order to improve patient quality of life. In addition to these specialist care products, Takeda offers a wide range of primary care products (prescription and over-the-counter), including medications for the treatment of reflux and osteoporosis.

In support of this policy, Takeda‘s Lessines plant is dedicated to rare disease patients and is part of a global network, GMS (Global Manufacturing Supply).

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In addition, the site continues to invest in digitalization and has an active recruitment policy, with nearly 200 staff hired in 2019 alone. “This strong growth is easily explained by the fact that 90% of patients with primary immune deficiency lack one protein, immunoglobulin G, which is purified in the Lessines plant to provide patients with lifelong treatments. In addition, the biopharma industry has estimated that, for the period 2016-2024, the annual growth rate in demand for immunological products will be at least 6.7%,” Geoffrey Pot explains.

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n associations around the world are consulted to contribute to the assessment of Takeda's 400 top managers: they feed back on their perception of Takeda, the quality of its collaboration and partnerships with them.

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“Takeda’s investments, strategy and marketing are always patientfocused. This commitment translates into finding solutions in cooperation with patients, far beyond the simple provision of treatment,” explains Laurent Henaux. In a similar vein, the company has set up a support and services program to help patients in their daily lives. To drive this patient-centric way of thinking it has developed the “In Their Shoes” application to allow its employees and health care professionals (nurses, gastroenterologists etc.) to empathise with the experiences of patients suffering from Crohn's disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases. The application includes simulation exercises that make it possible to recreate the everyday constraints of the pathology as realistically as possible.

This application should soon be available for other conditions.

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In this way, Takeda is continuously strengthening its commitment to supporting patients and building with them the best possible quality of life, for today and tomorrow. This ambition is firmly based on the contributions of employees, who create value but also a sense of meaningfulness, in accordance with patient needs and expectations. All in all, a winning corporate culture!

At the service of patients

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Working perfectly alongside Takeda's plant in Social Circle, Georgia (USA), Takeda's Lessines plant is currently finalising a major investment in a new purification unit to manufacture a new plasma protein. And that's not all: the plant is investing in continuous improvement (quality, compliance, shorter production times and delivery of crucial products classified in the “life savers” category) and in increasing its capacity with regard to purification, aseptic filling and packaging.

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In relation to the same diseases, Takeda has co-created with the patient associations blogs that give patients a voice: these life stories allow solutions to be shared in a spirit of mutual support with family and friends. With 30,000 affected persons in Belgium, these blogs have 120,000 unique visitors each year. This is proof that the interest and added value is there for patients and their families. And there is more: every year, 150 patient

Wallonia: a land of innovation

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Supporting high-level research to provide concrete responses to the challenges at hand Interview with Mr Elio DI RUPO, Minister-President of Wallonia

is expected to resume in 2021, albeit at a slower pace than before.

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hat are your priorities at the head of the Walloon Government?

The Government has a three-fold ambition for Wallonia: a social ambition, which aims to drastically reduce poverty and guarantee Walloon citizens a decent life.

An ecological ambition, which aims to make Wallonia an exemplary territory in terms of the fight against global warming and the preservation of the environment.

Finally, an economic ambition which aims to enable Wallonia to become one of the most successful Regions in Europe.

In terms of jobs, the shock on the labour market has so far been cushioned by various mechanisms: recourse to teleworking on the one hand, which has made it possible to maintain part of the productive activity and employment when demand and work organisation allowed it, and on the other hand, temporary economic unemployment, which has made it possible to absorb the sharp fall in the volume of activity while maintaining the employment relationship.

The economic and health crisis we are going through shows to what extent these challenges are closely linked to health issues.

This is why the Government intends to provide a global response to these issues through an integrated and concerted approach with civil society known as “Get Up Wallonia!”.

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In social terms, the impact of the crisis has been multi-level: an increase in deaths from chronic diseases, particularly due to delays in diagnosis or treatment during the epidemic; an increase in anxiety and depressive disorders due to occupational and financial insecurity; disruption in the education and training of young people, some of whom were deprived of schooling for long weeks or, to give just a few examples, loss of income for many households, which has de facto plunged many of them into a precarious situation.

Get Up Wallonia aims to mobilise the collective intelligence of citizens and active forces in order to provide Wallonia with a vision and a programme of concrete and ambitious actions to meet the current challenges. Within this framework, we have consulted civil society through a large written and digital consultation. We have also set up several Task-Forces in order to mobilise the expertise of the active forces or, again, conducted a study on good practices abroad in order to be able, if necessary, to duplicate them in Wallonia.

How has the Government reacted in order to limit the impacts of the crisis as much as possible?

In addition to preparing for the future through the Get Up Wallonia plan, we managed the emergency by taking a large number of decisions in many areas.

All of this work will enable us to establish our recovery plan for the spring of 2021. It will propose various disruptive actions to manage the emergency, relaunch socio-economic activity and strengthen the resilience of our society and its ability to take up new challenges.

In the economic field, we have set up 7 successive aid mechanisms in the form of direct grants to companies to help them cope with the loss of income linked to the crisis, this mechanism having recently been extended to economic NPOs. We have also considerably mobilised our financial tools so that they can offer products adapted to the needs of our companies during this particular period, whether in terms of bank guarantees, loans or support.

What has been the socio-economic impact of the health crisis on the region?

Unfortunately, I don't think we can speak of an impact in the past tense: the crisis is still very much with us and will continue to impact us for many months to come.

In the social field, we have put in place various measures to help households cope with the crisis: think here of the one-off flat-rate aid of €40 on the water bill for temporarily unemployed citizens or the flat-rate aid of €100 for households with a

From a macroeconomic point of view, and although it is always perilous to make forecasts in times of crisis, we estimate that Walloon GDP will fall by around 7% to 8% in 2020. The recovery 100

budget meter. Let us also think of the ban on evictions during the period of confinement; the launch of three calls for projects for emergency food aid for €4.2 million or the exceptional refinancing of the special social assistance fund to the tune of €5 million to provide the Walloon PCSWs with additional resources.

our Walloon companies have enabled them to remain competitive and, for some, leaders in their field of activity.

However, the crisis has called into question this hard-established balance. Indeed, the sector has been particularly affected and presents some rather bleak prospects for the coming years. In this context and in good understanding with the stakeholders, the Government has decided to finance an ambitious research programme worth several tens of millions of euros and aimed at developing a new generation aircraft that is more environmentally friendly.

In the field of health, we have, in particular and in addition to the supply of millions of masks, released 75 million euros to financially help hospitals, rest and care homes, the disability or mental health sectors to cope with the consequences of the crisis during the first wave. We have also set up a one-off bonus of 985 euros gross to thank the staff of the social and health sectors that depend on Wallonia's expertise.

This project involves the main Walloon players in the sector. It will enable them, in this period of crisis, to carry out high-level strategic research in order to be able, tomorrow, to position themselves on a global market and thus maintain and, why not, create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

To strengthen our resilience, we further piloted and financed an industrial initiative aimed at producing surgical masks on Walloon territory and conducted various studies to work on our value chains and on sectors identified as strategic.

On 12 November last, the Walloon Government relabellised the 24 regional competence centres. How do these bodies meet the skills needs of tomorrow?

The 24 Walloon competence centres are spread throughout the region. They are aimed at both jobseekers and workers, but also at apprentices and teachers and students in qualifying education.

In view of the work carried out at the same time to manage the emergency and prepare for the future via our recovery plan, I think I can say, without blushing, that our investment has been and continues to be total in order to limit, as far as possible, the impact of the crisis on our society. This work will be continued in 2021 with rigour and determination.

They can offer initial “trade” training, continuing education or further training.

How have you supported Walloon research and innovation players to meet this challenge?

Innovation plays an important role in our society: in addition to enabling its social and technological development, it enables companies to stand out from their competitors by selling cuttingedge goods and services. This sale generally involves the creation of jobs and added value. In this sense, innovation appears to be a real driving force for economic development, but also for societal development.

They are also places for technology watch and raising awareness of the trades of today and tomorrow.

They provide answers to the labour and skills needs identified on the Walloon market: trades in shortage, critical functions, trades in demand, etc.

They bring together partners such as the Walloon Government, represented by Forem and IFAPME, the sectoral social partners, research centres and universities.

This is all the more true in the context of the crisis we are going through: it is thanks to the numerous research projects carried out over the last few years and the high-level expertise developed in this context that Walloon innovation players have been able to develop, in record time, innovative viral detection methods, mask production lines to meet the shortage, specific decontamination techniques or, to cite just these examples, innovative processes for manufacturing candidate vaccines.

The CEFOCHIM, to cite an example at a time when Covid-19 vaccines are at the heart of the news, is the centre of competence for production professions in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries.

In terms of the professions of the future, TechnoCampus based in Charleroi, Mons and Strépy is another example. It is a reference centre for training and awareness raising in technological trades such as predictive maintenance. This 4.0 maintenance has just been honoured with the designation of I-Care Group, from Mons, company of the year in French-speaking Belgium.

The Government has clearly understood the importance of supporting high-level research during the crisis so that it can provide concrete responses to the challenges at hand. This is why we have, on the proposal of the Minister for Innovation, devoted significant specific resources to financing research projects in the context of the fight against COVID-19. As you know, some of these have led to several world firsts that have allowed Wallonia to shine on the international scene.

A third example is the Forem Logistique Liège Competence Centre located in the Bierset airport area and dedicated to the professions of passenger and goods transport, logistics, distribution and vehicle maintenance.

The Government has also understood that it has become essential, not to say vital, to support certain sectors that have been heavily impacted by the crisis through research aid. I am thinking here more particularly of aeronautics, which is, as we know, a strategic and cutting-edge sector of activity in Wallonia. The know-how developed over time, as well as the high-level profiles present in

The competence centres are real crossroads for professional training. They play an essential role in the revival of Wallonia.

On average, nearly 111,000 people a year come out of them with training that will provide them with jobs and a future.

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An integrated approach that takes into account all the stages and components of innovation Interview with Mr Willy BORSUS, Vice-President of the Walloon Region and Minister of Economy, Foreign Trade, Research and Innovation, Digital Technologies, Agriculture, Urban and Spatial Planning, IFAPME and Competence Centers This demonstrates that R&D in our Region enjoys a reputation for excellence abroad and that Wallonia can count on companies in this sector to contribute to its growth and its necessary transition.

As an anecdote, let's think back to the Walloon André Gratia who discovered bacteriocins (more specifically colicine) in 1925, shortly before Flemming discovered the first antibiotic, penicillin...

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What are Wallonia's assets in terms of R&D? The Walloon Region has many assets (including its central European position), it has many talents and its excellence, at various levels, is recognised. This reputation is also characterised by the quality of teaching at its colleges and universities. Research is obviously essential. To do so, our Region must be at the forefront: there can be no efficient research without efficient infrastructures. It is for this reason that our programme is resolutely ambitious, just like the investments that are and will be made in the priority fields of Research and Innovation.

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hat is the current state of research in Wallonia ?

Thanks to a strong policy of support for Research and Innovation conducted for several years, Wallonia occupies an important place in the world landscape in various sectors. These include the space, aeronautics, chemicals and biotech sectors.

Pharma and Biotech, also known as Life Sciences, are the flagship sector par excellence in Wallonia, in terms of the number of jobs they generate and the weight they represent in Walloon exports (more than 32% in 2019).

Our companies in this sector have recognised expertise and, for the most part, hold patents of worldwide scope. The success and talent of our teams of scientists are internationally recognised and benefit Wallonia, Research, but also Belgium and its influence.

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Wallonia has many successful companies in this field, positioning itself among the world's most advanced regions. This is the result of major investments but also of ambitious Research and Development programmes, which it is essential to pursue in order to stay on course.

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In Wallonia, we have an integrated approach that takes into account all the stages and components of innovation and which encourages, through tailor-made measures, interaction between all the players in the innovation chain, from universities to companies of all sizes, via research centres and universities. It is indeed by combining the expertise and agility of start-ups with the resources of large companies that the spin-offs can be optimised and that real breakthrough innovations can see the light of day. Just as it is essential to support fundamental research projects alongside projects closer to the market.

support programmes, etc.) and support them in their development (research aid, technological incubators, Walloon financial tools, etc.).

What do you intend to put in place to improve research in Wallonia ?

Research, Development and Innovation are a priority for us. As is the need to concentrate our resources in order to optimise their impact, particularly with the updating of the smart specialisation strategy (RIS3) at the beginning of 2021.

It is therefore a question of increasing the Walloon public resources invested in supporting innovation, but also of supporting companies according to their needs, particularly in order to rise to the European level and potentially benefit from additional financial levers.

Innovation is at the heart of Wallonia's economic development and offers an opportunity to differentiate our companies in the context of the globalisation of the economy. This is why significant resources are deployed in Wallonia to welcome innovative companies (science parks, buildings and cutting-edge equipment,

We also intend to reform aid for research by prioritising the simplification and optimisation of the benefits for the Walloon economy. But also by taking care to strengthen the links between companies (SMEs) and research units in order to make better use of research results.

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We also aim to develop more synergies and economies of scale between approved research centres in order to achieve the critical mass needed to compete with other highly innovative regions.

Visit of the Alipa Group, global industrial lifting and packaging specialist

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Finally, because vocations and the entrepreneurial spirit are cultivated from a very young age, we are working to awaken the interest of young people in the choice of their studies or training, in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and more generally in the professions in short supply by ensuring that the needs and expectations of companies are met, in particular with the help of the Competence Centres. Indeed, with the digitisation of our economy and society, new jobs are emerging. These are essential jobs and jobs of the future. It is essential to make young people, jobseekers and workers from all socioeconomic backgrounds, and in particular young girls and (future) workers, want to move towards STEM courses in all types of education, with a view to (re)orienting them towards a professional career in these courses.

THE RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF WALLONIA supports research led by companies, research centres, universities and colleges, encourages international collaborations between Walloon R&D actors and promotes STEM awareness-raising measures.

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a 250 million

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euros budget of which 142 are dedicated to SMEs, 31 to big companies, 16 to the research centres and 60 to the academic sector

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SPIN-OFFS created within the eponymous FIRST programme

RESEARCH FIELDS covered

Active collaborations with 6 COMPETITIVENESS CLUSTERS, for example in mechanical engineering, agri-food and green chemistry

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Funding of more than 200 COMPANIES, 5 UNIVERSITIES and 19 UNIVERSITY COLLEGES

Collaborations with more than 50 COUNTRIES OR REGIONS AROUND THE WORLD

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OF NEW COMPANIES funded every year

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Participation in 10 EUROPEAN R&D PROJECTS

19 MORE THAN 200 EXPERT CONTRACTS signed yearly for peer review missions

1 WALLOON VIRTUAL EXCELLENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE in the field of life sciences

SCIENTIFIC MAGAZINE published 5 times a year in 23 000 copies

ACCREDITED RESEARCH CENTRES with varied competences: from water management and treatment to metallurgy research, aeronautics and biotechnology

More than 350 CONTRACTS established annually with companies, academics and research centres

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Remobilising both public and private investment in R&D and innovation Interview with Mr Jean-Christophe DEHALU, President of the Science Policy Pole (SPP), Wallonia priority sectors for the Walloon economy and the strengthening of the valorisation of the results of RDI projects, the revaluation of STEM courses or the strengthening of the orientation of Frenchspeaking students towards these courses. Over the coming months, the Pole will be attentive to ensuring that these intentions are translated into concrete actions.

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hat are the missions of the Scientific Policy Pole?

The Science Policy Pole is an advisory body whose main mission is to provide advice on science, research and innovation policy. Bringing together actors from different backgrounds (companies, trade unions, universities, colleges and research centres) with the desire to exchange and work together, the Science Policy Pole wants to bring real added value to the Walloon RDI (research, development and innovation) policy thanks to its work, studies and opinions.

On which themes do you plan to submit own-initiative opinions?

Once again, one of the themes of prime importance for the SPP is the attractiveness of the STEM sectors. The number of new STEM graduates in French-speaking Belgium is a weakness of our innovation system (14% in 2017 for 17% in Belgium and 26% at EU level). This situation has a strong impact on the economic development of the region. The Pole has already submitted several opinions on this topic and will continue its reflections during this year. © CESE Wallonie

It is also responsible for evaluating the Walloon Region's scientific policy every two years. On this occasion, it publishes a report that carries out an in-depth examination of the Walloon research and innovation system, identifies its strengths and weaknesses and makes recommendations to remedy them. The latest version of this report was published last December.

The question of the good use and efficiency of European funds also arises. This issue is absolutely fundamental given the particularly difficult economic and budgetary context, and the Pole will reflect on concrete proposals.

What is your assessment of the Walloon Government's RDI policy?

Within the framework of the regional policy declaration 20192024, the Walloon Government has defined its RDI priorities for this legislature. The SPP has carried out a detailed analysis of this document and noted with satisfaction that many of the priorities put forward by the Walloon Government correspond to the cluster's priorities. In particular, we can mention: the strengthening of public funding for research to reach 3% of GDP invested in RDI in 2020, 4% by 2035 and 5% by 2050, the desire to develop the evaluation of policies carried out to improve the efficiency of the use of public funds, investment in

What are the main challenges facing Wallonia in terms of RDI? In the coming years, the main challenge will be to deal with the consequences of the health crisis and to revive the Walloon economy. Indeed, the Walloon Government should do everything possible to remobilise both public and private investment, particularly in RDI. These investments are more than ever essential to restore the competitiveness of Wallonia and its companies in order to achieve the necessary transition desired by Wallonia.

Action must be taken without delay to encourage both businesses and universities, colleges and research centres to regain momentum, renew partnerships and reinvest in research projects.

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In order to support this dynamic, the Walloon administration should adapt its operating methods by aiming for greater flexibility and speed in the processing of research proposals. In this respect, the reinforcement of the digitalisation of the services of the Walloon Public Service, and more broadly of all public bodies, is an absolute priority. The systematic evaluation of public policies is also a fundamental element in ensuring the effectiveness of public action.

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Finally, an improvement in the valorisation of RDI results must also be aimed at without further delay in order to strengthen the creation of added value and quality jobs.

Towards a holistic approach of risk assessment and management

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Interview with Ir. Rose DETAILLE, Managing director of ISSeP fields can detect exposure sessions with a significant success rate. The ENVI-EHS project uses an innovative protocol developed in the ExpoComm project funded by Anses (France). The protocol was developed and validated with the participation of people considering themselves as hypersensitive during co-creation workshops.

Recruitment of volunteers will start at the beginning of 2021. Results are expected by the end of the year.

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hat are ISSeP's key missions?

ISSeP (Institut Scientifique de Service Public) is the Walloon reference laboratory specialized in environmental monitoring (i.e. water, air, soil, sediments and waste) and risk assessment and prevention. ISSeP draws on the scientific expertise of 300 agents from various area of expertise, from field sampling, lab analysis, numerical modelling, geostatistical analysis to Earth observation.

Environmental monitoring activities rely on a 30-person team for samples collection and on 4 analytical laboratories in mineral chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology and ecotoxicology. These monitoring activities cover ambient air quality network, the control of polluting emissions from 53 industrial facilities pollutants emissions control, the physicochemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analysis of surface and groundwater as well as sediments, contaminated sites analysis and landfill sites monitoring.

What other examples of ongoing research projects can you give us?

Firstly, the Antibiobug project which investigated the presence of the antibiotic resistant E. coli bacteria in two watercourses in Wallonia. An initial inventory of the extent of the phenomenon was established and reported to the FPS (Federal Public Service) Public Health in order to set up an action plan. In 2021 it will be complemented by the Antibiobug 2 project focusing on the presence of antibiotic resistant E. coli in bathing waters as they can pause a direct risk to human health. Besides we are currently working on indoor air quality in schools: 294 CO2 and pollutants sensors were distributed to 166 schools in order to investigate the impact of outdoor pollution on indoor air, the ventilation efficiency and the presence of pollutants in the classrooms. The final results are expected in June 2021. © ISSeP

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Scientific Institute of Public Service - ISSeP

Whilst ISSeP’s missions were firstly confined to providing environmental characterization data, its missions now have evolved to run forecasts and assess accidental and chronic risks (i.e. asbestos, electromagnetic fields…). Our risk assessment studies tackle impact assessment on ecosystems, with for instance fish and invertebrates monitored in the BIOTE network, as well as human health exposure through biomonitoring projects and geostatistical approaches. ISSeP skills have also evolved, with for instance land use change monitoring by Earth observation methods. ISSeP experts are also supporting the sectors in which waste is destined to become a resource.

Could you tell us about the Walloon biomonitoring programme to measure the presence of pollutants in the human body?

Phase 1 of the Walloon biomonitoring included 828 participants, amongst which 284 new-borns, 283 teenagers and 261 young adults. It will provide reference values for new-borns, teenagers and adults exposure to a number of substances or groups of substances including certain metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol and pesticides such as pyrethrinoids, organophosphates and glyphosate. The results are currently being analysed and are expected in the first quarter of 2021. A statistical analysis will be carried out to detect correlations between specific behaviour, socioeconomic indicators, living places, etc. In phase 2, the objective is to recruit 300 children aged 3 to 5 years old, 300 children aged 6 to 11 and 300 adults aged 40 to 59 in order to establish Walloon reference exposure values for these age categories.

These different missions are based on extensive scientific research which enables us to build our expertise in environmental characterisation as well as in risk assessment and management. We are currently involved in 52 research projects, 14 of which focus on the links between health and the environment - a hot topic especially in times of health crisis. Moreover, ISSeP is incorporating more and more citizen science projects. These are most likely to raise environmental awareness since participants will both benefit from and contribute to science education.

Could you tell us about the ENVI-EHS study on exposure to electromagnetic fields?

The ENVI-EHS study will contribute to improve knowledge of hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields, also known as idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-CEM). This project is a part of the Walloon environmental health plan (ENVIeS) and consists of carrying out double-blind provocation tests on volunteers. The aim is to assess whether people who self-identify as hypersensitive to electromagnetic

Could you present us the new website www.Wallonair.be?

ISSeP manages the Walloon air quality monitoring networks and returns the data to AwAC (Walloon Air and Climate Agency).

The former website that published ambient air quality data in Wallonia (http://airquality.issep.be) was redesigned to meet current web uses. Launched on the 11th of September 2020, the 106

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ISSeP Liège Headquarters Rue Chéra, 200 - 4000 Liège Tel.: +32 (0)4 229 83 11 Fax: +32 (0)4 252 46 65 Email: direction@issep.be http://www.issep.be

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As a conclusion, ISSeP promotes a holistic approach of risk assessment in order to preserve our environment and allow its sustainable management.

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Furthermore, ISSeP is involved in understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change and urbanization in order to preserve ecosystem services. ISSeP must pursue its efforts in studying the potential risks and opportunities of circular economy promoted for the ecological transition.

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What is ISSeP's contribution to Earth observation?

Earth observation (EO), supported by the European Copernicus programme, offers many opportunities to Walloon stakeholders for a more intelligent and dynamic monitoring of their territory. Since 2015 ISSeP Remote Sensing and Geodata Unit has developed research exploiting the potential of these new data at different levels, from satellites to UAVs. It also co-organises, with the Skywin competitiveness cluster, a joint Earth Observation Working Group (EOWG) gathering public services, private companies, universities and research centers. Eleven events have been organized since 2015 on themes such as land use mapping, agriculture, forestry, Pleiades data, thermography, air quality and atmosphere quality… and included brainstorming and networking sessions.

The application-oriented topics cover scientific, technical and commercial issues. In September 2019, a position paper entitled “Towards a reinforced use of Earth observation technologies by Walloon public services for the benefit of citizens in the digital Wallonia of tomorrow” was presented to the Walloon Parliament.

This paper was the result of a 3-year collective work involving nearly 140 people. It provided precise recommendations and already showed several concrete achievements. Through the

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In your opinion, what are the main future challenges for research at ISSeP? Anticipation is key in sustainability issues. Our main goal must be to preserve our environment and prevent it from further degradation. With its multidisciplinary and complementary expertise in environment monitoring, ISSeP is ideally placed to help bring greater sustainability in environmental management.

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EOWG, ISSeP promotes Walloon competences and links together the activities of the different sectors for a better use of EO in public services.

For this purpose, ISSeP must continuously work on the development of analytical techniques for lowering its quantification limits and measuring new pollutants such as endocrine disruptors (BIODIEN and CARIBOUH projects), pesticides (and its metabolites) or microplastics (Microplastsoil project). ISSeP must gather its scientific expertise and tools to adopt the necessary holistic approach of risk assessment and management. For instance, it is crucial to get the most out of the monitoring data (more than 3.000.000 data on environment quality produced each year) on local emissions and diffuse contaminations, and include this data in predictive models to assess the fate of pollutants in the environment.

Including this whole range of aspects would help prioritize risk management actions and policies.

web solution www.Wallonair.be proposed by ISSeP also presents scientifically accurate data but stands out for its adaptation to smartphones. Furthermore, new functionalities have been added: a cartographic approach to get regional or local (city) information on ambient air quality in Wallonia; didactic explanations about the measured pollutants, the used methods and health effects; and real-time viewing (24 or 48h depending on the pollutants) within an in-house developed module to simulate long-term data history.

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Microbiology cell. Filtration of cooling tower samples: search for legionellae

Algal growth inhibition test at the Ecotoxicology laboratory

SOWALFIN, a key player in innovation in Wallonia Interview with Mrs Anne VEREECKE, Member of the Management Committee of SOWALFIN

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Recently, SOWALFIN launched the “Easy'Up4Process” initiative. What does it consist of?

This project, carried out in partnership with the MecaTech competitiveness cluster (mechanical engineering), makes it possible to offer Walloon SMEs an effective support and/or financing package to boost process optimisation and digitisation projects. Once the project has been validated by MecaTech experts, SMEs benefit from support for a maximum of 10 days carried out by these experts and/or financing via an EASY‘UP subordinated loan: this is an amortisable subordinated loan of a maximum of €500,000 per project and a maximum duration of 10 years, including a possible capital franchise of 2 years. EASY'UP can cover any type of expenditure up to 40% of the total identified need and can be articulated with other sources of public funding up to a maximum of 75% of the overall budget. The support and financing are aimed at increasing the added value and competitiveness of the company. © SOWALFIN

hat are SOWALFIN's missions?

Since the takeover of the Agence de l'Entreprise et de l'Innovation (AEI) in 2018, SOWALFIN offers a complete range of services for SMEs, at each key stage of their life cycle but also for specific needs in terms of innovation, eco-transition and internationalisation. This offer includes SOWALFIN's historical financial products (guarantee and co-financing in partnership with banks), direct financing via Invests or certain SOWALFIN subsidiaries as well as a coordinated offer of support and awareness raising services through a network of field operators.

How does SOWALFIN support innovation?

Whether incremental or breakthrough, technological or not, product, process or marketing, innovation is a risky process for the company. Various operators coordinated by SOWALFIN are distinguished by tailor-made support services. As far as financing is concerned, SOWALFIN contributes to the financial closure of innovative and eco-innovative projects via the EASY'UP and EASY'GREEN subordinated loans, if necessary in addition to the interventions of the Walloon investment companies. Within the framework of the Innovfin mechanism (supported by the EIF), a specific guarantee is also proposed to cover bank loans financing innovative projects. The CXO measure (for CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, etc.) can also be activated to strengthen certain promising projects by allowing the company to use a resource person with specific skills to complement the team in place. Finally, the EUROQUITY platform offers the possibility for a company raising funds to make itself known to potential investors.

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How could Wallonia stand out more in terms of innovation?

The Walloon Region has some serious assets: world-renowned universities, approved Research Centres at the cutting edge in various promising sectors, a highly qualified workforce, competitiveness clusters with large-scale collaborative projects…

However, the support ecosystem for entrepreneurs needs to be made more transparent and more in tune with the needs of businesses. We also have to improve the dissemination of research results in the economic fabric and, more particularly, to SMEs, to encourage Walloon innovation players to export themselves and to become resolutely involved in European projects and, lastly, to anticipate changes and develop the strategy of smart specialisation in order to capitalise on the Region's strengths to the benefit of priority sectors, which are the driving force for the whole territory. This is why the Walloon Government recently decided to give SOWALFIN the mission of developing the innovation support ecosystem for the benefit of entrepreneurs. The objective is to improve the legibility of the service offer, to facilitate the entrepreneur's journey, to increase the added value of the services offered and to ensure the adequacy between the service offer and the needs of entrepreneurs. It is also a question of working on a plan to improve the economic valorisation of R&D. This reform is being built in consultation with economic and technological operators, the research administration, players in the world of research, competitiveness clusters, etc.

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SRIW, a key partner in the regional strategy for Life Sciences For 40 years, S.R.I.W. (Société Régionale d’Investissement de Wallonie or Regional Investment Company of Wallonia) has been contributing to the development of the economy in the Walloon region of Belgium. It financially supports projects of companies located in Wallonia that are active in a wide range of sectors (aerospace, digital, environment, agro-food, chemistry, energy, biotechnology/life sciences,…).

The current composition of the portfolio is very diverse. It includes companies active in the development and/or commercialization of: - therapeutics, diagnostics and services; - drugs (small molecules, biologics, cell therapy, vaccines …), medical devices and e-health; - specialized investment funds; - companies which mainly aim to provide infrastructure and/or support to the local ecosystem.

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Investment funds and infrastructure and/or ecosystem-related companies appear indeed essential to the proper functioning and sustainability of the biotech sector within the region.

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he strategy of S.R.I.W. in the life sciences sector is based on qualitative excellence, from the investment decision process to the follow-up and support of portfolio companies. This contributes to the development of an ecosystem in the biotech field that generates jobs, creates value and is attractive to foreign investors. The role of S.R.I.W. as a risk capital provider in the life sciences sector is crucial, considering its capital-intensive nature and the high degree of risk associated.

In addition to the investments, S.R.I.W. is also aiming: - to foster the networking of companies, in portfolio or not, with all the identified added value professionals; - to share the experience of the S.R.I.W. Life Sciences team with companies, in portfolio or not, with the same expectation to provide them with added value.

SRIW Life Sciences Facts & Figures (06/30/2020) ± evergreen fund investing in Wallonia ± 57 companies in portfolio ± 213 million € fair value of the portfolio ± network of > 1.500 experts, managers, consultants… ± +140 million € cumulated return on investments.

The investment criteria that have been applied over the past decade in that specific sector, were defined and implemented to build and manage a balanced portfolio in terms of financial performance, risk and liquidity.

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These can be summarized as follows: - significant activity/added value creation and employment in Wallonia; - investments under the form of equity in pre-revenue companies; - investments under the form of equity or debt in commercial companies with recurring revenues; - minimum investment of 1 million €; - maximum investment depending on the maturity, the size and the specific activity of the company; - minority investments with private investors, the role of lead being performed by a specialized investor with proven track record in pre-revenues companies; - validation of human, technological, commercial, legal and financial risks.

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Dare to innovate with SynHERA! Are you a player in the socio-economic world? Would you like to develop new services within your company or organisation? SynHERA opens the doors to applied research for you! SynHERA is the network of scientific experts from the 19 Universities of Applied Sciences in Wallonia and Brussels and their 10 associated Research Centres.

More than 1,000 researchers, with cutting-edge knowledge, capable of accelerating your innovation project!

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re you in charge of a SME? Or a not-for-profit organisation?

Do you think that applied research is not for you? Wrong!

At SynHERA, our scientific advisers give support to all kind of innovation project from either small, medium or large companies. Whatever be their size of sector (economic or social), the important thing is that they all share the same desire to dare to innovate or develop new services.

SynHERA’s network researchers mobilised in the fight against Covid-19 If Covid-19 has had a considerable impact on many companies, in the research sector too, the health crisis has gone through it. Even if several research projects have been suspended due to the pandemic outbreak, this did not prevent the researchers of the Universities of Applied Sciences and their associated Research Centres from putting their skills and expertise at the service of the fight against Covid-19.

SynHERA is the actual interface between both the academic and the socio-economic worlds. Thanks to our structure, you will have access to the skills and expertise of the researchers who are members of our network. Researchers specialised in applied research, a multi-sectoral approach that meets the today and future needs. And it is all together that we will be able to work to carry out innovative projects!

Indeed, several projects have been set up, both in the technical field and in the human and social sciences. For example, the IRISIB Research Centre (Haute École “HE2B”) proposed a technique for sterilising masks by irradiation. The Centre RESSORT-HERS of the “Haute École Robert Schuman” developed several tools to help and give support to health care workers who have found themselves in difficult situations in recent months.

Are you facing a problem? With SynHERA, you will get a tailored answer tackling your own needs. To provide you with the best possible support, SynHERA will accompany you in every stage of your project. After a careful analysis of your needs, our advisers will draw up your personalised diagnostic report. They will then put you in direct touch with the relevant research teams. After this essential phase, our advisors will coordinate all the stages that will be added to the setting up and monitoring of your project, such as: - search for partners; - identification of funding sources; - support in setting up a collaborative project; - legal advice related to the research project; - exploitation of research outcomes.

Some Universities of Applied Sciences have also participated in the citizen effort by making their cutting-edge equipment available, such as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) equipment at the “Haute École Provinciale du Hainaut-Cordorcet”.

To find all the latest news on research, please visit the SynHERA website in the “News” section.

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Want to get started? Take the plunge and work with a team at the heart of the research ecosystem. With SynHERA, you are sure to find one or more scientific partners who are experts in their specific sector and competent to assist you in the best possible way!

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Would you like to find out more about SynHERA? Go to https://www.synhera.be/en_GB/ Tel.: +32 (0)81/41.38.12 Mail: info@synhera.be

BioWin: Providing growth for SMEs in the health sector in Wallonia Interview with Mrs Sylvie PONCHAUT, Managing Director of the BioWin competitiveness cluster BioWin is focusing on internationalisation and interdisciplinarity in order to achieve its goals for the next 4 years. BioWin will offer its members new opportunities for R&D collaboration with the best ecosystems in the world, near or far and will provide help to set up European projects.

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hat are the key figures for the biotech and medtech sectors in Wallonia?

With 22,000 hospital beds, the health sector in Wallonia is the European leader in Phase I clinical trials. Over the period 2005-2020, 187 SMEs, which are also members of the BioWin cluster, raised €2.85 billion of private capital for this sector.

To add to the value chains and nurture the healthsector ecosystem, BioWin in close collaboration with AWEX will reinforce its efforts to attract foreign investors. And as part of the smart specialization goal in Europe, BioWin will be prioritising those areas of activity and technology in which Wallonia has a competitive edge internationally.

The health sector in Wallonia is an important source of employment, with 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. It also stands out for its favourable tax environment, financial incentives to support R&D and a unique location for logistics at the heart of Europe.

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Our strategy is to build on the excellence in our 4 strategic domains: (bio)pharmacy (including cell therapy and biomanufacturing), radiation applied to health, medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, and digital health.

Could you tell us about the BioWin’s strategy?

BioWin’s role is to accelerate innovation to address the public health challenges of the future and to develop knowledge, employment and the competitiveness of everyone involved in the health-sector ecosystem in Wallonia. The mission of BioWin is to make Wallonia a region that is internationally known for its world-class academic, clinical and industrial research environment in the cluster’s technological domains.

What services does BioWin offer its members?

BioWin brings together 90% of the health- biotechnology- and medical-technology–players in Wallonia. The cluster therefore has a clear view of the technology value chains and an in-depth knowledge of the stakeholders in the region. This allows BioWin to offer its members the most appropriate services in terms of R&D, internationalisation, skills development and support for company growth. From early development in R&D to commercialization, BioWin provides support for projects arising from regional and international calls, and one-off assistance to SMEs and start-ups to support their economic development.

BioWin will continue to follow its strategy that was deployed at the outset: supporting the emergence and development of R&D projects; developing talents; integrating companies in international markets; forming and nurturing networks and supporting the growth of companies.

Key figures for the BioWin cluster (2019) - 10 world leaders (Baxter/Baxalta, Cenexi, GSK, IBA, IRE, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Kaneka-Eurogentec, MaSTherCell (Catalent), PolyPeptide Group, UCB and Zoetis) and 187 SMEs; - 7 accredited research centres; - 5 universities with 400 research units, 11,000 researchers and 3 university hospitals; - €2,850 billion accumulated capital raised by BioWin SME members in Wallonia;

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- 16.424 direct jobs for BioWin’s industrial members in Wallonia and 35.000 indirect jobs (2005-2018);

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- 49 R&D projects that have involved 279 partners, developed 69 products and 33 services for a total budget (public and private) of €158 million.

At the international level, BioWin works with the world’s most innovative regions to help its members to identify the best partners for business and research collaborations. BioWin’s main focus is on networks and partnerships, forging links with key clusters and science parks.

production of iPSC-derived human cortical neurons in 3D for the treatment of patients suffering from neurodegenerative or cerebralcortex lesions.

The eLISA project coordinated by Neoma Labs is focusing on the development of a portable medical device to treat patients suffering from respiratory sleep disorders.

Together with Awex, BioWin helps Walloon companies to increase their international activities by facilitating their visibility at key events in Europe, North America, South-East Asia and China. Together with other clusters in Europe, BioWin helps companies identify relevant gateways to enter key markets.

The ProsPect project coordinated by Trasis is on the way to develop a set of integrated solutions for the preparation of bestperforming imaging radiotracers labelled with Fluorine-18 and Gallium-68 for the diagnostic of prostate cancer.

BioWin works to develop human capital, with a strategic focus on promoting innovation and growth in companies by (a) contributing to the forward management of skills and talents, (b) encouraging uniformity in the region’s training initiatives, (c) expanding and enriching the pool of regional skills and talents, and (d) helping to create bridges between university courses and industry.

The BioCloud 4.0 project coordinated by Sapristic is currently applying Industry 4.0 principles to bio-production processes with an end-to-end integrated solution “from clean room to patient”.

The BIDMED project coordinated by IBA is working on the applicability and use of big-data technologies to increase the quality and attractiveness of proton-therapy systems.

BioWin supports company growth by facilitating SME access to private sources of funding and by creating a favourable environment to attract and identify the best talent and expertise.

The IT-Targets project coordinated by Iteos Therapeutics aims to identify innovative drug candidates and biomarkers for immunotherapies in cancer and auto-immune diseases.

What partnerships have you developed in Europe and abroad?

Over recent years, BioWin has developed several collaborations and concrete matchmaking activities with European clusters (Medicen Paris Region, Lyonbiopole, Bio-M, Biocat, Atlanpole Biotherapies, etc.) and maintains close links with the South Korean and Israeli R&D ecosystems. BioWin’s integration into several European networks (e.g. CEBR Board, EDCA, etc.) reinforces its visibility strategy (including BioWin members’ technologies), and more importantly its smart specialisation strategy (cell therapy, radiopharma, vaccines, etc.).

The iCone project coordinated by MaSTherCell aims to develop and commercialise new assays for screening compounds in central-nervous-system drug-discovery programmes. The longerterm aim is to demonstrate a proof of concept in the large-scale

Since a couple of years, BioWin has been working on several interregional and interclustering European projects to foster SME international competitiveness in the biotech and medtech sector.

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Could you give us a few examples of R&D projects that have secured funding via BioWin? BioWin owns a portfolio of 49 R&I projects for a total budget of €158 million. Among them, we can quote:

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In the frame of the MAGIA project, 8 cooperation agreements were signed with key medtech hubs, opening up opportunities for medtech companies to develop business in the USA and China. In addition, two studies have also been carried out to help understanding these 2 strategic markets. At the end of October 2019, the submission of a phase 2 (MAGIA2Market) was then carried out by the 4 partner clusters and is now ongoing.BioWin has also moved into a higher gear and is now taking part in the S3martMed project, which is extending the road map created by the MAGIA project, and brings together 5 regional clusters: Lyonbiopole (Coordinator), BioWin, BioPmed, MedSilesia and BioRegioStern. The aim of this project is to map the skills of each region, and identify their requirements, whether financial, business-related or regulatory, to provide greater security for SMEs in the health sector over the long term.

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Nyxoah announced commencement of trading of shares on Euronext Brussels and raises up to €85 million

Olivier Taelman, Chief Executive Officer of Nyxoah

Nyxoah, a health-technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions and services to treat sleep disordered breathing conditions, was delighted to announce its flotation on Euronext Brussels in September.

Last but not least, the CE4BIG (Cluster Excellence for Business Innovation and Growth in the Health Sector) project was labelled in 2019. CE4BIG aims to foster collaborations between clusters on a European-wide scale and to strengthen these clusters and their participant SMEs in attaining international competitiveness in the sphere of personalised medicine.

This follows a successful placing by Bank Degroof Petercam NV/SA and Belfius Bank NV/SA, raising approximately €73.70 million or approximately €84.75 million (US$100m), assuming the exercise in full of the Over-allotment Option.

What are BioWin’s objectives for the next three years?

Over the next three years, BioWin will focus on two strategies.

The first one concerns development of a high-potential sector: the biomanufacturing.

Olivier Taelman, Chief Executive Officer of Nyxoah, commented: “Today marks an exciting new era for Nyxoah as a publicly listed company. The money raised will enable Nyxoah to further advance on ongoing clinical evidence development, launch the US DREAM IDE pivotal trial, execute on European commercialization, further invest in R&D and scale-up the organisation to successfully embrace the future.”

With a century of experience in pharmaceuticals, Wallonia has attained unique expertise in the research, development and production of vaccines and biological medicines, and excels in the fields of cell and gene therapies. In the next decade, Wallonia has the potential to become one of the world‘s largest hubs for the industrial production of vaccines and (bio)medicines (biomanufacturing).

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At the same time, BioWin intends to support the Region by supporting and promoting the decompartmentalization of the hospital and corporate worlds.

Dosing of first patient high dose in ongoing clinical trial with our therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate for non-small cell lung cancer

The health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to a profound reflection on the organisation of healthcare systems and has opened up new perspectives on bringing innovation into hospitals.

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The COVID-19 health crisis has already helped remove certain barriers between hospitals and business. Collaborations between hospitals, business and academics have resulted in many technological, digital, or organizational innovations being created in record time.

Eric Halioua, CEO of PDC*line Pharma

In the future, the momentum for this type of innovation needs to be extended and accelerated.

PDC*line Pharma, a clinical stage biotech company developing a new class of potent and scalable active immunotherapies for cancers, announced in September that two new cohorts have been opened in the PDC-LUNG-101 phase I/II clinical trial with its therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate PDC*lung01 for non-small cell lung cancer.

What do you think are the great challenges to come for the Walloon biotech and medtech sector?

I see three. The first challenge is undoubtedly to guarantee the training of qualified personnel for our companies. BioWin must anticipate the needs of its members. It must also be proactive with the government so that strategies can be put in place to secure a sufficient supply of skilled labour.

Following the completion of its first “low dose” cohort in adjuvant setting, the study’s Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) reviewed the safety data. No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. This allowed the opening of two cohorts: one assessing PDC*lung01 as a single agent in adjuvant setting at “high dose”, which already includes one patient, and one assessing PDC*lung01 at “low dose” added to the pembrolizumab monotherapy in first line Stage IV setting.

The second challenge is essential and a crucial issue in Europe, and is to support and fund high-quality early development and fundamental research, because that is from where future therapeutic applications will come.

“We are delighted to have achieved this important milestone in our NSCLC clinical trial, which is progressing well.

We look forward to further evaluating the profile of PDC*lung01 in a larger number of patients with this lifethreatening disease,” said Eric Halioua, CEO of PDC*line Pharma.

The third challenge, for Wallonia and the European Union, is to create a context that favours the growth of SMEs. Wallonia’s SMEs currently employ an average of 30 to 50 people; this total could rise to between 200 and 400 employees if the government were to introduce the right tax incentives and financial instruments.

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An amazing place to develop the vaccines of tomorrow GSK is the world’s leading vaccine company, with a portfolio that helps to protect people throughout life, and an innovative pipeline of 15 vaccines in development. We deliver over 2 million vaccine doses per day to people in more than 160 countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only clean water rivals vaccination in its ability to save lives.

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SK Vaccines has developed vaccines against 21 of the 31 diseases currently preventable by vaccination to help protect people at all stages of their life. Over the last ten years, in Belgium, this division invested €3 billion in infrastructure and capacity building.

Furthermore, GSK Vaccines has become the largest pharmaceutical company in Belgium with >9,000 employees. Our vaccine scientists work in three global R&D centers in Rixensart (Belgium), Italy and the US. In 2019, we invested about €1 billion in vaccines R&D.

CureVac make it possible to identify a genetic code of an antigen (the active ingredient of the vaccine), to generate a candidate vaccine more quickly – a revolution for the manufacturing phase.

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GSK Vaccines has defined its R&D key priorities: increasing our portfolio of new vaccines against a respiratory virus (RSV) – a leading cause of bronchiolitis in babies and pneumonia in adults, reducing antibiotic resistance (AMR) through disease prevention, therapeutic vacDr Emmanuel Hanon, cines and personalized vaccines. To achieve Senior Vice President of Vaccine Research GSK Vaccines relies upon partnership and a this goal, GSK Vaccines leverages digitalization, at GSK Vaccines 100-year legacy of vaccine development that artificial intelligence, and machine learning to enabled frontline innovation in areas such as recombinant vaccines, design vaccine antigens and measure their broader benefit to pediatric vaccines, vaccines with new adjuvants, vaccines against society through health data analysis. respiratory and meningococcal diseases, pandemic vaccines, and a vaccine against herpes zoster. Collaborations with external partners (Belgian universities, the NIH in United States, biotech companies, the European Commission through the Innovative Medicines Initiative or IMI) are a core part of the R&D culture.

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In 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working with others on several COVID-19 vaccine candidates contributing our pandemic adjuvant technology (developed in Rixensart).

An adjuvant is added to some vaccines to enhance the immune response, thereby creating a stronger and longer lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone. The use of an adjuvant is of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it can reduce the amount of antigen required per dose, allowing more vaccine doses to be produced and made available to more people. Our site in Wavre, Belgium, the largest vaccine manufacturing site worldwide, will also contribute to the manufacturing of up to 1 billion adjuvant doses for our COVID-19 collaborations in 2021.

GSK site in Wavre – largest vaccine manufacturing site worldwide

GSK is currently undergoing a two-year programme to separate into two companies: one leading biopharma company, and another company focusing on consumer healthcare activities. Experts and teams across GSK pharma and vaccines will thus build upon a common approach to R&D in order to deliver transformational vaccines and medicines. Moreover, the Vaccines division is innovating in therapeutic vaccines: next generation of vaccines could play a strong role to slow down or stop disease progression, or even act as a cure for a disease. They could become an important tool in reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance and anti-microbial resistance globally.

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GSK site in Rixensart – historical vaccine Research & Development site

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Additionally, GSK Vaccines strives to significantly accelerate the vaccine development times thanks to potential breakthroughs including mRNA platform technologies. Our self-amplifying RNA (SAM) platform or our collaboration with a global mRNA leader

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CADISS® for more selective dissection

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Created in 2014, Auxin Surgery has made itself known thanks to its chemically assisted dissection devices in surgery called CADISS®. An innovation beneficial for surgeons, patients and the healthcare system.

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he CADISS® (chemically assisted dissection) System is a novel line of medical devices for the selective dissection of non-infiltrating tumors, organs and fibrosis. Its operating principle is simple: it uses a pharmaceutical product which will target disulfide bounds in proteins in order to weaken the structure of the fibrosis, this weakened fibrosis will then be easily separated with non-cutting instruments without having to tear it off. We thus pass from a non-selective mode of surgical intervention (with tearing or cutting) to a more selective, softer mode (with a simple detachment).

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Auxin Surgery has established numerous industrial partnerships with Lonza, Sartorius, Medi-Line, the CER Groupe of Marcheen-Famenne, the Val du Geer (an Adapted Work Company) for production as well as the company Aarti for the supply of the pharmaceutical product used together with CADISS® devices.

Besides, Auxin Surgery is very active on the clinical studies front. The company has just completed one with the CHU de Liège and is carrying out two others with the CHWAPI hospital (Tournai) and Heilig Hart hospital (Lier) in acute cholecystectomy, and Erasme hospital (Brussels) and Ambroise Paré hospital (Mons)

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The CADISS® System is also relevant for other potential indications: in addition to targeting the risks of side-effects it is perfectly suitable for limiting side effects, namely damage to healthy tissue or the surrounding nerves. Furthermore, the act is facilitated for surgeons: the adhesion of the fibrosis being weakened, the time of the surgical act can easily be reduced by 20 to 30% for several types of procedures. The interest of the CADISS® System is just as obvious for the health system since it makes it possible to avoid new operations and saves money on treatment for side effects. The quality of life of patients is thereby improved and their incapacity for work significantly reduced over time.

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Auxin Surgery’s devices were registered in early 2019, which enabled it to record a turnover of €100,000 that year. The company already signed distribution contracts in 21 countries (16 in Europe and in Canada, Taiwan, Korea, Israel and South-Africa) and targets eight Latin American countries thanks to a recently signed contract with a distributor manager.

Several other distribution contracts are in preparation, the most advanced ones being UK, Baltic countries, Brazil and several countries in Middle-East. And that’s not all: Auxin Surgery is actively seeking €9 million to strengthen the results of its research and thus be able to register new indications and obtain new registrations, in particular the FDA registration opening the United States market for commercialization. The company also intends to set up a semi-automated production site in order to increase its production capacities and strives to provide its distributors with optimal marketing support. An all-out offensive to penetrate new markets in North America, Middle East, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand … So many potential host countries for the CADISS® system!

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a for epidural fibrosis. The objective is always the same: to demonstrate the usefulness and safety of use of CADISS® devices.

The advantage of this process for patients is obvious: for example, the risk of relapse goes down from 25% to 10% for a cholesteatoma, an ear tumour. Similarly, the risk of damaging spine dura in case of reoperation drops from 30% to less than 10% when a fibrotic structure is adhering to the dura when using the CADISS® System. A boon for the patients, who thus avoid enduring the pains linked to dural tears and going through a long and more risky healing process.

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Fond Jean Pâques 4 1348 Louvain La Neuve Tel.: +32 (0)10 84 65 79 Email: info@auxin.eu https://auxin.eu/

Quality Management to guarantee the reliability of results issued to patients

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developments. In the area of economic management, it has developed dashboards and performance indicators, including benchmarking as well as close collaboration with the hospital's financial management unit.

Made up of a CoreLab at the Marie Curie Hospital and an Emergency Laboratory at André Vésale Hospital, the Charleroi CHU Clinical Biology Laboratory (CBL) carries out over 5.5 million tests a year on intra-hospital patients and ambulatory sample centres. Quality and technological innovation are at the heart of this approach.

More recently, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CBL was among the first laboratories to validate a home-made PCR screening technique for the virus and to be officially recognised by the federal authorities for these services. This has enabled the CBL to be a major clinical partner in the diagnosis of the disease. This development has thus made it possible to protect both the nursing staff and patients from infection by carrying out targeted screening campaigns in units at risk, such as dialysis, oncology, geriatrics, etc.

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Charleroi CHU - Clinical Biology Laboratory

or doctors based inside and outside of hospitals, the CBL performs all manner of analyses in the fields of biochemistry, haemostasis, haematology, immunohaematology, microbiology, infection serology and non-infection serology, molecular biology and medically assisted reproduction. Its team of a hundred multidisciplinary professionals are experts in the various techniques at the pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic stage.

The CBL also conducts clinical trials at the request of hospital clinicians, and as a secondary investigator issues the analyses specified by the lead investigators. This standardised procedure complies with the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry, in partnership with the intra-hospital Clinical Research Unit. In addition, the CBL maintains privileged contact with its prescribers through the provision of consulting services and therapeutic advice.

As part of its strategic development plan, the CBL continues to invest in the automation of its techniques, enabling it to process more and more samples and to meet the new expectations of its partners, patients and clinicians. Automation techniques affect all the main sectors of the CBL: clinical biochemistry, hormonology, serology, haematology, coagulation and now autoimmunity, molecular biology and microbiology. At the same time, the CBL also trains future doctors/pharmacists specialists and technologists, in partnership with the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Hautes Ecoles.

Faced with regulatory requirements (federal government decree on the implementation by 2020 of hospital care networks) and competition from other public and private laboratories, the CBL has established a three-way Managerial System for Quality, Strategy and Technological Innovation.

These different approaches finally allow the Clinical Biology Laboratory of the Charleroi University Hospital to be a major player in the regional healthcare basin and to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

In the field of quality, the laboratory demonstrates a certain experience in its mastery of the various standards and associated requirements: ISO9001 certified since 2006, ISO15189 accredited in its main sectors of activity and sites since 2015 and operating in an institution that is now recognised and accredited by the Haute Autorité de Santé, the CBL is continuing its recognition process by being a pilot sector for the future accreditation of the medical IT sector by following the ISO27001 standard.

Laboratoire de Biologie Clinique Hôpital Civil Marie Curie – CHU de Charleroi Chaussée de Bruxelles 140 - 6042 Lodelinsart Tel.: +32 (0)71 92 47 70 E-mails : danielle.govaerts@chu-charleroi.be (CBL Head of Service) raphael.lequeu@chu-charleroi.be (CBL Quality Coordinator) http://www.chu-charleroi.be/disciplines-medicales/biologie-clinique

In the area of strategic management, the CBL has defined a vision, missions, values and a flexible strategy map and uses modern management techniques to define a guideline and its future 118

Laboratory of Experimental Medicine (ULB 222) - CHU de Charleroi I

Multidisciplinary clinic research in tune with biotechnology companies

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Established in the mid-1980s and located in Charleroi CHU, the experimental medicine laboratory (LME) stands out through the resolutely multidisciplinary character of its research efforts and the direct connection to the hospital clinicians.

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© Laboratoire de médecine expérimentale

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The LME has developed a large number of national (ULB, UMONS, ULiège, Catholic University of Louvain) and European research partnerships within the framework of the European sleep research consortium, the THROMBUS European Project, Action COST CA15120 (mathematical, biological and medicine modelling) and the ESA Life Science Working Group (tissue healing in space: techniques for the promotion and monitoring of tissue repair and regeneration).

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In addition, the creation of regional collaborations in Charleroi would increase recruitment possibilities for LME research projects, and could even lead to new clinical investigation opportunities. In an age where technology is taking up an increasingly large place in healthcare, the Laboratory naturally intends to serve as a liaison between certain biotechnologies companies (OncoDNA, FMT, Cardiatis, Hyphen Biomed, etc.) and the hospital. A win-win situation!

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© Laboratoire de médecine expérimentale

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And that’s not all: other research projects are currently being prepared. Starting with a new European research project on Stroke. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), microcirculation in intensive care, internal medicine, maxillofacial surgery and paediatrics are other paths of clinical investigation for the LME.

00 university beds within the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) network, facilitated interaction with doctors, interns and postgraduates, direct access to sensitive samples for research and to medical equipment as well as access for doctors with research projects: these are the LME's many assets. The LME has structured its research activities in 3 major axes, namely aneurysm biology (experimental in vitro model on the behaviour of aneurysms during cardiac cycles, in vivo measurements - blood flow, movement of the aneurysm wall), platelets, red blood cells and haemostasis (3D imaging of platelet aggregates - holography - real-time imaging of the shape of red blood cells, platelet aggregation, fibrinolysis monitoring), inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolism (oxidative stress in cells, alteration of LDL by myeloperoxidase in circulation and endothelial cells, regulation of neutrophil and monocyte cell death).

n o l Laboratoire de médecine expérimentale (ULB 222)

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Faculté de Médecine, Université libre de Bruxelles ISPPC, CHU de Charleroi Rue de Gozée, 706 - B6110 Montigny-le-Tilleul Tel.: +32 (0)71 92 15 11 Fax: +32 (0)71 92 47 10 E-mail: Karim.Zouaoui.Boudjeltia@ulb.ac.be E-mail: karim.zouaoui@chu-charleroi.be https://www2.ulb.ac.be/rech/inventaire/unites/ULB222.html

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In a similar vein, the LME is also actively involved in the “Cerebrovascular excellence hub” scientific programme (PEC), which aims to optimise treatment for patients who suffer from intracranial aneurysms. This programme covers two doctoral theses in progress, the EMPEROR project bearing the label of the Walloon competitiveness cluster BioWin, the European project INSIST, an ERC grant headed by Dr Yacine Boulaftali (Inserm, Paris), the ESA BIOMICS project, an optimum cerebral perfusion and cerebral metabolism study on brain injury sufferers within an intensive care framework and - lastly - works aimed at reducing the occurrence of vascular and degenerative dementia in geriatrics.

GreenWin, the Walloon Innovation Cluster for chemical engineering and sustainable / ecoresponsible construction materials.

Interview with Ms Véronique GRAFF, Managing Director of the GreenWin innovation cluster in 2007. In addition, employment (FTE) has risen by 13%, i.e. by 17% more than the evolution of employment in the reference system. Lastly, the added value increased by €4.1 billion (+ 59%), i.e. an increase of 45% more than the evolution of added value in the reference system (14%).

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hat are the key figures for GreenWin? With nearly 200 members including over 150 businesses, the cluster has given its label to 56 projects for a budget of € 144M. GreenWin has been the coordinator of 2 European projects and is a partner in 2 others. GreenWin is split up into 9 Strategic Activity Areas covering the chemistry, construction and environmental technology sectors. GreenWin is the leader of 2 intercluster research themes: circular economy and carbon neutrality. Moreover, the cluster has launched 2 technological platforms (PEPIT, dedicated to the circularity of plastics and CONNECT) and is a member of 5 international networks. It has also concluded 4 international partnerships (not forgetting the 800 contacts of its international network) and an interregional partnership with Flanders and Brussels. Thanks to its activities, GreenWin stands at the heart of a network of businesses with a job growth rate of 20+% and an added value growth rate of 40+%.

© J. Donjean

Could you talk to us about the cluster's strategic activity areas and themes?

GreenWin is organised into 3 main areas of activity: chemistry, construction materials and environmental technologies. In addition, the cluster deploys in 9 strategic activity areas concerning the following sectors: green chemistry, the transformation of CO2 (CCU), biotechnologies, sustainable materials, energy storage and efficiency, construction systems, recycling, soils and sediments, sewage and sludge, air and sediments. Two transversal areas (the circular and digital economy) are added to this. These various activities have openings in three application sectors: chemistry, construction and environment.

Could you present GreenWin's industrial sectors to us?

They represent 85,000 direct jobs (26% from industrial employment) and 160,000+ indirect jobs, plus €1.6 billion in R&D expenditure (60% of expenditure on private R&D) and €15 billion in exports (36% of Walloon exports). Between 2007 and 2017, the 880 business members of the clusters (+90% of which are SMEs) created +13,000 jobs (FTE). In 2016, the businesses in the Clusters represented 53% of the “industry” reference system in terms of jobs (FTE). The reference system is made up of the manufacturing industry, the construction sector (10%) and the logistics transport sector. This percentage was 45%

© GreenWin

© GreenWin

Could you talk to us about your members and the services that you offer them?

GreenWin members, above all a network of SMEs, large businesses, universities and colleges of higher education, Certified Research Centres (CRAs) and training centres… are among the best performing in their field and produce the most impressive results. The cluster's businesses generate job growth of between 20 and 40%. Lastly, the cluster is made up of a network whose individual members are highly inspirational: we call them GreenWinners.

GreenWin helps in make the planet transferable to the next generations

Impossible is NOT GreenWin

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What do the Walloon projects WaloSCRAP and BATILOOP consist of?

These two projects are linked to the identification of deposits of recyclable materials in Wallonia which combine several characteristics: ¾ A challenge for industries given the volumes concerned; ¾ The characteristics that allow for the deployment of a “selfcarrying” business model; ¾ Their capacity to generate activities and income.

© GreenWin

BATILOOP and WaloSCRAP have made it possible to build innovation partnerships in the field of recycling for plaster, flat glass, automotive glass etc.

CONSTRUCTION 4.0 is a key stake for our future.

Via WaloSCRAP we deal with many sectors such as the plastics sector via the implementation of PEPIT – Polymers Ecocircularity Platform for an Industrial Transition.

PEPIT is a platform of partners, a group of technologies, skills, equipment and a network of experts.

What partnerships have you developed?

145 innovation partnerships have been developed in our strategic sectors. We work tirelessly on “interoperability” with other clusters, in particular in the field of the circularity of polymer production. Two years ago, we signed an interregional Memorandum of Understanding with our Flemish alter ego Catalisti, and this agreement has itself generated an agreement between the Walloon, Flemish and Brussels administrations to facilitate putting interregional projects together, whatever the size of the consortium partners. This was and still is an historic first in Belgium. The goal is to allow for smoother innovation opportunities and to stimulate the creation of direct and indirect jobs within the interregional projects.

The platform's goal is to accelerate innovations in industry based on three technological lines: mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and biotechnologies.

It is created and acts with a view to the integration of these lines into a circular economy so as to allow for the circularity of plastic materials.

It has a threefold objective: ¾ making an integrated technological network accessible to industries for the performance of specific tests and analyses, in particular with a view to reducing the risks linked to the launching of innovation projects; ¾ ensuring the rapid start-up of concrete projects - via the pooling of skills and equipment and a direct connection between the research players and industry; ¾ accelerating the bringing to market of competitive industrialisable solutions, by allowing industries in Wallonia to access a regional skills pool via a platform that groups together several Approved Walloon Research Centres working in partnership on project guidance and feasibility.

Could you give us a few examples of projects bearing the cluster's label in R&D and training?

We have several success stories of which we are very proud, and here is a selection.

ATISOL C2C develops new solutions for building insulation by combining three advantages: use of circular materials whose energy performances are more efficient and that are easier to implement. The project is led by DERBIGUM (Imperbel) and made up of partnerships between manufacturers of insulation materials, coatings, adhesive materials, an architecture consultancy, a university and several CRAs.

Could you tell us about the LCiP project? How do you rate it as regards the Walloon SMEs involved?

LCiP (Life Cycle in Practice) is a European project, which the cluster has been a partner. Its goal was to make life cycle analysis (LCA) accessible to SMEs.

MEDIX focuses on micropollutants in effluents from the hospital and pharmaceutical sector, with some success. This project led

by JOHN COCKERILL Group brings together a company active in sewage treatment and one active in ecodesign, hospitals, cutting edge expertise that is the result of European projects involving some Universities and CRAs.

8 Belgian SMEs have played the game and benefited as pioneers from customised tools as well as being able to take strategic decisions to adapt their business model to the LCA principles.

These are businesses such as PREFER, MOBIC, PCIM, ISOHEMP, RUBBERGREEN, PUR VER, BIOWASTE RECYCLING and PAN-TERRE.

For its part, GreenTechs is a training course aimed at production and laboratory technicians in chemistry and sustainable materials production. Its objective is to place skilled people on the job market in sectors with a shortage of candidates, prepared for the necessary changes in industrial apparatus, with a concern for the environment and safety. It is a matter of meeting needs for qualified jobs in green chemistry. At least 80% of trainees have returned to direct employment after the training course.

CEFOCHIM was the project leader.

In addition, the cluster has put in place a resource centre articulated around 3 of our members: CSTC, MATERIA NOVA and ULiège-PEPS. It is consequently perfectly possible for any interested SME to contact the cluster in order to access the services of this resource centre.

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© GreenWin

2020-2025 Roadmap of the GreenWin innovation cluster

Interim Report 1 of the Post-COVID Recovery Task Force

Another European project for which we have been a coordinator is remarkable for its pioneering status and high involvement: SCOT, the number 1 European initiative in the field of capturing and using CO2, which has generated and promoted the notion of carbon neutrality and/or carbon circularity.

Government which will then decide which of the projects will be retained for the label. Lastly the completion of the consortium agreement will open up the path to the grant agreement and project start-up.

GreenWin has produced a 2020-2025 Road Map, in which a list of 11 specific themes are added to the regular strategic fields of action. Because a goal without a plan is just a wish, eventually.

This project brought to the table clusters and universities from France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and defined the European strategic agenda in this regard. And for the continuation of this project, GreenWin has been commissioned to establish a lasting European structure carried by industry in a number of different sectors: CO2 Value Europe. SPIRE, a Public-Private Partnership between industries and the European Commission, has for that matter integrated the lessons from SCOT into its strategy and in its priority areas. This is also the case for the BBI JU (Joint Undertaking).

The COVID-19 global crisis has had a massive impact on our economy, and no sector will be spared. However, from the very beginning of the 1st lockdown period back in March 2020, GreenWin has reacted and opened up a dialogue with its Membership and ecosystem to identify the needs and gather the vital strength in order to cope with the situation. More than ever, agility is a factor of survival and resilience. GreenWin aims at optimising all opportunities, setting up unlikely but complementary alliances, reinventing adapted actions and potential interactions to back up its Members and help them cope with the new, circumstantial challenges. GreenWin has set up a postCOVID recovery Task Force, which has produced a first wish list of situations to deal with in order to support our ecosystem. This tool will follow and back up the steady work of strategic analysis and adaptations which GreenWin already set up a while ago,

What calls for projects are planned for 2021 on the cluster’s themes?

Three calls for projects will be organised with the projects to be submitted in March, June and December 2021 respectively.

They always follow the same procedure: starting with handing in a letter of intent and holding an orientation meeting with the cluster's operational team, and ending with a validation of the file with the GreenWin technical-economic panel of experts.

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The challenges in our fields of action are in truth cross-disciplinary but our areas of activity are at the heart of the solutions to be developed and deployed to overcome them on a broader stage, that of society.

Chemistry is faced with a threefold challenge: ¾ The challenges linked to climate change; ¾ Vulnerability of access to resources; ¾ Access to energy.

© GreenWin

Limitation to access to resources and impacts of climate change will lead to the emergence of tensions and geopolitical pressures from which no one is able to escape.

Construction is a major sector for environement improvement.

leaning on an effective community that is used to cooperate and work within a collaborative innovation approach. “Union is strength” is the Belgian national motto, and it is not a vain leitmotiv as far as GreenWin is concerned.

The very nature of our planet is circular and finite, and the increasing rarity of resources will pose problems. Green chemistry will therefore be a crucial key to reduce these pressures and risks of tensions.

Construction for its part is faced with a twofold challenge: ¾ In the very short term, the digital tidal wave that is washing over the links of the production chain and its impact on the creation of new jobs, all the contours of which it is currently impossible to fully imagine, as well as on employment in this sector with the risk of crisis that this implies; ¾ The calling into question of business models and flexibility, which will increasingly be key factors in the industrial prosperity of the Belgian construction sectors.

What activities are you developing internationally?

From the very outburst of the pandemic, GreenWin has been very active in taking part in international, online think tanks in order to facilitate exchanges of information, international partnerships and pragmatic solutions to deal with the urgent needs and cope with material shortages. In this framework, our partnership with the EU networks for European represent other sources of cooperation, expansion and international promotion.

There is also a need to take waste management into consideration, both at industry and consumer level. In this respect, “cradle-tocradle” is increasingly imposing itself as the solution but it implies the changing of the entire sector of recycling which needs to become a partner and not an adversary of “zero waste” by agreeing to call into question its mode and type of functioning according to Lavoisier's universal principle which retains its full force today: nothing is lost, nothing is being created, everything is being transformed…

© GreenWin

© GreenWin

What are the main challenges that have to be overcome in the next few years by players in sustainable chemistry, materials, sustainable construction and environmental technologies?

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted pre-existing challenges we knew we had to face, only with more accuracy and adding a sense of emergency to several of them. Agility, adaptability, keenness to cooperate and reconsider usual production processes will be, more than ever, key factors to be enhanced and encouraged, within our eco-system.

Environmental biotechnologies are leading to solutions.

Green Chemistry is one of the 9 strategic fields of GreenWin.

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The Universities of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels), fully involved in the fight against the Corona disease, and together focused on societal challenges

© LIEU Network

Interview with Dr Ir Michel MORANT and Dr Ir Olivier VANDE VYVER, President and Manager of the LIEU Network

prepared to face an epidemy, specially the more developed countries where the advanced medical systems had induced a total feeling of security among the population.

When the medical systems were overloaded by patients, the governments called scientists for help to understand what was happening, to evaluate what could happen, to give advise to slow down the disease, and to explain to the population what to do and what to avoid.

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ould you remind us of the missions of the LIEU Network?

The ‘Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles’ Universities have a great deal of potential for innovation, which they want to use for the development of the region. This is the aim of KTOs (Knowledge Transfer Offices), also known as interfaces. In 2003, these organisations decided to work together and create the LIEU Network, which is supported by the Walloon Government and the Conference of Rectors.

Never in the past, such a number of academics were called to explain in all media the situation, what measures should be taken, what is the evolution of the COVID in the population, in other countries.

The LIEU Network has four objectives: • to promote the scientific resources of universities and facilitate their access to companies; • to develop research collaborations between companies and research units; • to operate the tech transfer, from scouting inventions to licensing and spin-off creation; • to support the teams in a continuous process of professionalisation.

It looked like the daily debriefing of the US General Colin Powell during the first Gulf war, with the difference that soldiers had been replaced by scientists.

Virologists, epidemiologists, physicians, medical doctors, intensive care unit specialists, economists, psychologists, pediatricians, … all have been asked to give opinion or advice, to describe the reality, the problems.

Indeed, since early 2020, our life around the whole world has been re-shaped by the COVID-19 pandemy. What has been the role of universities during this period?

The universities have played a growing role during this period.

At the beginning, some alert launchers claimed in the desert that a new problem was rising. Most countries were totally un-

© LIEU Network

Of course, this was the visible part of the iceberg, day after day.

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What was then the hidden part of the iceberg?

The role of universities is to act permanently at frontier research in order to provide an updated education to the students, whatever their age, and to help the Society answer to fundamental questions. Particularly in the Corona crisis, when a new phenomenon – a totally unknown, but very active virus - appears, a lot of questions rise and wait for answers. What kind of virus? What’s its behavior? What could be the consequences? How to efficiently detect it? How to treat it? How to prevent it? How to measure its expansion? How to slow its expansion? What could be its sequels?

How to organize the Society to face it? What should be the restrictions for the population? What are the economic consequences?

How to organize schools? How to organize retirement homes?

How are young people affected? And what about the elderly? …

All of those questions concern and mobilize experts from all disciplines: medical of course (virology, epidemiology, breath diseases, …), natural sciences, statistics, geography, demography, engineers, psychology, sociology, computer sciences, …

The capacity of a country or a community to face the problems was related to the capacity of embedded top scientists to help the governments to take adequate decisions. Of course, while facing such a new situation, the answers can differ, hypothesis are tested, experienced, improved, based on trials and errors processes.

Let us also emphasize the capacity of scientists to exchange on a planetary basis, in an actual and full-scale open science exercise, with the result that the number of ways and the speed to get outcomes have drastically increased.

Can you present some examples?

The genome of the virus was rapidly decoded in order to detect it and DNA protocols have rapidly been set up. But, as soon as the epidemy became pandemic, a worldwide need for specific reagents appeared, with a rapid shortage of most of them.

Testing UNamur proposed then a list of well-known protocols for producing reagents in university labs, and this diagnostic method was widely disseminated in other universities among 28 countries. Testing platforms have been quickly set up in all universities and university hospitals, with many volunteers among researchers and technicians to face the peak of demand. © LIEU Network

ULiège focused its efforts first to develop a kit of diagnostic to increase the testing capacity in Belgium by using automated machines instead of manual protocols. New fabrication protocols for specific reagents were developed by the chemical department, while a cooperation with companies enabled a local production of all necessary plastic consumables to be used on the automated machines. With 400.000 tests realized over 6 months, the Liege testing center is the largest center in Belgium and provides reagents and materials to other testing centers in Belgium and abroad. The next step which was available in September was developed to enable mass testing of the population. The test is based on a saliva sample that is put directly by the patient in a tube, without the help of any medical professional. The virus is automatically inactivated in the tube and the sample is sent to

the laboratory in a PCR protocol, and the patient can directly be informed of the results. The first mass testing application has been applied weekly to the university community of 30.000 students and employees.

“Spin-off companies, created on the basis of university research like Zentech, e-Biom…, in collaboration with Diagenode, Coris Bioconcept, which work closely with universities, have also developed PCR kits, serology kits, kits for wastewater flows, …”

© LIEU Network

Devices In intensive care centers, breath assistance was required for many patients, and Engineering schools of ULB and UCLouvain provided home made artificial respirators. Some companies, in cooperation with labs (UMONS, ULiege, UCLouvain, …), have developed specific UV lamps or plasma lamps to kill the virus or radiations protocols for the sterilization of masks. Our Fablabs have developed the production of swabs or protection glasses or screens.

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In the emergency services, 40 to 50 medical masks are currently used per day and per patient. In view of the current shortage of healthcare staff, it is essential to study the possibility of decontaminating this equipment in order to reuse it. In recent years, plasma technologies, developed in symbiosis at Mons by UMONS and Materia Nova, have often been highlighted for their ability to modify and improve the surface properties of

Researchers from the University of Mons (UMONS) have pooled their expertise to create a website dedicated to the detection and understanding of anxiety among the youngest among us (from 3 to 25 years old) in this period of epidemic and lock-down.

These examples aim at illustrating the involvement of all disciplines in universities to bring an added value to the fight against the coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease. This huge mobilization happened within some weeks and is a testimonial of the engagement of universities in the third mission towards the Society.

materials of all types. In the context of the current health crisis and the glaring problem of a shortage of medical equipment, a working group was set up to study ways of producing masks and reusing used ones. In the UMONS and Materia Nova laboratories, in collaboration with the Centexbel research centre and with the ULiège and Liège University Hospital, it was demonstrated that plasma cleaning of surgical masks is a promising approach which, in relatively short treatment times (< 15 minutes) and using inexpensive equipment, makes it possible to reduce viral contamination by 4 orders of magnitude and bacterial contamination by 6 orders of magnitude, without affecting the filtering properties or breathability of the masks.

Aside from the role of Universities in the fight against COVID-19, could you tell us more about LiEU’s organization, actions and roles?

Who are the members of the LIEU Network?

The LIEU Network brings together the KTOs of Belgian Frenchspeaking Universities: • Université catholique de Louvain – UCLouvain; • Université libre de Bruxelles – ULB; • University of Liège - ULiège; • University of Namur – UNamur; • University of Mons – UMONS; • Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles.

Symptoms Physicians of UMONS have led a wide study on the disturbances of taste and smell (anosmia) that is experienced by COVID patients, and also on the recovery process.

This study showed that : - mild forms of COVID-19 infection present a different set of symptoms from severe forms. Anosmia is a specific symptom of mild forms; - currently, patients with initial or isolated severe anosmia appear to have a 90% risk of suffering from COVID-19.

Epidemiology UClouvain has been involved in the field of epidemiology studies in Belgium and in Italy to better understand the dissemination of the virus.

© LIEU Network

Vaccines UCLouvain and ULB are quite active in immunology and vaccine development. ULB and UAntwerpen together have set up a specific testing center for vaccines with 30 beds, with the aim of rapidly testing any vaccine on patients when it will be available according to the classical safety rules of course.

The LIEU Network works closely with other players for innovation such as SOWALFIN, SynHERA, Enterprise Europe Network, …

Human and social consequences Humanities are also very important to help us understand the behaviour, the resistance, and the resilience of people or communities in confined situations. UCLouvain has led different studies on how parents, families and kids can bear a long confinement period, and how the mental health of the population changes during the confinement. Of course, economists have also developed new models to assess the impact of the pandemic on companies, the society, and welfare.

What partnerships have you developed?

The LIEU Network and academia have a good record of collaboration with the 6 Walloon competitiveness clusters (BioWin, Wagralim, Skywin, Greenwin, MecaTech, Logistics in Wallonia) and works at different levels. When calls for tenders are being launched by the Walloon Government through the clusters, each thematic working group helps the clusters to identify university teams that may be interested.

The LIEU Network also assists them in drawing up projects submitted for public funding and helps them map out regional university research potential. The LIEU Network also helps promoting the results generated by cluster projects and is typically involved in brokerage events organised by the clusters, such as the BioWin Days.

© Valentin Bianchi

It is important that the LIEU Network and the clusters coordinate their efforts to achieve optimal effectiveness.

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Could you introduce the 6 working groups organised by professional sectors of the LIEU Network?

We quickly realised the benefit of organising ourselves into thematic working groups that bring together the scientific advisers

from the various institutions according to their field. The LIEU Network brings together the skills of more than 10,000 researchers in the following areas: agro-food, biotechnology and health, energy and environment, materials, digital technologies, human and social sciences.

process and also to contribute to the regional development. This mobilisation ranges from awareness-raising actions and intellectual property, to research contracts and funding, even though researchers are much more familiar with this than they were 15 years ago.

These thematic working groups are actual technology platforms, operational gateways to the labs for companies seeking access to university expertise: they analyse the requests from industry, direct them to the academic teams who are in the best position to handle the technical challenge and assist them in setting up collaborations. These platforms are also platforms to promote new results, new technologies which are available for companies.

Responsibility of LIEU members is to help researchers to bring projects from TRL (Technology Readiness Level) 2 to TRL 4 or even TRL 5 to 6. This includes managing IP (Intellectual Property), achieving the proof of concept, looking for relevant partners, setting up agreements, and finally transferring properly the technology to the more suitable partner to get to the market. Additionally, the LIEU Network brings some support for the promotion of laboratories among companies, using industrial language and standards, instead of pure scientific approach.

Of course, these platforms work in close collaboration with relevant partners, especially the 6 Walloon competitiveness clusters, the 23 industry research centers or sectorial federations in such varied fields as chemistry, electronics, agribusiness, etc.

How do you assist companies?

Our first area is providing access to university expertise that can meet the needs of companies. This is a considerable task as the knowledge and technologies available are highly diverse.

Our second area is the organisation of meetings to match offer and demand.

What are your technology offers?

The technology offers showcase innovative technologies whose intellectual property has been secured thanks to the support of the scientific advisers and the patent experts of Knowledge Transfer Offices. These technologies are available for valorisation and commercialisation. This can take different forms: a license agreement or research collaboration with a private company.

Finally, our third area is assisting in implementing research collaborations and technology transfers. It is essential that these fundamentally different environments of research and business understand each other and work together in the interest of both sides and regional development.

Could you tell us about your services to the 10,000 researchers of the ‘Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles’?

A researcher’s primary job is to carry out research, with all this entails in terms of scientific publishing and excellence. With this in mind, it is the responsibility of the LIEU Network and KTOs to mobilise researchers and support their efforts into the innovation

What are the salient features of your 2019 activity report?

In 2019, the LIEU Network raised the awareness of about 3.500 researchers to calls for projects, intellectual property and valorisation. It also supported 100 patent applications and conducted more than 1.200 contacts between companies and researchers at meetings that were organised with KTOs. In addition, the LIEU Network takes care of 200 invention disclosures and about 1.000 new applied research contracts each year (research agreements, service agreements and others).

The KTOs of LIEU also provided 175 technology transfers in 2019 and created 10 spin-off companies.

Let us recall that since its creation, the LIEU Network has supported the creation of more than 300 spin-offs, employing more than 5,000 people.

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© LIEU Network

© LIEU Network

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Supporting clinician-researchers to ensure advances in translational research Interview with Mr Julien COMPÈRE, CEO of University Hospital of Liege (CHU Liège)

personnel of the pharmaceutical company, which is very up to date with all the new developments regarding treatments. There has even been an agreement concluded between the GIGA doctoral school and Janssen Pharmaceutica.

© CHU Liège

In your opinion, what are the main challenges faced by human health researchers?

It is essential that clinician-researchers keep their status because they are in contact with patients and behind the main progress in medical research. But, the pressure on clinicians is increasing all the time as they are expected to see more and more patients to meet productivity and profitability requirements. Moreover, clinicians are increasingly faced with the difficulties related to finding funding for their research work. However, they must reconcile these two aspects of their activity and still save enough time for fundamental research and for patients likely to take part in clinical trials. In conclusion, I would like to point out that there is increasing competition on a global level due to the rise of medical research in developing countries. Therefore, it is essential that we maintain our level of excellence if we wish to continue to receive funding from the pharmaceutical industry and the European Commission. Our excellence is the real key to the future.

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hat are the key figures for research at CHU Liège ?

CHU Liège has almost 1,000 doctors who devote between a fifth and a quarter of their time to research. This corresponds to the equivalent of 200 full-time researchers. In addition, there are close to 400 clinical studies in progress at CHU Liège. One of its doctors, Prof. Lancellotti, received two ERC grants from the European Commission for the development of a prosthetic heart valve with a specific coating of bioactive material to combat thrombosis. This project involved collaboration with GIGA, the interdisciplinary research institute in biomedical sciences of Liège University.

What are the strong points of CHU Liège research?

Our main asset is the concentration of clinician-researchers from the CHU, the GIGA with its research platforms and animal facility, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine on one site. This concentration is very conducive to the development of translational research.

What research partnerships have you developed with the pharmaceutical industry?

CHU Liège has developed a very successful partnership with Janssen Pharmaceutica. This partnership is the only one of its kind in the French-speaking part of Belgium and is similar to a partnership concluded between UZ Gent and the Belgian subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company, Johnson & Johnson. The aim of this collaboration is to promote the development of clinical trials, to send students to Janssen Pharmaceutica on internships and to foster exchange between CHU Liège practitioners and the

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Could you give us a few examples of research projects in progress?

In addition to Prof. Lancellotti’s project mentioned earlier, we could also refer to Prof. Maquet’s project on the evolution of cognitive abilities and the functioning of the human brain when people are subjected to long periods of sleep deprivation or insufficient sleep, or indeed Prof. Louis’s project on the development of biomarkers in the context of Crohn’s disease.

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Sizeable investments for the life sciences Interview with Mr Marc FOIDART, COO of Noshaq particular allows for referral on to the specialist funds to which Noshaq contributes.

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hat are the key figures for Noshaq?

Since it was created in 1985, this public investment fund has invested €912M, €477M of which in the past five years and €110M for the year 2018 alone. This clear acceleration in financial commitments has benefited 480 businesses, 285 of which have received a capital contribution.

Noshaq has also led to the creation of Accessia Pharma, which is developing offices, laboratories and clean rooms in Milmort (Herstal) to allow startups and SMEs active in biotechnologies and the pharmaceutical sector to bring about clinical and commercial developments. In all, over €30M has been invested in health infrastructures with Liège CHU and nearby Liège airport. © Noshaq

What funding solutions do you offer to businesses?

Noshaq acts from the business start-up thanks to pre-seed funds and seed funds. The budget granted - of at least a few dozen thousand Euro - makes it possible to draw up a business plan. Life science businesses for their part are eligible to receive contributions exceeding €2.5M. Over the past 5 years, Noshaq has invested €95M in the life sciences, €33M of which was invested in 2018. It has to be said that Noshaq 's strategic plan makes the life sciences a cornerstone of regional economic development. In addition, the fund is able to call on Walloon doctors and the 600 researchers of Liège CHU and ULiège in order to serve “innovation barometers”.

What do you think are the main challenges facing the Walloon Region in terms of funding innovation?

The Walloon Region has already put in place very high performance funding mechanisms led by DGO6. I am particularly thinking of repayable advances and the FIRST Spin-Off programme which makes it possible to fund up to 55% of research costs. This gives the Walloon Region a genuine competitive advantage over bordering regions in terms of appeal. Lastly, to make the ecosystem perform even better, I note an example seen in my collaborations with the Flemish universities: they are funded by the Flemish Government to confront the results of their research with their market environment. Therefore Flemish spin-offs are being created with a higher level of maturity and are showing much more substantiated proofs of concept, thereby substantially increasing their growth potential.

In more general terms, Noshaq offers all possible funding solutions from stakeholding acquisition, junior loans and senior loans etc. to subordinated loans.

Could you give us a few examples of funded businesses?

Noshaq has already supported fifty businesses in the life sciences, including Mithra Pharma (women health), quoted on Euronext, and PDC Line (immuno-oncology), Imcyse (treatment solutions against autoimmune and infectious diseases), Miracor Medical (processing of severe cardiac diseases)…

Noshaq provides guidance to all projects that make sense economically and scientifically and have true potential.

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What projects of regional interest do you support?

Alongside initiatives such as Liège Image Cluster, the project Giga (ULiège), WSL (Wallonia Space Logistic), WBC (Wallonia Biotech Coaching) and Liege Airport Business Park, Noshaq has supported the launch of Bridge 2 Health (B2H), an action that groups together Liège CHU, ULiège, Noshaq and SPI to lead the health innovation economy and make Liège a hub on a European scale. B2H provides supervision to the whole of the portfolio of health projects in the Liège region with a view to creating an ecosystem that is favourable to development and growth of Walloon spin-offs. It in 129

GIGA - Interdisciplinary Research Institute in Biomedical Sciences of the University of Liège Cutting-edge technological platforms at the service of the biomedical sector The aim of GIGA’s technological platforms is to meet the needs of the biomedical sector by providing high quality technological support and cutting-edge expertise in research and industrial and academic innovation (from fundamental to preclinical and clinical).

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he ability to explore the genome (DNA), transcriptome (RNA) and proteome (proteins) of different organisms, analyse the data generated through systematic analysis thanks to bioinformatics and replace it in a cellular or organismic context seems indispensable for all research projects or businesses active in the field of biopharmaceuticals or biotechnologies. This is also true of research conducted in the food industry and materials sector.

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Access to exceptional technological equipment for research and innovation is becoming difficult - especially for SMEs - due to the implementation cost and increasing levels of expertise they require. The GIGA's technological platforms group together cutting-edge technologies and top-of-the-range skills. They can be accessed by researchers in all sectors (both academic and private).

The first operational 7 Tesla MRI scanner in Belgium, an ultra-high magnetic field imaging device, was installed at the Cyclotron-In Vivo Imaging GIGA Research Centre at the University of Liège in September 2019.

Daily interaction with the research units makes it possible to adapt the services on offer to the demands of researchers and to keep pace with scientific and technical progress. The advantages of this approach are many. It guarantees equipment that is always at the cutting edge of technology, it offers a local, accessible service to the academic world and local businesses at an optimal cost and provides analyses carried out by experts in the field.

The new 7 Tesla MRI scanner will initially be dedicated to neuroimaging research. The level of infra-millimetric resolution of the brain structure and the ability to detect with incredible precision the variations in the brain’s activity will allow several of the GIGA’s scientific teams to continue their work in the field of neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases.

“In order to gain more in-depth knowledge of brain physiology and pathologies and further develop our research on cognitive neuroscience, we need to be able to study increasingly small structures and nerve cells”, explains Dr Éric Salmon, director of the Cyclotron-In Vivo Imaging GIGA Research Centre.

The GIGA's technological platforms The GIGA provides services in the following fields: - Genomics - In vitro Imaging (via Cell Imaging and Flow Cytometry) - In vivo Imaging (via the Cyclotron CRC platform) - Immunohistology - Viral Vectors - Proteomics - Animal Facilities (Mouse and Zebrafish).

The 7 Tesla MRI MAGNETOM Terra, developed by Siemens Healthineers, is able to produce images of the living human brain at a very high isotropic spatial resolution up to 0.2 mm.

This MRI scanner will first and foremost help researchers to more quickly identify new neurodegenerative pathology biomarkers, achieve a better understanding of sleep, list the metabolic processes of the brain and visualise neurodegenerative diseases.

Exceptional equipment

The NovaSeq6000 sequencer In genomics, the platform now has a new generation sequencer, the NovaSeq 6000 Illumina, which it purchased this year with ERDF funding.

The 7 Tesla MRI Among the exceptional equipment that the GIGA has, we should mention the first 7 Tesla MRI scanner operational in Belgium.

This ultra-high magnetic field imaging device has been installed at the Cyclotron-In Vivo Imaging GIGA Research Centre at the University of Liège since September. Thanks to this state-of-the-art technology, researchers will be better able to understand the cerebral physiology and pathology of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.

The NovaSeq6000 is a cutting-edge, ultra-high-speed sequencer with the necessary capacity to routinely sequence entire (human) genomes. It is possible to analyse 48 human genomes in two days, which allows for accurate and personalised medicine.

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Thanks to this exceptional technology, applications that require a large amount of data such as sequencing of the entire human genome, exome sequencing at great depth and personalised tumour profiling can be carried out much more quicker and accurately. This sequencer is also fully compatible with projects that require less speed, but also has the advantage of a reagent cost that is lower than that of other sequencers.

Zebrafish: a model for medical research The GIGA zebrafish aquarium houses around 15,000 fish.

The zebrafish has multiple advantages as a model for medical research. In addition to its high level of homology with humans (75% of the genome), they also have the advantage of very fast embryo development, i.e. 3 days. What is more, the embryos are transparent, which facilitates imaging. The reproduction time is also very short. These fish reach sexual maturity in 3-4 months and a female lays on average 150 eggs a week, which is a much higher fertility rate than in other species.

Lightsheet Zeiss Z1 microscope The Cell Imaging platform has a whole range of state-of-the-art microscopes. Among those, we would like to tell you about the Lightsheet microscope.

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Zebrafish can be used in a large number of scientific fields, whether for developmental processes, the discovery and screening of new molecules, in neuroscience, in the cardiovascular field, to study organ regeneration processes or to monitor host-microbe interactions in immunology, behavioural genetics and (eco)toxicology.

Embedded in the heart of the GIGA institute, the Cell Imaging Core Facility specializes in advanced light microscopy. Our goal is to help researchers to use these systems to answer their research questions.

LIGHT-SHEET MICROSCOPES illuminate samples with a thin sheet of light, and the emitted fluorescence is then collected at 90° by a wide-field detection system. Moving the sample through the sheet of light enables rapid acquisition of 2D optical sections, which can be combined to generate a 3D image of the sample.

Our Lightsheet Zeiss Z1 proposes long-term live imaging of semi-transparent model systems such as zebrafish and drosophila embryos and imaging of fixed, cleared tissues such as mouse embryos, tissues and organs up to 5mm thickness, cellular aggregates and spheroids.

The MS Quanta platform This year, Wallonia and the ERDF European funds invested over 2 million euros in MS-QUANTA, a platform dedicated to the validation of new biomarkers. This new academic structure installed at ULiège (GIGA Proteomics) and at UMONS has given Wallonia considerable analysis capacities in a promising field given the role biomarkers play in the development of personalised medicine, industrial microbiology and food safety. Within MSQUANTA, the role played by ULiège and the GIGA will focus more specifically on proteomics guided by mass spectrometry imaging, a high-performance instrument for identifying and quantifying biomarkers.

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A unique structure in Belgium, MS-QUANTA will strengthen the analytical capacity of all health academic and industrial stakeholders in Wallonia, enabling them to benefit from recent technological developments in the field of biomarker validation. The analytical platform will also be useful for other fast-growing scientific and economic sectors, in particular the agri-food (food safety), environment and industrial microbiology sectors.

The GIGA zebrafish aquarium houses around 15,000 fish: this species has a great number of advantages for use as a medical research model.

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GIGA Advanced medical solution from cutting-edge academic research The GIGA is the biomedical science interdisciplinary research institute of the University of Liège.

Cutting-edge technological platforms GIGA's researchers also receive cross-disciplinary services: access to cutting-edge technological platforms (see article below).

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ocated within the university hospital on Sart-Tilman campus, the GIGA has over 600 scientists specialising in the development of health solutions for patients. Among the scientists at GIGA are doctors, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons, psychologists, molecular and cellular biologists, chemists, physicians, mathematicians and engineers.

Training GIGA's mission includes the development of talents for the global and local life sciences industry through its unique GIGA doctoral school and lifelong training programme (in partnership with FOREM).

The researchers at GIGA are grouped into units by topic: systems (neurosciences, cancer, infection-inflammation-immunity, cardiovascular diseases) and methods (medical genomics, in silico medicine). They have an assistance division to draw up and manage grant applications and provide administrative support.

Innovation GIGA supports start-ups and emerging businesses in its “labhotel” and through the spaces available for businesses.

GIGA is an employer that promotes equal opportunities, staff development and wellbeing based on responsibility, integrity and mutual respect. GIGA's membership is over 50% female and comes from 45 countries.

Academic excellence GIGA’s members strive to achieve academic excellence to encourage revolutionary medical innovations. The GIGA has the highest concentration of ERC beneficiaries in the Walloon Region.

Every day, GIGA's members publish a scientific article, including in the world’s leading journals. GIGA's members have filed over 100 patent applications for medical solutions.

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Translational research Translational research is becoming increasingly significant these days. It builds bridges between the “research” cluster and the “clinical” cluster for the benefit of patients. The GIGA concept

Aerial view of the GIGA, located within the university hospital on the Sart-Tilman campus in Liège

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was formulated based on the principle that interactions between academic researchers and clinicians are essential in order to produce top quality research that delivers genuine health benefits. Profiting from its exceptional location within the university hospital, the GIGA provides this constant dialogue between researchers and doctors with a view to improving diagnosis, patient care and also quality of life and treatment. In this way, researchers are briefed on the current real-life clinical factors at play and doctors are encouraged to pass on their clinical observations to researchers.

Recent discoveries made by GIGA researchers illustrate this research jointly driven by academic researchers and University Hospital Centre doctors.

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GIGA researchers have discovered a common denominator that triggers asthma in ideal environmental conditions such as pollution or excess levels of hygiene.

Prof. Patrizio Lancellotti, Dr Cécile Oury and their team discovered a few months ago that a medication prescribed for heart disease, coronary syndrome and cardiac arrest is also a powerful antibiotic.

Over the past few decades, asthma has become a major public health issue. The exponential increase in cases of asthma in industrialised countries that has been observed over the past fifty years is due to major changes in our environment. Among these environmental factors are excessive hygiene, ambient air pollution and respiratory viral infections… Until now, the mechanism by which these specific environments are conducive to the development of asthma was unknown. In a study published in Nature Immunology, Prof. Thomas Marichal (a qualified FRS-FNRS researcher, Welbio and ERC investigator) and Prof. Fabrice Bureau (Welbio investigator) and their GIGA teams have put their finger on a completely unexpected variable that represents a common denominator in the various pro-allergic environments: specific neutrophils are recruited in the lungs and are responsible for allergic sensitisation and the development of asthma. This discovery allows a number of new treatment options to be considered in the prevention and treatment of allergic asthma.

A GIGA team has discovered that a medication usually prescribed for heart disease is also a powerful antibiotic, including against resistant strains.

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Prof. Patrizio Lancellotti, Dr Cécile Oury and their team (Lucia Musumeci, Nicolas Jacques, GIGA-Cardiovascular Sciences, Cardiology Department, Liège University Hospital Centre) discovered a few months ago that a medication prescribed for heart disease, coronary syndrome and cardiac arrest is also a powerful antibiotic. This represents a major new advance in the fight against infection via Gram-positive bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have shown that the antiplatelet medication ticagrelor (marketed under the name Brilique® in Belgium) has a bactericidal effect on Gram-positive bacteria. In addition, this medication retains an identical effect against antibiotic-resistant strains. Ticagrelor kills Staphyloccocus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria that have a high resistance to methicillin and Enteroccus faecalis which has a high resistance to vancomycin. Its speed of action is higher than that of the antibiotics currently used in clinics and the frequency of resistance occurrence is extremely low. The team of Prof. Patrizio Lancellotti and Dr Cécile Oury are currently pursuing this vital line of research at the GIGA in collaboration with Prof. Bernard Pirotte and Prof. Éric Goffin (Interdisciplinary Medication Research Centre, CIRM) and Prof. Bernard Joris (Protein Engineering Centre, CIP), and other centres at the University of Liège. Their main goal is to unveil new treatment strategies based on the mode of action of ticagrelor in the fight against infection with Gram-positive bacteria and antibioresistance.

GIGA researchers have discovered a common denominator that triggers asthma in ideal environmental conditions such as pollution or excess levels of hygiene.

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GIGA CHU - B34 - Quartier Hôpital Avenue de l’Hopital, 11 - 4000 Liège Tel.: +32 (0)4 366 41 58 E-mail: info.giga@uliege.be - http://www.giga.uliege.be

A leader in Women’s Health As a biotech dedicated to transforming women’s health, Mithra offers new choices through innovation with a focus on contraception and menopause. Mithra is active in more than 100 countries and has the ambition to further consolidate its status as a leading company for innovation in women’s health. Listed on Euronext Brussels since June 2015, Mithra surpassed a market capitalization of just over a billion euros in 2018 – the first company in the Walloon region to reach this milestone.

Mithra’s R&D activities are structured along two lines. The first deals with the development of a platform based on Estetrol (E4), a native estrogen produced by the human fetus during pregnancy. Thanks to its unique profile, E4 potentially represents a breakthrough in various therapeutic fields like contraception and menopause. Today, Mithra focuses on the development of three late-stage E4-based potential blockbusters: Estelle®, a new era in oral contraception, PeriNesta®, the first complete oral treatment for perimenopause, and Donesta®, a next-generation hormone therapy.

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ithra was co-founded in 1999 by François Fornieri and Prof. Dr. Jean-Michel Foidart as a spin-off of the University of Liege, where Prof. Foidart acted as Head of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Prof. Foidart also played an instrumental role in several major developments in women’s health, including the development of the world’s second hormonal IUD and the development of an oral contraceptive containing drospirenone – which remains one of the world’s best-selling oral contraceptives.

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about USD 22 billion a year worldwide and has a compounded annual growth rate of about 6%. Estelle® has successfully completed its Phase III studies and is in its final review period with the regulatory agencies before being launched worldwide later this year.

Donesta®, a next-generation hormone therapy, aims to replace the estrogen that is no longer naturally produced by the body, once a woman has become menopaused. Symptoms such as hot flushes can be quite disabling in everyday life. However, due to a fear of the side-effects caused by traditional hormone therapies, only a small percentage of women treat their symptoms. Currently in its final clinical phase, Donesta® could offer women a real alternative, given its unique mode of action. The global menopause market stood at USD 12.6 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow to approximately USD 16 billion by 2025. If approved, Donesta® could capture a substantial part of this growing market where there is a high unmet need.

The third potential blockbuster, PeriNesta®, could become the first product on the market for perimenopausal women. Today, there is not one combined solution available to address the first menopausal symptoms of hot flushes in combination with a contraceptive. Perimenopause represents a multi-billion EUR market.

Estelle®, a combined oral contraceptive, combines E4 with the progestin drospirenone. Its mechanism of action is unique and the clinical benefits are apparent: a long half-life, high bioavailability, and a very limited hepatic impact regarding hemostasis, with a limited risk for venous thrombosis. It combines contraceptive efficacy with excellent cycle control and presents a minimal risk of drug-drug interaction and a limited impact on the breast. Furthermore, it is weight neutral. With its improved benefit/risk profile, Estelle® is a potential blockbuster in the contraceptive market, which is worth

The safety margin and tolerability of Estetrol (E4) present an opportunity to investigate its use in other areas of women’s health such as oncology (hormonal cancers), emergency contraception and osteoporosis. Mithra also intends to explore additional indications for E4 such as wound healing and pediatric neuroprotection, for which an orphan drug designation (ODD) was granted for the treatment of neonatal encephalopathy.

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The Mithra CDMO technology platform is notable for its development of long-term therapeutic solutions using medical polymers, with durations ranging from one month to five years. The solutions include a subcutaneous implant to treat prostate, breast and endometrial cancer. This is in line with the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), that encourages the development of long acting therapeutic solutions to improve health outcomes, while reducing budgetary impact. Mithra will continue working with external partners to develop prolongedrelease solutions – a market that is even more promising because medical polymers are still insufficiently explored and under-used in important areas, such as oncology, contraception and infectious diseases.

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The second pole of Mithra’s R&D activities relates to its Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that focuses on three main areas: polymer technologies (rings, IUDs, implants), sterile injectable formulas (vials, cartridges, prefilled syringes) and hormonal tablets. From Proof-of-Concept to the first commercial batches, the flexible platform of Mithra CDMO provides a one-stop shop that is open to third parties requiring

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small to medium-sized batches. It also provides various services, including analysis, production, logistics, quality assurance, development and formulation.

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Mithra Pharmaceuticals Rue Saint-Georges 5-7 - 4000 Liège Tel.: +32 (0)4 349 28 22 - Fax: +32 (0)4 349 28 21 Email: info@mithra.com - https://www.mithra.com

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PDC*line Pharma

Eric Halioua, President & CEO of PDC*line Pharma

PDC*line Pharma (www.pdc-line-pharma.com) is a clinical-stage spin-off of the French Blood Bank (EFS) that develops a new class of potent and off-the-shelf therapeutic cancer vaccines based on a proprietary cell line of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (PDC*line). Based on a robust preclinical package and a first-in-human phase Ib in melanoma, PDC*line Pharma has initiated a clinical development in lung cancer with a new candidate (PDC*lung) and a preclinical development of a neoantigens based candidate (PDC*Neo).

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ased on a technology developed at the French Blood Bank (EFS), with a subsidiary in France notably in charge of some R&D activities, PDC*line Pharma has deployed its R&D, QC, clinical and Corporate activities in Liège (Belgium).

After taking over the management and founded the Belgian Headquarter in 2016, the successful serial entrepreneur Eric Halioua gave a new breath of life to the team that quickly reached 25 people and remains in strong growth. The Spin-off has raised nearly €31.5 M (19.5 M€ in equity and 12 M€ of non-dilutive money). In December 2019, the company closed a 20M€ B-Round of financing led by the multi-billion Asian VC KIP (Korea Investment Partners). PDC*line Pharma has chosen to position itself in a sector currently very promising: that of immuno-oncology in general and cancer vaccines in particular. Its approach is unique since it is based on an exclusive allogeneic cell line of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (PDC*line), a groundbreaking solution to address the scalability, logistic and potency challenges faced by conventional DC-based vaccines. PDC*line is much more potent than conventional DC in priming and boosting fully functional antitumor CD8+ T cells displaying a strong cytotoxic activity against tumor cells. Contrary to autologous DCbased vaccines, it is an off-the-shelf approach, easily scalable at industrial scale. In addition, it is highly versatile, and it is synergetic with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors.

2020, the company got the same authorization in Germany. The clinical trial is currently ongoing with a first cohort of patients completed in September 2020. The third candidate, PDC*neo, is currently being developed at the preclinical stage.

The prospects for development are good for PDC*line Pharma: the PDC*line technology is a platform that can be used for the treatment of virtually all cancer patients expressing HLA-A2 (50% of EU population, and 36% of US) - with extension possibilities to other HLAs. The revenues potential is in the range of € 3 BN to € 4.5 BN in the US and EU. The company’s candidate PDC*lung for non-small cell lung cancer represents a significant market in the US and EU: 380,000 new cases per year, a leading cause of cancer deaths, and potential sales of about € 1.6 BN. This drug candidate may also be used for the treatment of other cancers that express the same antigens.

Currently, three anti-cancer drug candidates are being developed from PDC*line. PDC*mel, the first candidate for melanoma, was evaluated in a first-in-human phase Ib trial, ended in 2017, demonstrating the safety of the product, the absence of allogeneic rejection and its biological activity. PDC*lung, the leading candidate for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is constituted of PDC*line cells loaded with HLA-A2 restricted peptides derived from seven shared tumor antigens. In June 2019, the company got an authorization to launch an open-label, dose-escalation, phase I/II trial with PDC*lung(01) in non-small cell lung cancer in Belgium and France (with and without anti-PD-1). In November

On top of that PDC*line Pharma has been granted exclusive license in South Korea and exclusive option in other Asian countries to LG Chem Life Sciences Company (the life science division of the Korean Geant LG), for the development and commercialization of PDC*lung cancer vaccine. The total deal value is 108 M€ (123 M$) plus significant single-digit tiered royalties on net sales in Asia. This agreement opens new markets in Asia to PDC*line Pharma and expands the global footprint of its PDC*line-based cancer vaccine.

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Your partner in immuno-oncology

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CHU - Tour 5 (B34) - GIGA Avenue de l'Hôpital 11 - 4000 Liège Tel.: +32(0)4 242 77 56 Email: contact@pdc-line-pharma.com https://www.pdc-line-pharma.com/

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Created in 1995, Microbelcaps is a spin-off resulting from the research activity of the University of Liege. Its microencapsulation technology - a coating on a microscopic scale that protects the molecule during production, ensures its conservation or modifies its behaviour. Microbelcaps’ products include microencapsulated vitamins B1, B6, B12 (Drug Master File, DMF) & C, microencapsulated flavours, papain, and plant extracts.

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Advanced microencapsulation technology for the food and the pharmaceutical industries

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Recently, Microbelcaps has been designated by an American study as one of the world leaders in microencapsulation. It must be said that the company is very active in the field of R&D as evidenced by its numerous scientific publications. This recognition is welcome to consolidate its presence in niche markets that are escaping the multinationals, which is ideal for a technological SME like Microbelcaps!

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Different projects collaborated with worldwide universities and research institutions reinforce our recognization on microencapsulation technology and enrich our capacity to produce more various products. Our works extended to develop atomized formulations made up of nanoparticles with which to improve the redispersion of the inhaled powder (Marshall plan, BIOFINA, Development of inhaled synergistic combination of the treatment of resistant respiratory infection, 2010-12); to invent self-healing concrete by adding encapsulated healing agents (CAPDESIGN, Encapsulation of polymeric healing agents in self-healing concrete: capsule design, M-era.Net, 2014-17), to conserve antibody in microencapsulated state in a medical kit for daily usage (PICABO, Mecatech, 2016-18).

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In the field of pharmaceutical applications, Microbelcaps has acquired recognised expertise in the field of vitamins coated for direct compression with 97% vitamins and 3% HPMC: they are available as granules or pellets from 70 to 800 micrometers and have received two major certifications: Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

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The originality of Microbelcaps involves the development of extraction, filtration, concentration, granulation and the drying of temperature sensitive products by spraying, fluidized bed and lyophillisation. In collaboration with the Walloon Center of Industrial Biology, the company developed various microencapsulation technologies (Patents: EP 0 462003 B1; US 54 56 985 Microcapsules of oily liquid; Microencapsulation of Erythromycin

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and Clarithromycin using a spray-drying technique, J. microencapsulation, 1999, vol 16, N°5, 565-571). With these technologies Microbelcaps is able to provide a variety of products in many fields of applications: food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and chemicals. The company can personally help you stabilize your molecules through its wide range of coatings. These technologies offer is made possible by high-performance equipment: a reactor blender, a filter plate, a concentrator-evaporator, an atomizer, a freeze, a fluidized bed and an extruder granulator.

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n 2000 Microbelcaps joined hands with the University of Liege to carry out a research project funded by the Walloon Region for the production of natural flavors by biotechnological means (Green note). From 2005, the company expanded and moved to larger premises in the Science Park of Liege. Its new plant was mainly restricted to the fluidized bed coating and the preparation of pharmaceutical molecules for direct compression (such as vitamin B1 & B6).

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Microbelcaps S.A. Allée des noisetiers 2D - Scientifique Park of Liège - 4031 Angleur Tel.: +32 (0)4 371 34 02 - Fax: +32 (0)4 243 02 36 Email: info@microbelcaps.be https://www.europages.co.uk/MICROBELCAPS/00000003993165-001.html

Adding value to healthcare systems Uncovering the hidden potential of existing drugs and reformulating established products to cure in unforeseen ways: this is the goal of Hyloris Pharmaceuticals. Founded in 2012, the company creates new formulas, new methods of administration and new indications to bring clear benefits to both patients and healthcare professionals.

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yloris’s development strategy is to create value for the healthcare system by developing reformulated products that the company believes offer significant advantages over alternatives currently on offer. To this end, Hyloris mainly relies on the FDA’s regulatory procedure 505(b)(2) for pharmaceuticals for which the safety and efficacy of the molecule have already been established.

This strategy can help reduce the duration of clinical development until marketing authorization is obtained, as well as reduce the costs and risks compared to the development of a new molecule governed by the regulatory route 505(b)1.

the IV administration, a welcome solution given that up to 5% of patients that initiate a treatment with Sotalol risk triggering Torsades de Pointes.

Sotalol IV has been launched in the US.

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For its part, Maxigesic® IV, is an intravenous nonopioid analgesic product for the treatment of pain. A phase III clinical trial has shown that the pain relief provided by Maxigesic® IV is in the order of double that of the current market leader IV paracetamol. It could therefore be indicated for the relief of mild to moderate pain or as an adjunct or alternative to IV opioids. It was also developed for patients who have a variety of factors that limit their ability to use oral pain relievers. Maxigesic IV, was developed by Hyloris with partner AFT Pharmaceuticals has been approved in more than 10 countries and is expected to launch in the US market in the next two years.

Hyloris assesses several criteria to identify the best product candidates for the 505(b)(2) regulatory Stijn Van Rompay, pathway: added value for patients, hospitals, CEO and reference shareholder of Hyloris Pharmaceuticals payors and other stakeholders in the healthcare system; products each solving a particular problem and having a clear utility; patent protection; the efficacy and safety of already established molecules ; and knowledge of the From 2021, Hyloris plans to move up a gear by initiating the development of 4 or more new product candidates per year clinical requirements to obtain authorizations. across its portfolio. Its objective remains the same: to add value for all shareholders, whether they are doctors, nurses, patients Hyloris has developed a portfolio of 14 products and product or investors. Improving the outcome of therapy is definitely part candidates covering three areas: cardiovascular IV drugs (for of Hyloris’ DNA! the treatment of atrial fibrillation, heart failure and coronary heart disease), other reformulations (outside the cardiovascular field) and established market products (development of generics with a high barrier to entry).

Hyloris has two products at the initial stage of commercialisation.

Sotalol IV is indicated for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heart rate. This IV formulation of Sotalol, a commonly used antiarrhythmic drug, may reduce the length of hospital stay from three days to one. According to an article published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology, the potential cost reduction averages $3,123 for a two-day hospital stay, and $4,820 for a one-day hospital stay with this treatment. Additionally, side effects can be better controlled with

Hyloris Pharmaceuticals SA Boulevard Gustave Kleyer 17 - 4000 Liège Tel.: +32 (0)4 346 02 07 Email: contact@hyloris.com - https://hyloris.com 138

Dendrogenix I

A new family of molecules that fight deafness and cancer

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Created in 2018 by a syndicate of Business Angels, the Dendrogenix spin-off develops drug candidates to treat deafness and cancer. After the first wave of funding of €4M, in 2019-2020, it intends to proceed with the second wave of between €8M and €10M and to triple its staff (it currently has 7 employees) within 3 years.

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Thanks to these excellent prospects, Dendrogenix has been selected by the InvestHorizon accelerator based in Brussels. This European Commission initiative will allow the spin-off to achieve visibility at a European level and arouse investors’ interest for its second wave of funding. At present, Dendrogenix has already received substantial backing from the Walloon Region. It has been granted €2.4M for the Deafness program and €700k for its activities’ oncology aspect. Besides, Dendrogenix has been given €670k by Noshaq (formerly Meusinvest) in the form of a loan convertible into shares. This is a sure-fire sign of trust!

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aving acquired patents from French company Biotech and having transferred its team to Belgium, Dendrogenix has become a specialist in hearing loss as a result of oncology-related neurological disorders. The young spin-off has brought together cutting-edge know-how in the fields of organic and analytical chemistry, in vitro and in vivo biology, clinical expertise, production, toxicology and regulatory issues in order to develop Dendrogenins, molecules derived from cholesterol synthesis and which play a crucial role in neuronal and hearing mechanisms.

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Currently, Dendrogenix is working alongside the team of Prof. Brigitte Malgrange at GIGA (ULiege) for the R&D section of its DX243 preclinical development program.

DX243 is the lead compound of the Dendrogenin family when it comes to hearing prevention and restoration. Its efficiency has been validated in vivo on a robust chemotherapy-induced deafness model designed to test cochlear implants and in a model of noise-induced hearing loss. It has a competitive advantage over known neurotrophic factors, and its chemical synthesis guarantees the product’s biological safety.

Regulatory preclinical studies for clinical evaluation of DX 243 on deaf patients will be launched as of 2021 by Prof. Lefebvre, head of the ENT department at the CHU of Liege and, member of the spin-off.

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The fruit of a strategic partnership with Drs Marc Poirot and Sandrine Poirot of the Toulouse Cancerology Research Centre (CRCT), DX 101 is set to be a disruptive cancer treatment. DX101 displays promising in vitro and in vivo preclinical efficiency for acute myeloid leukemia and melanoma. It has also obtained proof of concept for breast cancer. Its mechanism of action is original: it reprograms tumor cells that are consequently recognized by the immune system, stimulating its capacity to activate cells with antigens and lymphocytes. Moreover, identifying the DX 101 target receptor allows Dendrogenix to have the first predictive tool to assess the therapeutic response to DX 101, which also shows promise regarding its possible use to treat other cancers. An R&D program is dedicated to this drug candidate’s preclinical development and one of its derivatives, which is even more powerful, to optimize this family of Dendrogenins.

The Dendrogenix team has grown to 7 people.

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Created in 1994, Medi-Line currently employs 65 FTE’s and shows a turnover of over €10 M. Located in the Liège Science Park, its 1,800 m² facility includes 600 m² of clean rooms. Due to its constant growth and a change of ownership, Medi-Line is about to initiate the extension of its production and warehousing capacity and intents to double the size of its plant by middle of 2022.

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edi-Line is a services company that presents itself as a “one stop-shop”: certified EN ISO 13485, the company carries out the development and manufacturing of medical devices in full compliance with an increasingly requiring regulatory environment. The single-use devices manufactured by Medi-Line are mostly made of injected and/or extruded plastic components that are assembled through various technics as subassemblies or finished sterile products. By offering components and regulatory services at various stages of production, Medi-Line is a fully-fledged subcontractor to key players in the medical and pharmaceuticals sector such as GE Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson. © Medi-Line

Medi-Line is a well-known supplier of the radio-pharmaceutical industry, to which it supplies components for the administration and/or synthesis of radiopharmaceutical substances. To list only a few of its end-user markets and applications, the company also manufactures devices for radiotherapy, implants for the treatment of stress incontinence in women (over a million have been sold) and catheters for bariatric surgery.

Constantly looking for ways to improve and reinvent itself, MediLine has been investing in the in-house development of new technologies to secure future growth. A first milestone will be achieved in Q1 of 2021 thanks to the implementation of its first collaborative robotics in its manufacturing process.

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Liege Science Park Rue des Gardes Frontières, 5 - 4031 Angleur (Liege) Tel.: +32 (0)4 366 02 78 E-mail: info@mediline.be - http://www.mediline.be/en/

Quality Assistance I

Analytical expertise for tomorrow’s innovative medicines

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s a Contract Research Organisation (CRO), Quality Assistance provides its regulatory, scientific and technological expertise to large companies and SMEs in the pharmaceutical industry with a view towards developing and marketing innovative human medicinal products, in compliance with European and US regulations. Usually taking ten years or more, from preclinical trials to marketing authorisation, this marathon effort involves the evaluation and assurance of the quality, safety and efficacy of these drug candidates. Quality Assistance distinguishes itself by providing customised solutions, including the definition of analytical protocols and specific analysis methods, as well as the mobilisation of a wide array of cutting-edge equipment for the acquisition and interpretation of the data necessary to submit the registration dossier to the competent authorities.

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a Founded in 1982, Quality Assistance now counts 210 employees and 66 clients. The company achieved a turnover of 21.9 million EUR in 2019, 83% coming from exports, and more than 10% average annual growth over the past 5 years while reinvesting between 10% and 15% of its turnover each year in the development of its analytical expertise and operational equipment. without the need of any reference substance. Quality Assistance’s approach was recognised by essenscia (the Belgian Federation of Chemical Industry and Life Sciences) as one of the Top 10 industrial innovations of 2019.

And that's not all…

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With this strong and continuous improvement process in place, Quality Assistance has begun a fourth phase of major infrastructure investment. Having acquired 6 hectares adjacent to its operations site, the company plans to begin laying the foundations for a new building in 2021. It represents an outstanding way to pursue the company’s growth and, at the same time, to support the growth of its clients.

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In addition, Quality Assistance sets itself apart by centralising all its expertise on a single site, thus making project management and communication more efficient. With more than 35 years of experience, proven reliability and stability in the scientific, organisational and financial domains, the company stands as the benchmark analytical partner for large companies and biotechs. It is positioned in the market to provide analytical expertise to support the development of the following innovative treatments: immunotherapy, conjugated antibodies, new chemical entities, oligonucleotides, nanomedicine products, therapeutic vaccines, cell and gene therapies. The company clearly aims to have a true impact on the future of public health.

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In the context of products, the company is actively working on the development of new techniques in connection with antibodies, cell therapy products, nanomedicine products and oligonucleotides.

Concerning technology, Quality Assistance is constantly investing in state-of-the-art lab equipment, especially those involved in mass spectrometry, flow cytometry and bioassays. From a regulatory perspective, the new pharmaceutical quality management guidelines ICH Q8, Q9 and Q10 have been keeping them particularly busy.

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Always striving to provide full and reliable analytical support, Quality Assistance deploys its R&D activities for its clients (on a contract basis) along with its own internal R&D efforts in order to update and acquire new analytical skills. This occurs in the form of a regulatory, scientific and technological monitoring of targeted products with the goal of broadening its analytical services. The company is proud to have developed the innovative ICP-MS approach for the absolute quantification of proteins, based solely on the determination of the protein sulphur composition 141

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Quality Assistance Technoparc de Thudinie, 2 - 6536 Donstiennes - Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)71 53 47 81 https://www.quality-assistance.com/

MecaTech: Mechanical engineering is undergoing a major mutation with the explosion of digital and industry 4.0 Interview with Mr Anthony VAN PUTTE, Managing director of the MecaTech competitiveness cluster

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What are the strategic directions the Cluster focuses on?

MecaTech Competitiveness Cluster’s area of activity is mechanical engineering, which is undergoing a major mutation with the explosion of digital and industry 4.0. This transverse field supports product and machine development in almost all markets, with the MecaTech Competitiveness Cluster’s priorities being energy, environment, transportation, defense and security, construction, medicine, and industry.

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hat is the MecaTech Competitiveness Cluster’s ambition?

Our aim is to help create a Wallonia that is committed to meeting today’s environmental, health, and mobility challenges without forsaking its industrial fabric; one that allows the creation of fair and meaningful jobs.

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And its mission?

Our mission is to support corporate transformation to create the jobs and business of the future by engineering and carrying out innovative projects with international ambitions. The cluster’s aim is to help develop technology to serve human beings and to support the companies and organizations that show a desire to create value in and for Wallonia.

The Cluster has defined 5 main strategic orientations: • Need to be present on the markets for finished products, machines and various equipment for consumption or industrial production.

• Importance of 4 technological fields, within which Wallonia has players who can achieve a good competitive position and critical size, in particular by diversifying the fields of application of these technologies.

• Acting throughout the entire life cycle of an innovation project in order to fulfil the mission of competitiveness clusters: to create jobs and economic activity, they must be in a position to support companies upstream and downstream of the “competitiveness cluster” project. While the core business remains, for MecaTech, the setting up of projects, this must be done within the broader framework of a company's development project.

• Crossing Industry and Digital to increase added value and accelerate growth. Digital | Industry 4.0 is part of the DNA of the MecaTech Cluster with 60% of the industrial members and 70% of the labelled projects implementing or developing one (or more) digital technology(ies). The strategy of the MecaTech Cluster is to cross the capacities of companies in the digital supply and the needs of “demand” industries in three dimensions: innovation, industrialisation and training.

• Mobilising the ecosystem around “sector” projects. To meet the challenges facing Wallonia (societal, environmental, reindustrialisation, etc.), it is necessary to implement the competitiveness cluster policy in a broader context that encompasses the entire ecosystem in which companies develop.

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The sectors: - Renewable energy communities - Medical devices - Defence & security - The circularity of plastics - Connected and sustainable mobility.

The IOT4INDUSTRY project is funded by the European Commission under the HORIZON 2020 INNOSUP 1 call.

Wallonia is represented through the MecaTech cluster. This project enables the financing and implementation of 40 European prototypes and demonstrators, integrating IoT, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity in the tools and means of production of European industrial companies wishing to digitise their processes. The project brings together leading European partners in several strategic industrial sectors (automotive, aerospace, medical, energy, robotics, etc.). In 2019, the cluster has provided significant support to Walloon project leaders interested in this project. This work has paid off, since the Walloons are present in 7 projects, representing 15 companies in our ecosystem!

How can the competitiveness cluster help its members on the international level?

The cluster offers its members : • To connect with the best European industrial ecosystems and to integrate new value chains.

• To access funding to set up their international innovation projects, • To increase the valorisation and visibility of their existing collaborative projects.

• Access to market research & technology watch (industrial members only).

The MecaTech cluster is working with AWEX to attract foreign investment to Wallonia and is contributing to the development of an ambitious European strategy for Wallonia.

The 7 projects represent €515,000 in funding for the Walloon ecosystem (14% of the total available budget). Beyond the funding, this is above all an opportunity for Walloon companies to internationalise, as they will co-develop their project with one or more European partners. This is a real win-win for the partners to integrate their respective value chains.

What about the MecaTech Cluster and Industry 4.0 ?

Industry 4.0 is a key technological step that Wallonia must seize as an industrial redeployment opportunity. The MecaTech Competitiveness Cluster embarked on this path several years ago by financing several R&D projects as part of the region’s competitiveness clusters policy.

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The MecaTech Cluster’s strategy is a three-pronged approach: - Demand side: Integration of digital technology in products such as automobiles, medical devices, machines, and various types of plant.

- Demand side: Integration of digital technology in industrial processes in order to improve productivity and competitiveness in the various links of the added-value chain.

- Supply side: Development of enterprises’ digital capabilities in order to meet the demand.

The aim is thus to match the “supply-side” enterprises’ capacities with the “demand-side” enterprises’ needs through various actions, project engineering and training programmes. This strategy has

SOLAR GNEXT

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The solar receptor is already the most critical element of the CSPP, given the high densities of the solar energy fluxes to collect and the high temperature variations associated with the diurnal/nocturnal cycles. Increasing the operating temperature is a new challenge that requires developing a new generation of solar receptors.

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The aim of this project (led by John Cockerill, Lithcote Europe, CRM and ULg) is to study the materials and heat transfer fluids that can work under such extreme conditions and guarantee the requisite performance levels throughout the life of the CSPP.

culminated in the creation of an assistance programme for Walloon enterprises (mainly SMEs) that consists of the following elements: - Making a diagnosis to allow the setting of action plans (Factory 4.0 – Interreg V) in order to meet the first challenge the companies must take up, namely, imagining and foreseeing how these technologies can be combined to transform the products, processes, and services that they offer.

- Implementing appropriate training options (Factory 4.0 – Training) to master these technologies, which are often outside the companies’ core business, to enable the enterprise to create these new processes, products, and/or services. Developing or recruiting human resources with these new skills is a must.

- Running a Digital/Industry 4.0 expert network to provide assistance and develop the necessary solutions and financing for proof-of-concept work and pilot projects (IOT4INDUSTRY – H2020, competitiveness clusters’ calls for projects, and other regional sources of aid).

MIRACCLE Klinkenberg SA and CE+T Energrid SA are companies with proven expertise respectively in the integration of innovative electrotechnical solutions and the development of solutions in power electronics. They initiated the project to set up the first DC micro-grid for inter-company use in Wallonia and, at this level, in Belgium, in consortium with VOLTA (the technological knowledge and training centre for the electrotechnical sector in Belgium).

Charging stations for electric or rechargeable hybrid vehicles will complete the installation, not only in the companies concerned but also for the personnel who frequent the Hauts Sarts industrial park. The economic gain of this innovative concept could reach 30% for the associated companies.

LoRa-SENSE Led by a consortium of small companies (I-care, Micromega Dynamics and MoDyVA) in collaboration with two research providers, Multitel and CERISIC, the LoRa-SENSE Project aims to develop new autonomous, intelligent and modular wireless industrial tools for predictive maintenance, environmental monitoring and industrial equipment monitoring applications.

It also aims to develop networks based on the LoRa standard capable of responding to “hard” industrial constraints for radio transmission such as highly metallic or heavily buried environments. These last points are addressed in particular on the basis of multi-frequency technologies and directive and adaptive antennas.

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Green chemistry applied to polymers for coatings, biomaterials, and more!

As an integral part of CESAM (Complex and Entangled Systems from Atoms to Materials) research unit of the University of Liège, the CERM develops proven expertise thanks to the academic strength of its 30 researchers. Its platform dedicated to the valorization of CO2 is unique in Europe.

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used at present. The CERM also involves itself in projects related to the implementation of biomaterials which have already passed clinical tests, as well as the development of new processing methods such as electrospinning and 3D printing to design scaffolds stimulating cellular regeneration or various medical implants. Finally, the CERM goes into greater depth on the green technology of supercritical CO2 to design sterile medical devices (suture threads or implants) with anti-inflammatory properties.

The CERM enjoys a wide range of research partnerships, starting at European level with the Marie Curie programs, RENAISSANCE and EJDFunMat, dealing with the development of environment friendly materials. It is also very active in the field of biomaterials. In this context, it participates in the ERC “PV-Coat” European project on the coating of heart valves and in the INTERREG PolyValve project targeting the development of new materials for heart valves. It is also developing innovative degradable polymers, notably within the IN FLOW project that is devoted to the developPolymer implants for vaginal, ment of continuous flow technologies for the design cardiac and ophtalmic applications of biodegradable materials and formulations for food, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In addition, the CERM cooperates with various Belgian universities, especially through its participation in the EOS programme via the fundamental research project “Bio-based Factory”, which started in 2018 and focuses on merging sustainable chemistry from lignin and CO2.

The CERM can capitalize on important industrial partnerships with Solvay, Solvin, ArcelorMittal, Saint-Gobain, UCB, Dupont, Bayer, KURARAY, and a great number of SMEs. Particularly, the CERM coconceived a patent intended for the development of a biomedical implant eluting a contraceptive agent (the patent is being exploited by Mithra), it ensured the reparation of one of the components of intraocular yellow lenses produced by PhysIOL, develops new hydrogel-based medical devices for Dermax (now in the clinical development phase) and elaborates new trends for future products on the basis of patents against royalties. Incidentally, the CERM initiated startups such as EyeD Pharma, based on the development of drug-eluting implants for ocular pathologies.

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ith its unique expertise in polymer chemistry, the CERM produces some thirty-five publications and two patent registrations per year. It specializes in the synthesis of polymer materials along two main lines: the development of innovative materials (by controlled radical polymerization, ring-opening polymerization, step-growth polymerization); the development of polymers more respectful of the environment by valorizing CO2 – with a unique platform in Europe that allows synthesis, foaming, extraction and polymer impregnation in the sector of functional coatings, foams and biomaterials.

Doubtless, the CERM stands well equipped and ready to address the five major challenges which confront it. From developing synthesis techniques to implementing greener processes (organocatalysts, solvent-free processes, chemical reactions based on atom economy), to help advance chemistry, and develop polymer materials for energy or multifunctional coatings with aqueous processes or without solvents, or develop competitive biomaterials, the CERM seizes upon any opportunity to deepen and make relevant its expertise.

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Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules - CERM

CO2 self-blown non-isocyanate polyurethane foams

Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM) Université de Liège (ULiège) Institut de Chimie (B6a)

The CERM currently remains involved in seven collaborative research projects, two of which concentrate on the development of a new kind of chemistry to synthesize polyurethanes and polycarbonates from CO2, obtained from and with a lower degree of toxicity on the environment, in comparison to the molecules

Agora, Allée du 6 Août, 13 - 4000 Liège Tel: +32 (0)4 366 34 91 - Fax: +32 (0)4 366 34 97 Email: c.jerome@uliege.be - http://www.cerm.ulg.ac.be/ 146

Chemical Engineering Research Unit – Liege University (ULiège) I

Working towards sustainable transformation processes

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These collaborations with the manufacturing world have allowed the Chemical Engineering Research Unit to develop a keen awareness of the challenges that researchers face. The mobilisation of CO2 as a resource, the management of electrical networks and research on batteries to mitigate the intermittence of renewable energy sources, hydrogen as an energy carrier or the power to fuel are among the avenues to be explored. More generally, sustainable chemistry is the real challenge, with all that this implies in terms of processes that would be more respectful of the environment and resources, the end of life of products, recycling and energy intensification of processes to make them more efficient and less polluting.

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The Chemical Engineering Research Unit has developed long-term partnerships with major plants like Prayon, the largest chemical company in the Liege Region (for the design of materials mainly for batteries), and GSK (for optimising the concept of bioreactors in vaccine manufacturing). It also collaborates with the materials manufacturer, Knauf Insulation, for which it develops environmental product declarations (EPD) that show the environmental performances of products.

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partners Imperbel S.A., Centexbel, ULiège-NCE, ULiège-PEPs, Eco-Dec, Rovi-Tech and Jadition. Let us also mention the BACZEREAU project in the framework of the 28th ERA-Net CORNET call “Collective Research Networking”. Led by CELABOR (coordinator), the Europäische Forschungsgemeinschaft Reinigungsund Hygienetechnologie e.V. (FRT), WFK - Cleaning Technology Institute e.V., and the University of Liège (Department of Chemical Engineering - Nanomaterials, Catalysis, Electrochemistry), it focuses on the development of an innovative low energy disinfection process for natural bathing areas. It was launched on 1 September 2020 and will last until 31 August 2022.

ith an annual operational budget of between €4m and €5m (with 43% coming from public research contracts and 18% from services provided to manufacturers) the Chemical Engineering Research Unit relies on its 3 founding groups (NCE - Nanomaterials, Catalysis, Electrochemistry -, PEPs - Products, Environment and Processes - and CRYO - Cryotechnology) to carry out its work around 5 main themes: energy (optimisation of production and storage processes), the environment and natural resources (Life Cycle Assessement), engineering innovative materials (powders, films, etc), health (design of bioreactors for vaccines and medicines, production of active properties from microalgae etc.) and space (management of cryogenic fluids).

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Created in 2016 from 3 laboratories, the Chemical Engineering Research Unit comprises 70 people including 9 academics, 3 permanent scientists and about twenty PhD students. It uses chemical engineering and process engineering to design sustainable processes for transforming material, energy, microorganisms and living cells.

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Drawing on its versatility, the Chemical Engineering Research Unit brings its expertise to the INTERREG project IMPROVE-STEM (experimental design/modelling/characterisation of reactors for the development of bioreactors for large-scale culture of stem cells for therapeutic applications) and the INTERREG Phos4You project, which aims to prove the feasibility of recovering phosphorus from waste water and treatment plants. In addition it is part of the PROCURA project (Power to X and Carbon Capture & Utilization Roadmap for Belgium), a Belgian Energy Transition Fund project implying a total of 6 Belgian partners. In this project, the main role of the University of Liège is to coordinate work package 1 (WP1) to evaluate the potential for CO2 capture in Belgium and draw a roadmap for this purpose. Within the framework of an agreement with the Greenwin competitiveness cluster, the Chemical Engineering Research Unit also participates in the BitumClean project: “Optimisation of the recycling of bituminous roof coverings by prior extraction of tar (HAP)” with

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Skywin

Interview with Mr Etienne POURBAIX, Director of the Skywin competitiveness cluster

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Taking on a new dimension

• Modelling and numerical simulation: the Walloon industrial and scientific sector contains a few leaders on this specific international market.

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hat is Skywin’s strategy?

Let me first remind you that 70% of Belgian aeronautical companies are based in Wallonia. These Walloon companies provide an average of 5% of the components for each Airbus product.

What about the cluster’s key figures?

Skywin is active in five sectors: aeronautic, space, defence, drones, and engineering. At the end of 2020 Skywin’s 158 members (11 SMEs, 15 large companies, 7 universities and high schools, 12 research centres, 2 centres of expertise, 11 other members) represented 7,800 jobs and a turnover of €2 billion, 90 % of which is export-related. Since its inception in 2006 Skywin promoted 82 certified industrial projects over 29 calls between 2007 and 2020: 56 R&D projects (€221 M), 21 investment projects (€33 M), and 10 training projects (€15 M) for a total budget of €269 M. This amount is divided into €108 M in private budget (from industry), €73 M in public funding (for research & education), and €88 M in public funding (for industry).

In this context, Skywin is the Walloon Aerospace cluster consisting of an association of companies, research organisations and training centres engaged in public-private partnerships and in the implementation of innovative collaborative projects.

Skywin is defined around 5 economic sectors and 6 technological axes.

5 economic sectors: - The two historic sectors of the Skywin: Civil Aeronautics and Space. Both have been covered since the creation of the cluster in 2006.

- The Drone sector has emerged more recently and a consolidation process is still on going. Skywin cluster focusses on the development of new flying machines, sensors, control and applicated software, and also on synergies with the space sector, especially for earth observation.

- The Defense sector is the most recent one but it was already present implicitly with the membership of some organizations and companies involved in several collaborative R&D projects.

The awareness of a needed European defense and the recent appearance of dedicated European and Federal research programs justify the integration of this specific sector.

- The Engineering sector is dedicated to the various service providers needed for the technological development of the other 4 sectors, including software developers.

Could you tell us a little bit more about your members?

Membership of the Skywin Cluster is open to private or public legal entities with a registered office or operation headquarter

© Courtesy of Safran Aero Boosters

The 6 technological and strategic axes of the Skywin cluster: • Composite materials and industrial processes: the Walloon aerospace industry is focusing on materials of the future, both for design and manufacturing; • Metallic materials and industrial processes: an important know-how exists in Wallonia around metal tooling and design; the integration of operational excellence and Additive Manufacturing into the industrial process are major challenges for the sector; • Embedded systems: for aeronautical, space and drone platforms; • Airport services: the number of airports will continue to grow, with new operational and technical opportunities of management; • Space and drones’ applications and systems: the global market for nano and micro-satellites (new space concept) is growing; the availability and combination of data derived from space observation and the use of drones involve the development of plenty new applications;

The manufacture of composite components is taking on special significance, and requires completely flawless production methods.

Here is part of a composite booster, designed by Safran Aero Boosters.

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© Courtesy of CAPAUL

Productivity and excellence in terms of aeronautical component manufacture are key factors which enable Walloon SMEs to take their place on the world stage.

in Wallonia and who are active in the research, development and/or application of technological products and processes in the aeronautic or spatial sector.

What services do you offer to your members?

In the field of innovation projects, Skywin advises and accompanies companies in the development of collaborative projects (R&D, training and investment) up to their labelling and financing. The projects bring together the skills of industrialists, universities and research centres. The ultimate goal is to create economic activity and sustainable employment.

Members of the professional associations EWA (Walloon Aeronautics companies) and Wallonia Espace are de facto members of the Skywin cluster. Any other company or association may become an adherent member of the Skywin cluster, upon written request to the board of directors and following the agreement of the latter based on the following criteria: • Active in the research, development and/or application of technological products and processes within one of the 5 sectors covered by Skywin; • Have a link with at least one of the strategic focuses defined by the cluster; • Pay an annual fee.

Skywin is also active in networking: its members have access to a wide network of Walloon and international industrial, scientific and training partners. What is more the cluster regularly organises thematic events to promote exchanges and partnerships (conferences, seminars, technology roundtables). It frequently takes part in its partners’ events and leads 3 thematic working groups (civil aeronautics, defence and space) aiming to anticipate mid-term technical and business evolutions.

A company may also become a temporary member if it is part of a consortium for a certified project. Since 2007, the total number of members has increased from 86 to 158 including a remarkable rise in the number of SME’s. In 2020 the cluster welcomed 5 new members: (SME’s).

The cluster also make various means available in order to boost its members’ competitiveness: the market studies from the Frost & Sullivan catalogue, an active participation in the “Made Different” program, which aims to promote the deployment of the Industry of the Future (4.0) in Wallonia, and a partnership with 149

the Space2IDGo project which aims to export European space innovation to third countries via the use of satellite data for earth observation, geopositioning and telecommunications.

• Active participation in European networks, in particular the EACP network – European Aerospace Cluster Partnership and the NEREUS network - Network of European Regions Using Space technologies; • Participation in one COSME project (Space2ID GO): collaboration between European clusters to support the internationalization of SMEs.

At the international level, Skywin offers international visibility to its members and their projects through the organisation or participation in various events or exhibitions (in collaboration with AWEX). It also collaborates with NCP Wallonia to promote the involvement of companies in European projects. At last, the cluster has a network of international partners (France, Canada, Germany, etc.), and is an active participant in the European Aerospace Cluster (EACP).

Skywin took part in major events in 2019: • JEC 2019 - Paris • Paris Space Week • Aeromart - Montréal • International Paris Air Show - Le Bourget • MAKS - Moscow • IAC Washington • Space Tech Expo - Bremen • Aerospace & Defence Meetings - Torino • RDV Forum CRIAQ - Montréal • SAFE Drone seminar - Avignon • R&T Day Safran Group - Paris • Belgian Royal Economic Mission - Luxembourg • Several B2B meetings (EACP, Rencontres industrielles Hautsde-France, etc.).

Skywin is an equally active player as regards training. With its partners, it participates in the circulation and acquisition of the skills necessary for the technological development of companies. Moreover the cluster supports innovative training projects in order to support a specific advanced field or to ensure the development of skills related to an R&D project.

Could you detail your activities at the international level?

Skywin develops and implements its internationalization strategy in close collaboration with AWEX and regularly consults its members.

Globally, it is based on the following actions: • Participation in the three essential events of the aerospace sector (Bourget, Farnborough, Singapore); • Actions in more difficult to access or newer markets (e.g. participation and prospection to trade fairs in Singapore, Russia, Brazil or China); • Targeted actions in geographically close markets (France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland), or more traditional ones (Quebec, USA); • Participation to economic missions abroad, in collaboration with AWEX; • Welcoming foreign delegations in Wallonia;

Could you give us a few examples of project applications submitted to Skywin in 2019?

The cluster totaled 13 accompanied project ideas, 5 project deposits and 6 certified projects. Among them, SW_4EQUIP (Engine Embedded Electronic Equipment) targets the electrification of oil equipment for aircraft engines to reduce gas emissions.

The project leader is Safran Aero Boosters with the partnership of Bit&Byte, GDTech, Nsilition, Open Engineering, Taipro, V2i, VDDTech (SME’s), ULB and UCLouvain (universities).

For its part, SW_LDCOMP (Digital laboratory for composites) focuses on the development of a full range of automated nondestructive testing tools for complex composite structures. This international partnership between Wallonia and Canada is run

by Optrion as project leader. Walloon partners include Alkar, Citius Engineering, NDT Pro (SME’s), Safran Aero Boosters (large company), and ULiège (university), while Canadian partners encompass Visioimage (SME), Bombardier (large company), oN DuTy! (a program which is supported by the Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) of the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)), and CTA (research center).

© Courtesy of SABCA

As for SW_AMPASENS (Drone for the positioning of a measurement system on a High-Voltage line), it aims at developing an autonomous sensor installation system on live HV power lines through the use of drones to reduce human risk and exploitation costs. This project, co-labelled with the MecaTech cluster, was given ALX Systems as a project leader. Ampacimon (SME), Multitel, and Sirris (research centers) have joined in as partners.

The members of the Skywin cluster make a significant contribution to various programmes led by Airbus. Here, a “Lower Shell” can be seen under a large piece of A380 fuselage, produced by SABCA in Brussels.

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Let us conclude with SW_IADAS (Artificial intelligence for autonomous drones and satellites): this project targets the development of methods to adapt artificial intelligence algorithms and highperformance platforms to the needs of “New Space” satellites and drones. Deltatec (project leader) and ALX Systems (SME), Multitel (research center), and ULiège (university) are joining forces to take up this challenge.

Skywin is also active in the field of communication and events. Could you tell us more about that?

In 2019 the cluster totaled 55 publications press and audiovisual appearances, 113 news published by electronic means via 22 newsletters, 1.048 newsletter subscribers, 27.000 website visits and 463 people present at seminars organised by the cluster.

What partnerships did you set up in order to carry out your activities?

Skywin is at the heart of a dense network of regional partnerships: the Walloon Government, Wallonie recherche SPW, Wallonia.be (export investment), Wallonia Clusters, EWA, the LIEU network, digitalwallonia.be, Belgian Aerospace, Picarré (intellectual property), Wallonie Espace, NCP, Innovatech, A6K (an advanced engineering center), and ID2MOVE.

On top of that Skywin organised several local events in 2019.

Starting with Thermoplastics for aeronautics: Skywin had selected an international panel of experts from major actors (Airbus, Safran Group, Solvay, Hexcel Composite, Cetim, INSA, Materia Nova, INSA Rouen - France) to provide an extended overview of the potentiality of thermoplastics for aeronautic industry. Another event was the Seminar AI4Copernicus: with no less than 28 Walloon and international speakers, AI4Copernicus enabled more than 200 people (Belgian but also from 10 European countries) to take stock of knowledge in the field of the interpretation of satellite images using artificial intelligence potentialities.

Furthermore the cluster has developed important partnerships at the international level with key players such as Aéro Montréal and CRIAQ (Canada), Aérospace Valley, AsTech Paris Region and the SAFE cluster (France), Luxinnovation (Luxembourg), EACP, NEREUS and the European Network of Defence-Related Regions at the European level.

What do you think are the major challenges ahead for the Walloon and international aerospace and defence sector?

We definitely need to bring up confidence in our industry when aero transportation faces a massive air pocket.

Skywin also visited Imec headquarters in Leuven with more than 30 members. This world-renowned R&D center in the field of nanotechnology and digital technology could be an interesting partner within the framework of R&D collaborative projects.

In itself 2019 was a great year for Skywin. Paris Air Show late June was wonderful with a record breaking participation of Walloons companies and research centres. More than ever it was the opportunity for sustaining commercial and technological relationships as well as creating new ones back then in a steady state growth path. We also enjoyed the visit of key Belgian statesmen and stateswomen through whom significant advances have been made in defence and space, by signing pioneering contracts in the frame of the fighter replacement on one hand, by paving the way of an expanded Belgian contribution to ESA programs and its favourably induced business on the other hand.

What is more the Skywin-driven Earth Observation working group met 10 times since 2015. A position paper promoting the conclusions of the works published end 2018 has been widely diffused in 2019. And let us not forget the working groups “Civil aeronautics” and “Defence”: the objectives of these 3 working groups is to identify the strategic priorities in the aeronautics and space sectors and to strengthen the Defence industrial sector in Wallonia. The Defence working group is managed in collaboration with the MecaTech cluster.

Thanks to maturation of local companies and emerging European regulation 2019 also showed reinforcement in the drone business. We trust it will be a growing one.

The cluster is also carrying on the activities of the “Cercle Skywin”, a forum dedicated to its corporate members and aiming to meet in an informal setting, to share experiences, to discover opportunities for collaboration and to express expectations about Skywin action. Beyond its own communication activities, Skywin regularly participates in events proposed by its Walloon partners (Digital Wallonia, InnovaTech, other clusters, etc.).

Together with MecaTech, our fellow cluster focused on mechanical industry, we finalised a list of technologies for which Walloon aero and defence companies own skills or rationale to claim participation in major European R&D funds among which the European Defence Fund. It will be used in order to strengthen our relationship with decision makers inside regional and federal government as well as at the European level.

© Courtesy of Safran Aero Boosters

Locally 2019 handed over a new Walloon government with a huge ambition of progress. The competitiveness clusters were confirmed in their role although clearly challenged on their impact on economy. Connection with the new government was bolstered and clusters are now part of the ambitious transition plan for Wallonia. In the mean time the entire process for triggering, building and selecting collaborative R&D projects was redesigned and a renewed international jury was put in place.

The manufacture of high-value components in the space sector is also the speciality of some of the Skywin members in Wallonia.

Here is a “butterfly” valve from a VULCAIN motor for Ariane.

Unfortunately 2019 saw the industry face a major setback with the grounding of the B737. No doubt Boeing will eventually settle the issue. However what’s the recovery plan? And today, after the lockdown, what’s short and middle term expectation for the aero industry? One thing for sure, it will be greener. Innovation is desperately needed! So one way or another, let us keep our technological skills and capacity to face the future.

More than ever Skywin remains committed to support this challenge.

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Centre Spatial de Liège – CSL – Liège Space Centre I

Developing space technologies for Earth and Space monitoring

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CSL is a research centre operated by the University of Liège, Liège Space Centre (CSL), employing 100 people and leading almost 60 projects for an annual turnover of €16M. It has the advantage of being a non-profit research organisation, with a funding from industrial contracts and R&D collaborations.

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ounded in 1959 as part of the Astrophysics Department of the University of Liege, the CSL owes its existence to its forerunner, the ESA, which wanted to have tests carried out and scientific optical instruments calibrated. Its reputation soon gained momentum and it became, from 1976, the chief centre for tests coordinated by the ESA. All scientific optical satellites had to undergo all their spatial qualification testing at CSL. These tests are carried out, specifically, in very large vacuum chambers that can reach up to 6.5 m in diameter. All large space integrators as well as numerous instrument primes are assigning to CSL the responsibility to fully calibrate their instrument or to support them providing Ground Support Equipments and facilities for the execution of qualification testing.

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In complement of these tests, the CSL designs optical instruments for use in space for ESA, NASA or JAXA with the support of BELSPO or through industrial contracts. It also develops thermal, mechanical and electronic engineering expertise in conjunction with the manufacture of these instruments. Finally, the CSL forms technological partnerships for R&D projects with Walloon and European industries as well as with other research centers. The aim of these upstream research projects is the development of technologies that can be used in space.

The CSL is involved in numerous scientific space missions, including Earth Observation missions.

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assets to contribute to the EU planned 2028 carbon stocktake.

This complete calibration mechanism, to be placed in front of the actual observing instrument, will allow re-calibrating in flight the instrument using diffuser reflecting sunlight, white light source and spectral reference based on tuneable laser diodes.

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Sentinel-2 MSI large size diffuser

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Indeed, since 2008, CSL is also implied in various Earth Observation instruments including the Sentinels of the ESA Copernicus Programme. CSL’s role is mainly in characterising and providing flight calibration means for the different instruments. If for some of them, CSL only procure, measure and deliver reference diffusers (Sentinel-2, MetImage, Enmap), in some other cases, CSL also designed, manufactured and qualified complete calibration mechanisms, including the characterised diffusers. This has been the case for the Sentinel-3 OLCI (Ocean and Land Colour Imager) instrument and Sentinel-4 UVN (UV/Visible/Near-infrared) instrument.

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For these activities, CSL has developed a high performance BRDF measuring bench that can accommodate large diffusers or diffusers already integrated in their mechanical environment.

This allows CSL to providing calibration data in the most representative configuration.

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Centre spatial de Liège Université de Liège Liège Science Park - Avenue du Pré - 4031 Angleur Tel.: +32 (0)4 382 46 00 - Fax: +32 (0)4 367 56 13 Email: shabraken@uliege.be - http:// www.csl.uliege.be 153

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Very recently, CSL was also awarded an important contract in the framework of the High Priority Copernicus Missions, for the design, development and delivery of at least 2 flight models of the calibration mechanism for the CO2I instrument on-board CO2M. This EU flagship mission will indeed make use of space

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HELMo Gramme As part of the technical division of the HELMo University College in Liege, HELMo Gramme welcomes some 630 students, divided in two cycles, and totals some sixty to seventy graduates per year. Moreover, it builds on forty FTEs and about a hundred teachers. Applied research and continuing education play an active role in initial training. Since 2020 IT has been integrated into the technical department: this is an opportunity for the engineering school to develop projects on Industry 4.0.

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he HELMo University College has a cross-disciplinary research centre: the CRIG (research centre for grouped institutes).

Headed by Isabelle Bragard, the CRIG is made up of thematic cells; one of them is supported by the computer science and technology department and headed by Sandra Belboom and Frédéric Senny. Five main lines of research have been defined, including IT, Industry 4.0, Environment, Biotechnologies, entrepreneurship. Within this framework, HELMo Gramme pursues research projects on a European, regional and internal scale. These different sources of funding (INTERREG, competitiveness clusters, Walloon Region) enable students to develop their own research strategy and the University College to hire researchers.

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Focus on Industry 4.0, the circular economy and life sciences

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Rolling Solar: towards the integration of solar cells in public infrastructures The road network interconnecting Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands makes up a total of one million kilometres of roads that represent a godsend for the transition to renewable energies by integrating solar cells into them and into urban equipment.

Promising demonstrators where crystalline solar cells are integrated into cycle paths, roads and noise barriers have already been realised. However, the costs of such systems are high because they are not yet produced on a large scale and are based on fragile silicon solar cells produced in the form of small tiles, which require high mechanical protection and a lot of assembly.

The aim of the Interreg ROLLING SOLAR project is to reduce costs through the use of flexible (less fragile) thin-film modules, to improve their integration into road infrastructures and thus to enable large-scale sustainable power generation directly at the point of use and without the use of additional space.

This project is part of the INTERREG V-A MRE programme, which aims to strengthen the potential of the Meuse-Rhine Euregio. It is carried out by a consortium of no less than 8 public research institutes and 13 private industrial partners.

The project is based on four work packages: - Development of solar modules ; - Integration and testing of these modules in building elements; - Innovative electrical interconnection; - Validation and industrialisation.

CRIG’s specific objective in this international project is to ensure the environmental coherence of the project by analysing the life cycle (LCA) of the solutions developed and by carrying out a study focused on the eco-design and recyclability of photovoltaic modules.

ROLLING STAR started on 1 September 2018 and will end on 31 August 2021.

More information on www.rollingsolar.eu, www.interregemr.eu and https://www.interregemr.eu/projets/rolling-solar-1-fr

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Furthermore, HELMo Gramme is distinguished by its versatility, which is clearly visible in its computer science and technology department where fashion, computer science, automation, robotics and industrial engineering are taught. This versatility also characterises the applied research projects that respond directly to the expectations of the industrial partners, in connection with an entrepreneurial reality and in a Euro-regional framework.

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HELMo Gramme enjoys international recognition thanks to its CTI (Commission des Titres d’Ingénieurs) approval, renewed in 2019 at its maximum level for all its courses. This recognition enables it to continue its development in its various fields of expertise and to increase its European visibility with a view to forging new partnerships with companies or institutions.

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In the field of training, the industrial engineering curriculum should evolve to include Industry 4.0. This integration will be achieved through research. HELMo Gramme is already participating in one INTERREG project on this theme and a teacher has even been appointed to design 2 dedicated MOOCs.

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HELMo Gramme is currently seeking to publicise its activities by communicating more to the general public. The University College also strives to make its professors aware of the importance of research. A survey conducted internally has revealed that research is doubly attractive to them: as a means of acquiring new knowledge and as a career opportunity thanks to the partnership policy.

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Equally rich in opportunities, the sustainable energy engineering curriculum addresses life sciences and biotechnologies. Life cycle assessment, carbon and energy balances are among the topics studied, as is the circular economy. In collaboration with Franki (Willemen Group), an FC research project is currently underway on the development of a master class on construction that takes into account the developments in the sector and managerial strategies regarding the circular economy.

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In fine, the initial positioning of HELMo Gramme, based on multi-skilled training, remains more relevant than ever to meet the expectations of companies in the industrial sector - expectations that are increasingly complex and interpenetrating. The University College is and will remain attentive to the needs of industry through clusters and competitiveness centres thanks to its offer of initial training, applied research and innovation vouchers in the life sciences, industry 4.0 and the circular economy.

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Industrie 4.0 : training for transition

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As part of this project, HELMo Gramme is participating in the development of training courses for companies to help them make the transition to industry. 4. 0. The University College has joined forces with the company Job@Skills to set up a Walloon platform bringing together all the regional academic partners. The development of interactive continuing education tools and assistance in the creation of MOOCs are planned to support companies in this important phase of change in their activity.

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HELMo Gramme Quai du Condroz, 28 - 4031 Angleur Tel.: +32 (0)4 340 34 30 - Fax: +32 (0)4 343 30 28 Email: gramme@helmo.be https://www.helmo.be/gramme

UCLouvain Research: COVID-19 and Beyond

© UCLouvain - Eric Herchaft

Interview with Prof. Vincent BLONDEL, UCLouvain Rector

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ave UCLouvain researchers received any awards lately?

Four out of five FNRS Quinquennial Awards recognised UCLouvain researchers: Jean-François Collet (de Duve Institute) for his work in fundamental cellular mechanisms, paving the way for a new class of antibacterial agents (Fundamental Biomedical Sciences Award); Véronique Dehant (Earth and Life Institute) for her precise characterisation of the rotation of earth and other planets, which played a key role in NASA’s InSIGHT Mars mission (Basic Sciences Award); Jean-Christophe Charlier (Louvain School of Engineering) for predicting the electronic structure and properties of multi-walled nanotubes and describing the production of high-purity cubic diamond microparticles by thermal activation of graphene (Applied Exact Sciences Award); and Vassilis Saroglou (Psychological Sciences Research Institute) for bringing together psychology’s disparate currents of thought, thus creating a multidisciplinary sub-field (Humanities and Social Sciences Award).

caloritronics by building the first cryogenic microscope with a local thermal probe operating under a high magnetic field, which paves the way for energy recovery and local cooling devices.

Giulia Liberati (Institute of Neuroscience) uses electrophysiological and neuromodulation techniques to explore the modulation of spontaneous and dynamic cerebral oscillations, which could lead to strategies for predicting and treating chronic pain. Timothée Marquis (Research Institute in Mathematics and Physics) studies Kac-Moody algebra and its unsolved fundamental group theory problems. Jean-François Maystadt (Louvain Institute of Data Analysis and Modelling in Economics and Statistics) uses advanced micro-econometric techniques to assess the economic consequences of forced migration in developing countries. Thomas Peters (Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics) designs adapted security models and new cryptographic primitives to protect against evolving threats to digital integrity and data privacy.

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Have any notable researchers recently joined UCLouvain?

Yes, five new FNRS research associates. Pascal Gehring (Institute of Condensed Matter and Neosciences) studies nanoscale spin-

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What UCLouvain research projects respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?

Funded by the European Space Agency, the Biological Light Fieldable Laboratory for Emergencies (B-LiFE), a UCLouvain mobile lab led by Jean-Luc Gala (Centre of Applied Molecular Technologies), used tests produced in Belgium to screen more than 6,000 frontline health workers, civil protection volunteers and police in Italy. It confirmed the feasibility of mobile mass screening and the efficient interconnectivity of B-LiFE’s Laboratory Information and Management System with the host country’s eHealth platform. Integration of B-LiFE-trained Pasteur Institute (Paris) and University of Turin scientists demonstrated scalability and interoperability. Relocating from Turin to Novara demonstrated the crucial role of B-LiFE’s new telecommunication protocols combining terrestrial and satellite communications.

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The Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering, using its Design, Prototyping and Testing of Electromechanical Devices Technological Platform, spearheaded the open-source non-profit Breath4Life, which designs and produces low-cost medical ventilators.

Science and Technology Sector laboratories collaborate with Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park companies to produce, bottle, and distribute hydroalcoholic gel. UCLouvain Saint-Luc University Hospital developed an automated serological test that provides results in 40 minutes. AI, analytics and computer science researchers Guillaume Derval, Pierre Schaus, Vincent François, Alexey Medvedev, and Vianney Coppé launched covidata.be to analyse COVID-19’s impact on Belgium and its regions. And UCLouvain is working on the COVID-19 strain’s next sequencing, collaborating with an American company for data conservation and bioinformatics analysis (Smartgene, IDNS interface).

and Communication) and coordinated by the University of Bergen, unites 12 partners in ten countries to examine how public administrations can be transformed into ‘open, innovative and collaborative governments’ to enhance collaboration in policy design and service delivery, advancing the participation of public, private and societal actors.

Has COVID-19 slowed UCLouvain efforts to commercialise its research?

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been an enriching year in terms of value creation and societal impact. The VIVES III InterUniversity Fund is expected to reach €50 million after investment in spin-offs from five world-class European universities: UCLouvain, KU Leuven, the University of Paris, Wageningen University, and the University of Luxembourg. The fund aims to transform cuttingedge European research into high-potential, high social impact entrepreneurial projects. The fund takes over from VIVES II, which this year fuelled outstanding achievements including the UCLouvain spin-off Iteos Therapeutics’ NASDAQ entry after only eight years of existence, with a nearly billion-dollar valuation.

Its IPO raised nearly $220 million for clinical trials in Belgium (UCLouvain Saint-Luc University Hospital) and abroad for its A2A and TIGIT immunology programmes. UCLouvain spin-off Novadip Biosciences achieved a world’s first: replacing a child’s 18 cm3 bone deficit with a bone graft derived from an adipose stem cell, thus preventing amputation – after three years the child is playing normally!

Projects funded by the European ‘Horizon 2020: COVID’ programme include RESPOND, led by Vincent Lorant and Pablo Nicaise (Institute of Health and Society), which assesses the preparedness of health systems in eight EU countries and makes policy recommendations to reduce pandemic-induced mental health and psychosocial problems. And the CorDial-S project, led by Sorin Melinte and Axel Legay (Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics) and Jean-Luc Gala (Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research), aims to limit COVID-19 spread by developing the rapid (under 30 minutes), accurate and inexpensive (under €20) C-POCT-S point-of-care test.

Proton therapy was invented at UCLouvain. What’s new?

This summer, Particle, Belgium’s first proton therapy centre (KU Leuven/UCLouvain/UZ Leuven/Saint-Luc University Hospital), treated its first patients. By 2030, 300,000 patients worldwide will be treated by the technology, which in 1986 spawned the UCLouvain spin-off IBA, today’s world leader in proton therapy technology. With IBA, Benoît Macq (Louvain School of Engineering) is developing the Imag-X specialised scanner that improves patient positioning via online adaptive proton therapy.

Edmond Sterpin (Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research) is integrating artificial intelligence to predict the effectiveness of proton therapy compared to conventional radiotherapy. Particle is also exploring FLASH therapy, very high-dose treatment that spares healthy tissue. Particle’s 100% research-dedicated proton therapy room, with its own cyclotron, is unique in Europe!

Are other projects funded by Horizon 2020?

BEYOND5, led by Jean-Pierre Raskin (Institute for Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics) and co-funded by the Brussels Capital Region, aims to build a completely European supply chain for radiofrequency electronics to accommodate new RF domains for sensing, communication, and radio infrastructure at 5G and beyond. EJEMOD, led by Yann Bartosiewicz (Institute of Mechanics, Materials, and Civil Engineering), studies engine bleed jet pump continuous behaviour modelling, focusing on the physics and operation of new ejector prototypes proposed by Liebherr, to acquire knowledge on jet pump functioning. TROPICO, led by Claire Dupuy (Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences 157

Interview with Prof. Jean-Luc BALLIGAND, President of the Institute for Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), WELBIO investigator used to transport water and hydrogen peroxide, an oxidant responsible for reactions leading to cardiac hypertrophy. We were able to verify in biopsies of human hearts that aquaporin 1 was more abundant in people with large hearts. We have also identified a potential treatment that blocks the aquaporin 1 channel and hydrogen peroxide transport to prevent cardiac hypertrophy. This treatment is brahmi, a plant extract used in indian ayurvedic medicine that contains a molecule (bacopaside) that very effectively blocks aquaporin-1. Its efficacy to prevent hypertrophyhas been verified in a preclinical model with a standardized plant extract already available in parapharmacy.

Indeed, this standardized extract (CDRI08) has already been tested in randomized controlled clinical trials for its therapeuic efficacy in various neurological disorders. The next objective here is therefore to reposition an existing treatment in a cardiovascular indication and the recent subsidy granted by the King Baudouin Foundation will enable us to launch a pilot clinical study soon.

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hat are IREC's key figures and research themes?

IREC is strong with 233 Clinicians (22 Academics, 231 Scientists, and 97 Admin & Technical Staff). Between 2015 and 2020 the Institute produced 4,800 scientific publications and it totals 19 patents and licenses over the period 2015-2019. In addition, it is at the origin of the creation of two spin-offs. Research at IREC is organized into 11 thematic research groups: cardiovascular, imaging, clinical and translational immunology, acute medicine, regenerative medicine, metabolism, obesity and diabetes, health and movement, nephrology, oncology, reproductive medicine, and medical microbiology. Added to this are the activities of the Clinical Trial Center and the platforms (2IP, CytoFlux, CTMA - Centre for Applied Molecular Technologies).

What are the main assets of research at IREC? IREC is developing translational research straddling the line between very high-flying basic science and clinical research for patients: the back and forth between problems encountered at the patient's bed and hypotheses tested in the laboratory creates a virtuous circle allowing discoveries to be transformed into new diagnostic tests and treatments for personalized medicine. Another strength of research at IREC is its transdisciplinary aspect: cross-fertilization between different disciplines is an important source of innovation.

Indeed, biology does not care about disciplinary boundaries and many cellular mechanisms are common to different organs and pathologies. Ultimately, this transdisciplinarity allows us to go beyond the organic vision of disease and adopt a holistic approach.

In your opinion, what are the major challenges of tomorrow's translational research?

The first challenge concerns research funding, which is threatened by the current economic difficulties of which culture and research are traditionally the first victims. This period is also unfavorable for collaborations with the industry, which risks harming our level of competitiveness. The second challenge relates to integration into major national, European and international research networks in order to remain competitive. Belgium's political fragmentation affects the critical mass and visibility of its research. This could be overcome by the creation of alliances between European universities, such as CircleU3. Finally, medical research faces a third challenge, which is the increasing complexity of diseases: a single treatment is not sufficient to treat patients with co-morbidities and environmental factors that in turn influence the efficacy of treatments. There is a need for integration of multi-modal phenotypic data using algorithms of artificial intelligence to uncover new disease mechanisms and treatments, i.e. a “Network Medicine” approach4. To implement this, it is crucial to maintain the virtuous circle of translational research by maintaining a constant dialog between multidisciplinary basic and clinical researchers. Allowing caregivers to free up clinical time to develop their basic research skills is one mission of our Institute towards that goal.

Could you give us some examples of current research projects at IREC? In the treatment of cancer, biopsy samples have been used to reconstitute mini-tumors in vitro for genomic, proteomic and metabolomic analysis. Artificial intelligence is then used to determine the most effective treatment for a given tumor, verify its efficacy and validate it for application to the patient concerned. In the field of cardiovascular diseases, we have discovered a new biomarker of blood vessel function in cells and animals carrying these diseases. This new biomarker is currently being used on human patients in prospective studies for the prediction of cardiovascular disease complications. On October 7, we published an article on cardiac hypertrophy in Science Translational Medicine entitled “Inhibition of aquaporin-1 prevents myocardial remodeling by blocking the transmembrane transport of hydrogen peroxide“1. In the framework of a WELBIO2 research programme, we found that mice deficient for the gene coding for aquaporin-1 developed small hearts. Aquaporin 1 is a protein

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https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/irec/news/brahmi-plant-extract-prevents-cardiac-hypertrophy.html https://welbio.org/cms/c_11740011/en/welbio 3 https://www.circle-u.eu/ 4 https://www.network-medicine.org/ 1 2

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Translational research for the benefit of patients

Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH) – UCLouvain I

Recognized expertise in the tumor microenvironment

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to pre-exist before therapy is applied and can reside in protective microenvironmental niches within the tumor. This is why Dr. Corbet’s team seeks to understand how the tumor microenvironment selects them in order to target this small fraction of “super aggressive” cancer cells likely to lead to therapeutic failures. Despite an increasingly important therapeutic arsenal (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, personalized medicine...), the time has come to implement fundamental changes in the tumor treatment paradigm in order to find alternatives to the genetic-driven precision medicine.

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Dr Cyril Corbet, head of a FATH team dedicated to oncology research

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ach year, FATH publishes between 40 and 60 scientific articles and benefits from various Belgian (ARC, Welbio, FNRS) and European (ITN and Marie Sklodowska-Curie grants) funding.

The “cancer” axis mobilizes three teams including that of Dr. Cyril Corbet who is interested in the metabolism of therapy-resistant cancer cells and the interplay thereof with the tumor microenvironment. This work is carried out in close collaboration with chemists from UCLouvain and biotech companies such as CD3/CISTIM in Leuven in order to identify small molecules that will be used to implement novel therapeutic strategies overcoming conventional treatment escape.

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Created in 2010 at the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), the Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH) is integrated within the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC) and brings together 5 professors, about ten postdoctoral researchers, 15 doctoral students and a dozen technicians. Its dual expertise in oncology and cardiovascular diseases is internationally recognized as evidenced by the current hosting of 4 laureates of the Prix Galien in Pharmacology.

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Two major projects are underway within the team of Dr Corbet. They aim to identify the metabolic features associated with cancer treatment resistance in colon and head and neck cancers. More precisely, they intend to characterize the metabolic preferences of treatment-resistant cancer (stem) cells at the light of their microenvironmental niche (i.e. acidosis, presence of stromal cells...) and to manipulate these specific metabolic vulnerabilities in order to improve the efficacy of conventional treatments such as chemo- and radiotherapies as well as targeted therapies.

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To do this, Dr. Corbet’s team uses patient-derived tumor organoids established from surgically resected tumors thanks to collaborations with oncologists from King Albert II Institute of Saint-Luc University Clinics in Brussels. These relevant preclinical models allow to perform “ex vivo” assays to verify the effectiveness of different treatments, by including the tumor microenvironment, and go beyond the current oncogene-driven cancer paradigm in precision oncology.

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Immunofluorescent picture of 3D colorectal cancer cell cultures

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Dr Corbet’s team, as part of the FATH pole, is now located in a brand-new building inaugurated in 2019, and can rely on cutting-edge equipment to carry out its research. The research group uses IREC’s technological platforms in imaging, microscopy and sequencing. It also has access to a state-of-the-art animal facility equipped with in vivo bioluminescence and fluorescence detection systems. In addition, it has its own equipment in molecular biology, biochemistry, proteomics and metabolomics, including a Seahorse analyzer for real-time assessment of cell metabolism.

l Avenue Hippocrate, 57 bte B1.57.04 - 1200 Woluwe-Saint-Lambert Tel.: +32 (0)2 764 52 48 Email: cyril.corbet@uclouvain.be - https://corbetlab.weebly.com/ 159

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Dr Corbet’s team is therefore well prepared to meet the two major challenges that await oncology researchers in the years to come, namely resistance to treatments and metastatic dissemination. You should know that relapse-inducing cells are thought

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FATH UCLouvain IREC – Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique

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Institut de recherche expérimentale et clinique

Visualizing biological tissues in 3D Belgium could well bring about a revolution in biomedical imaging. An interdisciplinary team with researchers from the UCLouvain and KU Leuven developed a technology to visualise biological tissues in 3D. This new technology, named ‘contrast-enhanced X-ray microfocus computed tomography’ (CECT), will undoubtedly lead to numerous new (bio) medical insights and possible treatments.

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ver the last decades, the biomedical world has made huge strides forward. Yet not all the mysteries of the human body have yet been unraveled. Today, for example, there is still only limited knowledge about the influence of certain diseases on the internal structure and functioning of biological tissues. “The research often gets stuck on the limited structural and spatial information that is now obtained with the help of histology,” says Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs. “This is the name of the analysis process of biopsies/tissues in which the tissue is cut into thin slices, colored using a dye and viewed under the microscope. The disadvantage of this technique for spatial structural analysis is obvious. Since histology only allows to assess a limited amount of thin sections, and in only one cutting orientation, it is impossible to see spatial relationships between the different internal structures, making it very difficult to correctly assess the influence of the disease on the full internal structure. And this internal structure can have an important influence on the functioning of the tissue. During my postdoc at the KU Leuven, I joined the research team working on bone tissue engineering, where the aim is to regenerate bone tissue. Specifically for this research, we decided to try to turn the tide by developing a technique that allows full 3D visualisation of the tissue in a non-destructive manner”.

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Stains that absorb X-rays Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs soon decided to base her research on Xray computer tomography (CT). “This is widely used in the medical world today to examine hard materials, such as bones,” she says.

“Just think of CT scans of human or animal bones. Unfortunately, the technique does not work well to examine soft tissues, such as organs or cartilage. After all, soft materials hardly absorb X-rays.

We did not immediately find many solutions for this issue in the literature. So, I started working on the development of specific staining techniques. The idea was actually quite simple and based on the coloring dyes used in histological examination of tissues: I wanted to develop a dye that absorbs X-rays and thus ‘colours’ the tissue for X-rays. We call these substances ‘X-ray stains’.”

Overview scheme of the research topics within the ContrasT Team

Worldwide interest It is an approach that pays off because the ContrasT Team has already achieved several successes. “Our main objective is to develop a new technology to visualise biological tissues in 3D, and thereby solve biological questions” explains Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs. “Today, our research has already reached the point where we have entered into international collaborations with other universities and laboratories. Fellow researchers use our new techniques to investigate certain disease models in animals. There is also growing interest in applications to human tissues, especially for diseases such as diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, …”.

Interdisciplinary team When Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs was appointed professor at the UCLouvain and guest professor at the KU Leuven in 2017, she decided to set up her own research team, the ContrasT Team, to deepen her ideas further. “Initially, the ContrasT Team only had five members, but three years later there are already thirteen of us,” she says. “Because biological questions are the pillars of our research, it's only natural that the team includes biologists and biomedical scientists. However, in order to make the stains, we need chemists. And technical development, in turn, requires engineers. That is why our team is interdisciplinary and even crosses the university and language borders in Belgium. Indeed, scientists from the UCLouvain and the KU Leuven have joined forces to achieve an adequate result quickly”.

New insights In Belgium, the ContrasT Team has already participated in a study to determine the influence of type II diabetes on the bone marrow composition. Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs: “This study showed that our technique does open the door to new biological insights. The medical world has known for some time now that patients with type II diabetes are more prone to fractures and recover less quickly from them than other people. Thanks to our new technique, a significant part of the cause could be 160

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Effect of Type 2 diabetes on the spatial distribution of the different skeletal tissues within long bones. Representative 3D visualization, CE-CT, of the trabecular bone (white), blood vessel network (orange) and adipocytes (yellow) in the tibial metaphysis of (A) 8-weeks (YNG), (B) 30-weeks (OLD) and (C) 30-weeks old mice with obesity-driven Type 2 diabetes (HFD). 3D scale bars indicated in the image. CE-CT based analysis of (D) the volume fraction of trabecular bone, (E) the volume fraction of fat cells (adipocytes) and (F) the number of branches of the blood vessel network for the YNG, OLD and HFD groups. Statistical comparison was made between YNG and OLD, and between OLD and HFD. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001. Data are represented as mean + SD. The HFD group and YNG group were both independently compared to OLD animals by using a two-tailed unpaired t-test. Adapted from Kerckhofs et al., Biomaterials 2018.

The expertise of the ContrasTTeam is not limited to the 3D visualisation of biological tissues. Recent research on ‘face masks’ proves this. “Our technique makes it possible to study all kinds of materials in a non-destructive way,” explains Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs. “Because we wanted to do our bit to combat Covid-19, we decided to analyse a wide range of face masks using microCT. Specifically, we developed new microCT-based analysis strategies to determine the filtering efficiency and breathability of face mask materials. In this way, we obtained a good picture of which materials score best. Now we want to continue on the same track and examine to what extent materials are reusable and how best to wash and sterilize them”.

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Also for materials research

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traced: the disease causes strong changes in the blood vessel network in the bone marrow, which can have a negative impact on bone repair”.

MicroCT-based 3D structural analysis of a surgical face mask. Micro-CT based 3D visualization and structural analysis of the fibres and pores in the three different layers of a surgical face mask, serving as input for simulation of filter efficiency and breathability.

The ContrasT Team is also currently involved in a research project at the University Hospital Saint-Luc in Woluwe, Belgium. “The aim is to investigate the processes of calcification of heart valves, and to map the effect of this calcification on the functioning of the heart valves”, says Prof. Dr. Greet Kerckhofs. “By means of our specific stains, we were able to visualise not only the calcifciations, but also the entire fibre network of a heart valve using contrast-enhanced microCT. This allows the clinicians to better understand the diseases, and provides the researchers with an interesting tool to develop new biomaterials for replacement of heart valves in the future and to evaluate their effectiveness. With the University of Graz in Austria and the KU Leuven, we are using our imaging techniques and their computer models to investigate the influence of treatment techniques for the clogging of blood vessels on the functioning of the blood vessels after treatment.

Another major project is in association with Prof. Benoît Lengelé, plastic surgeon at the Saint-Luc University Hospital in Woluwe.

There, we use our technique to study the internal structure of different tissues in 3D, and then use this information to develop new biomaterials for tissue repair. For example, heart valves, blood vessels, bone-to-tendon connections, ligaments, etc.”

Ongoing research

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Because of the many possibilities, there is worldwide interest in the technology and knowledge of the ContrasT Team. “The demand from international researchers increases every day”, says Prof.

Dr. Greet Kerckhofs. “Pharmaceutical companies are also knocking on our door to carry out studies. We are happy to help with such projects, but the ultimate goal is and remains to develop a technique that can complement standard histology for studying the full internal structure of tissues, and to translate this technique to the clinic. This would allow a much more efficient and faster screening of tissues/biopsies, as well as generate more information.

Recently, we also initiated a new research track, which we call 4D contrast-enhanced microCT. The aim is to mechanically load biological tissues during imaging, to study their mechanical behaviour and to link this to their functioning in the body. There is still a long way to go, but we strongly believe that we will be able to achieve our ambitions”.

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Calcification of human aortic heart valves. (A) A leaflet of a human aortic valve.

(B) A microCT-based 3D rendering of a human aortic leaflet, visualizing clearly the calcifications; the soft tissue is visible in red, but there is no information on its fibrous organization. (C) CE-CT-based 3D rendering of the human aortic leaflet, visualizing the calcifications, but also the fibrous organization of the soft tissues.

White arrows indicate the soft tissue, blue arrows indicate the calcifications.

Biomechanics Lab – ContrasT Team Institute of Mechanics, Materials, and Civil Engineering UCLouvain

Promising molecules for the treatment of cognitive impairments A company created in early 2018, Syndesi Therapeutics is benefiting from over 15 years of research at UCB which identified novel modulators of SV2A that show pro-cognitive properties in preclinical models. Its goal is to demonstrate the potential of these molecules to reduce the symptoms of cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and related conditions.

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t all goes back to 2004: this was when UCB identified the synaptic vesicle protein, SV2A, as the target for its anti-epileptic drug, levetiracetam (Keppra®). This discovery enabled UCB to develop a second anti-epileptic drug that modulates SV2A, brivaracetam (Briviact®).

ubiquitous pre-synaptic mechanism rather than a specific neurotransmitter and modulates a clinically precedented target. Modulation of synaptic transmission is relevant since there is increasing evidence that in multiple CNS disorders cognitive impairment is correlated with a loss of synapses resulting in a loss of connectivity in the brain. Positive modulation of SV2A by SDI-118 could mitigate this loss of connectivity by increasing the efficiency of remaining synapses.

In addition, Syndesi has been able to leverage a PET ligand for SV2A (11C-UCB-J), developed

by UCB, which enables direct measurement of SV2A occupancy by SDI-118 in the human brain. This is a major de-risking factor for CNS drug development.

© Syndesi Therapeutics

During the course of UCB’s research program on SV2A, UCB discovered a different class of SV2A modulators that show pro-cognitive but not anti-epileptic properties in preclinical models.

This is where Syndesi comes into play: the company has an exclusive license to these Dr Jonathan Savidge, pro-cognitive SV2A modulator molecules, and CEO of Syndesi Therapeutics has conducted research to further characterise their mechanism of action. It is backed by a strong syndicate of Belgian and international investors (Novo (Denmark), Fountain Healthcare (Dublin), the corporate venture Syndesi successfully completed Phase I enabling studies in 2018 fund Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, V-Bio, SRIW, Vives), and conducted a first-in-human, single-dose Phase I study with together with stakeholder UCB and continued support for the SDI-118 in 2019. The Phase I study included imaging of brain programme from the Walloon Region. Since it started operaSV2A occupancy with SDI-118 using the 11C-UCB-J PET ligand.

The company is currently conducting a second Phase I multiple tions Syndesi Therapeutics has raised €23M from these six indose study to investigate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics vestors and UCB, and was awarded a recoverable loan from of SDI-118 over 14 days dosing. It also anticipates starting Phase the Walloon Region of up to €3.2 M. Ib/IIa exploratory studies to investigate the effects of SDI-118 on cognition during Q1 2021. This is good news since Alzheimer’s Disease International estimates that there are 50 million people with dementia worldwide. According to WHO, there are also 20 million people worldwide suffering with schizophrenia and 80% of them have cognitive impairment. And that’s not all: WHO also estimates there are 264 million people worldwide suffering from depression, around 20% of whom also suffering from cognitive impairment. Syndesi’s SDI-118 could, therefore, address additional major unmet medical needs given that there are no approved therapies for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia and depression.

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Syndesi Therapeutics

Syndesi is focussed on the development of orally active small molecules with a lead compound, designated SDI-118, now in Phase I clinical development, which is targeting central nervous system (CNS) disorders where patients suffer from cognitive impairment, such as; Alzheimer’s Disease, other dementias, schizophrenia, and depression. Its approach directly targets a

Syndesi Therapeutics SA Centre d’Entreprises et d’Innovation (CEI) Incubator Chemin du Cyclotron 6 - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Tel.: +32 (0)10 280 238 Email: info@syndesitherapeutics.com https://www.syndesitherapeutics.com/ 162

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Medical Equipment Manufacturer & Engineering

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Created in March 2019 in the wake of Everdeen SPRL and with a team of 6 people, Everdeen S.A. aims to position itself as a reference company for the production of small and medium series of laboratory machines and electro-medical devices.

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verdeen’s strategy revolves around three axes: consultancy, technical, normative and legislative assistance to companies in the field of in-vitro diagnostics and medical instruments; research and development; and production of laboratory, diagnostic and medical instruments. Everdeen’s know-how is based on the experience of its managing director Pascal Debrue: for 16 years he has dedicated himself to the development and manufacture of laboratory and diagnostic instruments, as well as medical machines, for large groups such as Baxter, Fenwal, Macopharma, but also SMEs such as D-tek, Coris, Analis, Ovizio, Antigon,…

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BlueDiverII is a complete instrument including a sample pipetting module.

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In terms of R&D, Everdeen offers its customers total or partial management of their project based on the requirements provided. This involves the writing of a functional specification document, risk analysis, mechanical, electronic and software design, production, verification and validation tests. Everdeen also offers to carry out packaging, electromagnetic compatibility and low voltage tests.

Everdeen has developped the first generation of ABO-D System of Antigon®, a company active in blood transfusion. This new unique Antigon® system will offer a double instant verification, firstly an electronic administrative validation via barcode/RFID reader and a connection to the blood bank server, and secondly the ultimate control, at the bedside, of ABO groups of both patient and transfusion bag. This automatic, portable device will therefore help to reduce hemolytic reactions resulting from ABO incompatibility. The ready-to-use consumable integrates antibodies and the control reagent (buffer). Used in combination with the portable ABO-D Reader, the system provides automatically biologicals testing results, eliminating any human handlings and interpretation.

Production of the BlueDiver instrument

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Everdeen Rue René Descartes 1/4 7000 Mons Tel.: +32 (0)65 88 60 02 Email: pascal.debrue@everdeen.be https://everdeen-sa.business.site/

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For all these reasons, Everdeen decided to produce and market a range of products for the Belgian, French and Luxembourg customers. In addition to the production of BlueDiverII for D-tek from 2020, the SME will continue clinical studies for Autorince.

In addition, Everdeen will pass ISO 13485 certification in early 2021 to further enhance its quality system. A pledge of additional satisfaction for customers already won over!

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Everdeen is also launching the BlueDiverII for the company D-tek, which develops and produces diagnostic kits for autoimmune diseases. Nine years ago, the Everdeen team had already integrated these tests into the BlueDiver instrument, a compact and innovative machine intended for the automatized processing of D-tek’s dot-blot diagnostic tests. The instrument is diving the nitrocellulose strips into ready-to-use cartridges which contain the different immuno-enzymatic reagents necessary for the detection of the biomarkers. BlueDiverII is a new, more complete instrument, including a sample pipetting module. This new automated device will above all ensure a full traceability of samples and reagents, an essential functionality in the context of the imminent application of the new CE/IVD standards. This is a real technical feat: up to now, none of the automation systems commercially available on the market is able to offer a complete traceability.

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Moreover, Everdeen is participating in a prospective monocentric study on patients who have undergone endoscopic resection of the prostate or bladder and require post-operative bladder washing.

The objective of this study, carried out by the Urology Service of the University and Psychiatric Hospital Center of Mons-Borinage and the Pharmaceutical Analysis Laboratory of the University of Mons, is to demonstrate that the “Autorince” device makes it possible to automatically adjust the washing flow according to the bleeding recorded by the sensor, to ensure effective continuous bladder washing, to improve patient monitoring, to reduce nursing work and to decrease the volumes of rinsing liquid used.

UMONS, a vector of innovation

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ocated at the gateway to the city, a stone's throw from our sites and campuses, the INITIALIS Pôle Innovation by IDEA/ UMONS is a driving force in regional development and the influence of our university. It houses three of the UMONS Innovation Centers, enabling UMONS to benefit from a dynamic environment of technological development. The complementarity with our university's research teams enables us to work on any innovation project, whatever the level of maturity of the technology.

emanating from business or society, to action research in the human and social sciences to shed light on societal challenges and choices, and to develop the interdisciplinary approaches needed to understand an increasingly complex world.

From Research to Innovation

UMONS recently launched the “UMONS Innovation Center” label to highlight the close partnership it maintains with approved research centres such as Materia Nova and Multitel. The Click', the recently created innovation platform in the heart of Hainaut, joins the list.

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UMONS and its Innovation Centers form a unique structure in Belgium that enables it to carry out fundamental, strategic and applied research with partners recognised for their excellence, enabling it to work with any socio-economic body regardless of the TRL (technology readiness level) where the results are to be found.

UMONS' geographical and historical proximity to its strong partners makes our institution a key player in innovation in Wallonia.

Research at UMONS Research at UMONS is supported by nearly a thousand researchers in around a hundred departments. It is structured into 10 research institutes, supported by a Research Administration and Valorisation Department.

Each institute brings together the skills of experienced researchers, post-docs or doctoral students from several UMONS Faculties.

They focus their efforts on unifying themes, including life and health sciences, sciences and technologies and human and social sciences, thus responding to proven societal needs and giving them greater visibility with international organisations and donors.

The strength of the UMONS Research Institutes lies in the multidisciplinarity of their teams and the flexibility of their organisation.

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Research can take a variety of forms, ranging from basic research capable of anticipating future changes in a multitude of disciplines, to applied and targeted research responding to specific needs

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Three UMONS Innovation Centres on the INITIALIS, Pôle Innovation by IDEA/UMONS

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Three UMONS innovation centres are located a stone's throw from UMONS, on the INITIALIS, Pôle Innovation by IDEA/UMONS: - Materia Nova; - Multitel; - The Click'.

This geographical proximity facilitates exchanges and guarantees continuity for projects and the maturation of technologies. For example, researchers from Materia Nova work in the UMONS premises, and vice versa. This flexibility allows our respective teams to follow projects from A to Z, whatever the TRL level of the project.

Multitel is a research centre in telecommunications, signal and image processing which was founded in 1995 at the UMONS Polytechnic Faculty. Multitel and UMONS have remained very close and collaborate on numerous projects in the fields of telecommunications and signal processing. Multitel's mission is primarily to help Walloon companies integrate new technologies more effectively into their products, processes and services, with a view to improving competitiveness and sustainable economic prosperity.

IDEA is the territorial development agency for the 27 communes of the Cœur du Hainaut, a territory of more than 540,000 inhabitants covering more than 1,000 km².

Fields of application: - Signal and embedded systems; - Networks and telecoms; - Applied photonics; - Computer vision; - Railway certification.

Its ambition? To transform its territory by anticipating its future.

To do this, the multi-sectoral intercommunal association is positioning itself, on the one hand, as a driving force for sustainable economic, territorial and environmental development and, on the other hand, as a privileged partner of its associated communes and companies.

The CLICK is a host and support structure, in a space conducive to creative stimulation and innovation, for idea bearers (professional actors, innovators, creators, makers, student/researcher entrepreneurs, etc.). Located in the heart of Hainaut, in the INITIALIS, Pôle Innovation by IDEA/UMONS, it is also a structure bringing together a Fablab, a Hub, a Living Lab and an incubator for students/researchers entrepreneurs.

Closely linked to the UMONS Materials Institute, Materia Nova is an approved research centre founded by UMONS for the development of tomorrow's materials in the field of polymers and surface coatings. Since the creation of Materia Nova by UMONS in 2000, the two institutions have been working very closely together.

DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT? Do you want to create or improve an idea, a product or a service?

At the CLICK we offer you support adapted to your needs: - Diagnosis; - Idea session; - Technological watch; - Pre/Prototyping; - ...

This collaboration is a considerable asset as it allows them to combine expertise in fundamental and applied research in order to improve the possibilities for transfers from the university laboratory to industry.

Fields of application : - Advanced materials & solutions for applications in the field of energy; - Sustainable and innovative polymer materials; - Cells for materials and materials for cells; - Multifunctional surfaces; - Life cycle thinking; - Characterisation platform.

Thanks to the technological expertise of our teams and our cuttingedge tools, you are sure to make your project evolve. The aim of CLICK is to help the idea bearer (individually or in a team) progress in his “entrepreneurial journey” as a central player in his innovation.

We offer four services, each with expertise at the service of the idea bearer: - The CLICK HUB creates favourable conditions for innovation and the emergence of creative projects, it stimulates, animates and guides the community.

- The CLICK Fablab specialises in providing support for the mechanical and electromechanical design of pre/prototypes, with a specific focus on the Internet of Things (IOT).

- The CLICK Living Lab helps pre-selected project leaders (in the field of the cutural and creative industries or CCI) to progress in the definition and technological realisation of their projects.

- The CLICK N'Start specifically welcomes and supports student entrepreneurs and UMONS researchers.

Remarkable equipment: Materia Nova also has a vast range of equipment: - a complete set of equipment for dry (plasma) and wet (sol-gel) deposition from laboratory sample scale to pilot scale, - a platform dedicated to the production of organic opto-electronic components, - equipment for the synthesis and implementation of composite materials and biosourced polymers, - and lastly, a platform for the analysis and characterisation of materials open to industrialists.

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Alternative methods to deal with new toxins Interview with Prof. Jean-Marie COLET, Head of the UMONS Human Biology and Toxicology department follow-up of the depollution process and its potential toxic effects via invertebrate animal models (snail and earthworm) whose expressed markers are also expressed in rodents and humans, for subsequent transposition of the results being analysed.

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Could you tell us about the activities of your department with respect to predictive toxicology?

A member of the UMONS Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, our department was created to formulate methods aimed at accelerating the development of medications via the development of the metabolomics approach and alternative models to the use of vertebrates (cell cultures and invertebrate models). Since then, it has expanded its activities to IT models for QSAR (quantitative structure activity relationship) type studies, which focus on the chemical structure of molecules to predict possible toxic effects, in vitro models (cell cultures and organoids) and in vivo models (rats, mice) with the application of predictive methods to reduce the number of animals used, mortality and pain induced in conventional toxicological studies. We are also working alongside hospitals: thanks to the metabolomics method, we offer them the transposition of preclinical observations to the clinical observation phase.

Finally, our laboratory has more recently become interested in the study of the biological roles of intermediate metabolites and in particular, through succination and succinylation reactions, the way in which small organic molecules such as succinate and fumarate control key cellular processes in the toxic modes of action of chemical substances.

What services do you offer to third parties?

We are contacted for prospective toxicology studies concerning molecules at an early stage in their development: their potential risk is assessed in mice, rats and cell cultures. In addition, our metabolomics approach is applied to find new fields of application for molecules that are already marketed. We are particularly called upon to investigate cell signalling pathways and the role played by endogenous metabolites in this communication. Our department also offers industries its theoretical expertise in the field of environmental toxicology: the calculation of reference toxicology values thus makes it possible to determine the maximum dose to which residents of the area surrounding an industry can be exposed 24 hours a day for 30 years without any risk of developing the critical effect associated with the substance forming the object of the study.

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Could you give us a few examples of research projects in progress?

We are working closely alongside a KU Leuven consortium focusing on the study of melanoma treatments: our metabolomics approach is applied in order to understand the functioning of these treatments on cells so as to improve them; similarly, we are also studying the mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy.

Our department also takes part in the “Memoris” project funded by the Walloon Region with the support of industrial and academic partners. The aim is to develop new sustainable in situ depollution methods that do not require excavation. We perform

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What do you think the main challenges are that researchers must tackle in the field of toxicology?

We need to meet the 3Rs requirement: refining of protocols, reduction in the number of animals used and replacement of studies carried out on vertebrate mammals. This adapting of our animal houses for ethical reasons calls for high subsidies but also the development of alternative methods that guarantee the quality of life and safety of those humans exposed to the molecules. Another challenge concerns the cocktail effect of the various molecules, which oscillates between synergy, accumulation and mutual nullification, which greatly complicates assessment of the risk, as shown with the “Memoris” project and the people who are treated every day using a number of different medications. Lastly, we are confronted with new toxic effects such as endocrine disruptors, which are amplified still further by the arrival of new molecules.

We will need to develop new models so that we have a better understanding of these risks and are able to act quickly if required.

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Laboratoire Matériaux polymères et composites Institut MATÉRIAUX de l’UMONS

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The lab is also meeting the challenge of designing materials that are more compatible with environmental conditions (mulching films for the food industry, eco-responsible tablets used for washing dishes, etc.) and seeks to improve the extrusion technique by combining it with a microwave system to reduce its energy cost. In addition, it directs its research activities on 3D printing towards more specific needs such as small series parts in order to increase the lifespan of household appliances or for medical applications.

The lab is also pursuing the development of structural compounds such as more efficient resins which exhibit good adhesion with metal substrates and rely upon a continuous or semi-continuous production system. The objective: to have lighter and less energyconsuming materials for railway and aeronautical industry. Green chemistry has a bright future ahead of it!

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The Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory also benefited from the support of the Walloon Region through a project for the development of biobased resins from phenolic derivatives for adhesive or more structural applications under the name of FLYCOAT. Its expertise made it possible to formulate the resins and solve the problems linked to their processability in the presence of aluminum or magnesium reinforcements subjected to reduced temperatures. Finally, let’s mention 3DMed, an INTERREG project which aims to develop hydrogels by 3D printing and adapted resins.

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Today the lab focuses its efforts on the end of life of materials and the development of recycled, more efficient solutions and processes using plastic waste as sourcing for other sectors of activity.

It also coordinates the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie NIPU project for the development of solutions to replace isocyanate polyurethanes by biomaterials for applications of coatings, paints, mechanical reinforcements and resins for 3D printing.

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The lab has developed academic collaborations with networks of international experts (in China, Europe, Canada, the United States, Brazil, South Africa...) in order to supplement his own know-how. In addition, it collaborates with the Greenwin and MecaTech competitiveness clusters as well as numerous industrialists in Wallonia (Cosucra, Total, Solvay, UCB, Valbio, Plastiwin, etc.) and abroad.

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This expertise allowed the Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory to participate in collaborative projects such as TEXTOX, an INTERREG project focused on the development of bioresorbable composites for osseointegration: its researchers solved the interface problems between the bioceramic and a bioresorbable, biocompatible matrix in order to increase their performance. The lab has also contributed to the SUSPOL project within the framework of the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie program: doctoral students were hired to develop organic catalysts for the controlled synthesis of biopolymers (polylactites) by catalysis under conditions similar to those of industry – a solventfree, extrusion-related solution.

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he Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory has developed 4 areas of research in the fields of sustainable materials: materials for biomedical applications; macromolecular engineering (development of enzymatic or organic catalysts instead of organometallic catalysts); nanocomposite materials and composites reinforced by extrusion of matrices or nanorenforcements of renewable or non-renewable origin (development of intensified processes to reduce the accumulation of microplastics and biobased or recycled materials); and 3D printing with the development of its own formulations.

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Located on the University of Mons (UMONS) site and in the premises of the Materia Nova research center in the Initialis science park in Mons, the Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory was created in 1997 by Prof. Philippe Dubois, current rector of UMONS. Its forty researchers are looking to develop eco-friendly polymer materials.

UNamur, a University with experts at the service of Society

By Prof. Carine MICHIELS, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations, University of Namur on the quality of its education, the availability of its professors and sufficient resources to ensure maximum chances of success for each student: introduction to study techniques, preparation courses, small group work, course materials available on-line, personalized assessments…

UNamur description

(https://www.unamur.be/en)

At the Heart of Europe: an exceptional setting As the capital of Wallonia, Namur occupies a strategic position. Situated at the intersection of numerous rail and motorway routes, it is Wallonia’s most accessible city. At the heart of the city, ten minutes’ walk from the train station, next to the pedestrian zone and the historical center, and overlooking the River Sambre and the Louise-Marie Park, the university campus is a vibrant place and is ideally located.

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The UNamur has redesigned its study programs in line with the European harmonization of Higher Education (“Bologna Process”). The UNamur has widened the choice of its studies to reconcile both specificity and openness to social and human issues. Quality of study in Namur is a first-class advantage for those who wish to discover a university on a human scale at the crossroads of Europe, as part of a study exchange program or to prepare to enter professional life.

The UNamur campus has a lot to offer : a sports hall, a radio station, a choir, community housing for students sharing the same cultural or social project (“kots à projets”)… Various activities are organized on the campus such as sports competitions, tournaments and challenges, introduction to music or plastic arts, language courses, theatre shows or concerts. Life is lived to the full in Namur.

A rich and varied student life University life is also a unique time for personal fulfilment through cultural activities, sports, festivals and social life. Namur has everything the UNamur members and students need to express their talents and beliefs. Each year, the Assemblée Générale des Etudiants (Students’ Union) organizes a large number of events and all students can become involved in a range of different projects.

Meaningful teaching: studies and success Meaning and a focus on the human person are the guiding principles at UNamur in order to give human-centered and ethical teaching. The students are trained to take responsibility. The commitment of the professors to their teaching role is a priority, hence, the students are central to their concerns.

Value-based research: reconciling ethics and excellence The mission of every university is, not only to diffuse knowledge, but also produce new knowledge, which requires providing an essential place for research. Our laboratories and research institutes aim to develop quality projects, by resolutely joining collaboration networks at the national and international levels.

Whether this research is fundamental or more oriented, it is “meticulous in taking into account the human and social dimensions of science and technology”. Research in Namur aims at balancing ethics and excellence with an internationally recognized strength: interdisciplinarity. The UNamur research institutes bring together and interweave various skills and expertise around a global topic. This way of functioning favors transdisciplinary collaboration and original approaches for research as well as for teaching. These research institutes are centers of excellence in their fields of expertise, including Energy and the Environment, Materials, Social Sciences and Humanities, Life Sciences and ICT.

With 40 different programs at the Bachelor, Master and Doctorate levels, the UNamur welcomes over 4,900 students in six Faculties: Arts, Law, Economics, Social Sciences and Business Administration, Computer Science, Medicine and Sciences. Its reputation is based

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Research landscape

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Within the 11 transdisciplinary research institutes and the 6 faculties of the UNamur, the researchers develop their projects with numerous other research teams coming from the 5 continents.

Furthermore, UNamur is committed for the international cooperation for development. This is examplified by the various research projects deployed with countries from the South.

The UNamur aims to promote justice and grants special concern to those who are socially or economically fragile. To mention but a few research projects: the DFLS (Basic Rights and Social Cohesion Research Centre), and the CRED (Centre for Research in the Economics of Development), or studies on the issue of disabilities conducted by the Department of Psychology. The University also promotes education for development through its NGO, the FUCID (University Foundation for International Development Cooperation).

In 2019, there have been 1019 publications, 8102 research projects, more than 1000 researchers with a budget of more than 20 million euros for the newly financed research contracts.

Five sectors of excellence have been delineated: Life sciences and health; Society, transition and digital; Heritage, cultures and societies; social and economic vulnerabilities; Materials.

These five thematics gather outstanding researchers and lead the visibility of UNamur for all the research stakeholders, be they partner universities and research centers as well as funding bodies.

Fully integrated in the city and region, the UNamur participates actively in their social and economic development. It promotes partnerships with the local economic partners, develops evening and weekend education programs and life-long learning … It offers consultancy services and expertise to the public and private sectors.

These activities extend well beyond the region or national borders through the ongoing collaboration with international bodies.

UNamur takes many initiatives showing its international openness.

Thus, the institution welcomes foreign students and researchers; it ensures the mobility of students and researchers in the European framework of the “Bologna Declaration” and also beyond the frontiers of Europe; it undertakes university and scientific collaborations at the planetary scale; lastly, it participates, with its professors and researchers, in university cooperation in development.

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A university open to the World

The UNamur has found many ways to enlarge its network of contacts and to ensure international recognition: high quality teaching and research, coherent policies facilitating the exchange of students, researchers and professors as well as the hosting of international students, membership in numerous international associations, participation in development projects…

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40% of master students complete an internship or take part of their course abroad (in Europe, US, Japan, Brazil... as well as developing countries). Language training are available to all, to help students becoming citizens of the world.

Veterinary Research Unit (URVI)) recently passed the symbolic milestone of 10,000 diagnostic tests thanks to the great teamwork of 175 volunteers. The SANA team members have many faces: receptionists, administrative support staff, logisticians responsible for sample collection, tracking and labelling, researchers each carrying out different steps of the process (inactivation of the virus infectivity, viral RNA extraction and RT-qPCR for SARSCoV-2), managers who validate the results, process coordinators, communicators, etc. The SANA team carries COVID-19 screening to support rest homes for elderly people, homes for disabled people and hospital structures.

UNamur inputs during the COVID-19 crisis The UNamur’s main objective is to “train students and researchers as responsible actors in the society” as stated in the UNamur’s Charter. Furthermore, the UNamur aims to be an agent of change in its region and to contribute to its cultural, social, political and economic development, in partnership with other local actors.

Early March 2020, when Belgium and the World have been confronted with the SRAS-CoV-2 pandemia, the researchers of UNamur have decided to help the Society cope with different aspects of this unprecedented crisis.

A starting pack and detailed protocol are made available by the UNamur to guide every laboratory with expertise in molecular biology to develop a robust SARS-CoV-2 screening platform. The process is applicable in any molecular biology lab throughout the world and can be easily implemented while leaning on an adequate workforce.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 virus and the growth of COVID-19 cases confront the public health system to a major crisis. The diagnostic capacity is key to the monitoring of the epidemic.

However, shortage of specific detection kit components or lack of robotic platforms are seriously impeding the diagnostic throughput in numerous countries. In collaboration with the Belgian reference laboratory at the KULeuven, the UNamur developed an alternative method for diagnosing Covid-19. The main advantage of the new process is that it overcomes the use of reagents that are in short supply worldwide. The new method relies on a manual protocol for extraction of viral RNA, followed by RT-qPCR analysis.

The technique was approved by the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) on March 17, enabling the UNamur to support the reference laboratory and to accelerate the number of tests carried out in Belgium.

Besides its support to the COVID-19 testing on a national level, the UNamur is also involved in many efforts to help fighting the SARS-CoV-2 in the most vulnerable countries, in particular in Africa and South America, where the impact of coronavirus could be devastating. A rapid, specific and sensitive visual detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus RNA using colorimetric duplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) (Principal Investigator: Prof. Olivier De Backer, NARILIS, Molecular Physiology Research Unit (URPhyM)) has been developed. To this aim, researchers further simplified the diagnostic method by developing a test that does not require PCR equipment. This PCR-free gene amplification method is simple, low-cost, sensitive, specific and rapid, which makes it ideal for implementation in developing countries. A detailed protocol is made available by the UNamur to guide every laboratory to develop a SARS-CoV-2 screening platform based on LAMP technology.

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The SANA lab (Principal Investigators: Prof. Benoît Muylkens, Prof. Nicolas Gillet & Dr. Damien Coupeau, NARILIS, Integrated

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a special interest in the plants nearby hospitals. The virus quantity is dependent on the numbers of patients but also on asymptomatic carriers. To follow the virus concentration in waste water on regularly basis thus permits to perform a sanitary surveillance on the whole population. Hence, it allows to detect an increase in viral concentration associated to a new epidemic peak or to point out the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into a new geographic area.

The research developed in the Department of Pharmacy (Principal Investigators: Prof. Jean-Michel Dogné & Prof. Jonathan Douxfils, NTHC, NARILIS) in collaboration with the pharmacist-biologist Julien Favresse from the Clinique Saint-Luc – Bouge, aims to evaluate the clinical performance of serologic tests. The objective is to allow for their improvement in order to limit as much as possible the false negative and the false positive results. It is also important to identify the groups of patients that display unusual serological response profiles.

The lockdown as well as the other measures imposed by the Federal Government had, have and will have deep impacts on the Belgian population. Numerous researchers of UNamur look into these questions.

The expertise developed in UNamur in the field of metallic coating is also exploited in the fight against the SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, some metals used as thin coating have been demonstrated to display anti-bacteria properties. Indeed, copper is used for this activity in many hospitals. The Department of Physics (Principal Investigator: Prof. S. Lucas) investigates whether similar coatings would display anti-viral properties. In parallel, the design and 3D printing of new swabs is performed with parallel clinical studies to evaluate their efficacy to sample virus and their safety and comfort for the patients.

To name just a few examples: - Prof. Alain Decrop, who is an expert on tourism research, is studying how tourism restrictions impact not only on the different stakeholders but also on the traveler behavior.

- Economy is one of the sectors that is the most affected. Several members of DeFFiP research institute follow and investigate the situation (Principal Investigators: Prof. Marcus Dejardin, Guilhem Cassan, Etienne de Callataÿ).

- Belgian politics had to completely reorganize and Belgian politicians from the different federal entities had to coordinate their actions. Prof. Jeremy Dodeigne describes and analyzes these changes while Prof. Laurent De Briey investigates how citizens gained or lost their confidence in politicians.

- Many workers had to modify their habits: in one day, homeworking has been imposed without any preparation. Guidelines had to be defined, IT materials had to be provided. If some of them enjoyed very much being able to work at home, some others had to live through difficulties. Prof. Valerie Flohimont, from the Law Faculty, and Prof. Anne-Sophie Collard, from the Faculty of Economy, Social Sciences and Communication, provided their expertise in the field of well-being at work to analyze this new situation and to propose adequate guidelines to implement home working in different work places.

- The lockdown deeply affected everyone; many could find enough resilience to cope with this unprecedented situation but others suffered from psychological troubles. Prof. Martin Desseilles, a psychiatrist from the Faculty of Medicine, is analyzing a survey in order to assess what are the percentages of people in each group, what are the troubles people are suffering from and what are the facts that influenced the most the frail ones.

A consortium of researchers from NARILIS, naXys and DeFiPP institutes (Timoteo Carletti, Simon Clesse, Nicolas Franco, Catherine Linard, Jean-Philippe Platteau, Annick Sartenaer, Vincenzo Verardi) has been studying the evolution of the situation in Belgium for weeks. This team has created various models which lean on the statistical data provided by Sciensano. The models project the situations according to the decisions made by the authorities. These estimations comprise a mean trend and intervals can be calculated, which can give an idea of the “trust milestones” between which we should stand. The models enable short-term simulation but also on the long-term if, for instance, the epidemic needs to be evaluated during the summer holidays and then, in September when schools and universities reopen. Each model can be adapted to a particular aim. These works show that mathematical modeling is extremely important, that it contributes to the implemented measures analysis and help predict the evolution of the epidemic. They also show it is essential to sensitize the public to the importance of complying with the measures and take into account the specific Belgian context.

Thanks to these works, the scientists of this new consortium can perform daily monitoring of the epidemic in a post-lockdown phase.

This is of the outmost importance since these data help in decisionmaking. e-biom is a spin off of UNamur. It is a biological and environmental consulting firm combined with a multidisciplinary lab specializing in biological monitoring, ecological assessment and biological surveys. Its strong expertise in genetics allows to conduct species diagnosis and to address numerous ecological questions in disciplines as varied as biogeography, conservation or landscape genetics.

Finally, universities are also places where ethical concerns are expressed. In the current sanitary crisis, governmental decisions raised numerous questions. Among many others, there are questions about how to choose who should receive the best treatments, why elder people were neglected during the beginning of the pandemia in Belgium, how everyone accepts or does not accept the restrictions imposed on our liberties, what kind of tracing is acceptable on the juridical, ethical and personal points of view. Prof.

Elise Degrave, Natalie Rigaux, Laurent Schumacher, Stephanie Wattiez, Valerie Flohimont, Nathalie Burnay and Dr Isabelle Dagneaux are investigating these ethical issues taking into account several angles. They also participate in public debates about these questions in order to help the Society understand the different points of view but also the politicians to take the best decisions.

Following the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 in patient faeces, several international scientific studies showed that viral DNA can be detected in the waste water and that this DNA is not associated to infectious viral particles but the pieces of DNA. Taking advantage of its strong expertise in environmental DNA detection, e-biom developed and validated a genomic detection method for SARS-CoV-2 DNA in waste water, in collaboration with the SANA platform. With the Société Publique de Gestion de l’Eau (SPGE), sites upstream of water treatment plants have been selected, in order to cover most of the Wallonia area, with

The University of Namur is at the heart of the Society, completely fulfilling its role, its third mission, being a place of knowledge, thinking and actions in a world shaken by the COVID-19.

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Bioscience expertise for a different and efficient agriculture Far from preconceived ideas about agriculture, pesticides and plants, Medinbio offers producer organizations, large retailers and the food industry a welcome process innovation: an aggregative method at the service of healthy and efficient agriculture. Detailed review.

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to each new production. Within this framework n 2013 Thierry Picaud created Medinbio after Medinbio is currently developing new generation a first experience at the head of a start-up in biocontrol solutions which will integrate nanoanimal health: wishing to find an alternative to encapsulations of specific attraction to each insect antibiotics, he developed an integrative approach to manage only the target species, without colof unitary solutions bringing together nutritionlateral damage thanks to fungi capable of destroying health, immunostimulation and natural products. insect pests.

He successfully resumed this double approach centered on the method and the product at Medinbio.

In 2019 Medinbio achieved a turnover of €1.050 A three-stage rocket-like approach: soil, natural million and has reach €1.5 million in 2020. Not vaccination and treatment. “By orchestrating miIr Thierry Picaud, surprisingly, its development prospects are significrobiological actions at ground level to fortify the founder / CEO of Medinbio cant, starting with France. However, its products plant by the root, by activating the defense genes are also being registered in Belgium and the by defense stimulators such as plant extracts and company has just received approval in Germany for its main then adjusting the treatments to the right period thanks to the soil protection product. “We plan to triple our activity in the next decision aids offered by computer tools linked to climatology 3 years” underlines Thierry Picaud. Justified trust! and the kinetics of diseases, we can match chemistry without loss of performance” explains Thierry Picaud.

Indeed crops must be adapted to these three levels if the farmer wants to move towards intensive organic farming, where productivity is maintained with fewer chemical active ingredients.

In fine Medinbio brings together the best of both worlds: the yield of conventional farming and the quality of organic farming. Yet steering biology remains a complex issue. This is why Medinbio’s team of bioengineers offers training, detection tools as well as decision support tools like computerized weather stations: these forecast the arrival of pathogens and allow to treat them at the right time.

To date Medinbio has a wide range of microorganisms and uses the concept of prebiotics to boost their effects. The company relies on a range of three elicitors, i.e. natural vaccines adapted to different groups of pathogens. Medinbio has also developed and patented formulations intended to manage periods of fungal risk thanks to its ultrasonic plant extraction technique.

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This unprecedented approach has aroused the interest of heavyweights in the food industry. In France Medinbio works for the Carrefour group: it manages the adaptation of the crop plants in its quality sectors to enable them to do without pesticides. The company also collaborates with large companies like Bonduelle and Agrial, a multi-specialist agricultural and agri-food cooperative enterprise. It must be said that a recent law allows the application to plants of plant solutions used in human and animal health. “This expanded toolbox is a boon for the deployment of our aggregative approach” rejoices Thierry Picaud.

Medinbio

Medinbio works in close collaboration with the Catholic University of Louvain and the Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (University of Liège). This collaboration allows the company to carry out fundamental research in order to define the program best suited

Rue Camille Hubert 7-9 boîte A - 5032 Isnes Tel.: +32 (0)491 940 760 Email: thierry.picaud@medinbio.com http://medinbio.com/index.html 172

Index of Company Profiles and advertisers

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Index of Company Profiles and advertisers A Aphea.Bio..................................................................................................57 Auxin Surgery ..........................................................................................117

B Becetel.................................................................................................. 30-31 Belnet ................................................................................................... 18-19 Biogazelle ..................................................................................................58

C Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules - CERM ......................146 Charleroi CHU - Clinical Biology Laboratory ................................................118 Chemical Engineering Research Unit – Liege University (ULiège) .....................147 ContrasT Team ................................................................................... 160-161

D Dendrogenix ............................................................................................139

E Everdeen..................................................................................................163

F Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH) – UCLouvain ..........................159

G Gulliver Biomed ..........................................................................................62 GSK ........................................................................................................116

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Index of Company Profiles and advertisers H Health House ..............................................................................................63 HELMo Gramme .............................................................98, 154-155, Cover 3 Howest ................................................................................................. 22-23 hub.brussels .......................................................................................... 73-75 Hyloris Pharmaceuticals .............................................................................138

I ILVO ..........................................................................................................64 Innovation Circle .........................................................................................77 ISSeP - Public Service Scientific Institute ................................................. 106-107

L Laboratory of Experimental Medicine (ULB 222) - CHU de Charleroi........................... 119 University Hospital Laboratory of Brussels - LHUB – ULB ...................................80 Teresinha Leal's group .................................................................................89 Liège Space Centre – CSL ..........................................................................153

M Medi-Line S.A. ..........................................................................................140 Medinbio ................................................................................................172 Microbelcaps ...........................................................................................137 Mithra Pharmaceuticals ....................................................................... 134-135

P Pack4Food .................................................................................................65 PDC*line Pharma SA .................................................................................136 Polymer and Composite Materials Laboratory – UMONS ...............................167 Primoris & Ciboris .......................................................................................66

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Index of Company Profiles and advertisers R Rejuvenate Biomed. .....................................................................................69

S Syndesi Therapeutics .................................................................................162 Syndo Health NV ................................................................................... 94-95

T Taradon Laboratory. ....................................................................................93 The Innovation Found ..................................................................................76 TOKU-E EU NV ...........................................................................................68

V VIVES ................................................................................................... 48-49 Vlerick Business School ........................................................46-47, 70, Cover 4

Y Yesse Technologies ......................................................................................67

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