How world-class infrastructure will reinforce Ghent’s position as Europe’s biopharma hub

Home to excellent research institutions, a thriving life sciences community, a strong collaborative culture, and a strategic location at the heart of Europe, Ghent is now investing in cutting-edge facilities designed to accelerate the growth of their healthtech hub even further.

Europe’s pharmaceutical sector is going strong. Innovations such as cell and gene therapies are revolutionising treatments for rare diseases, while AI-driven diagnostics and robotic surgery are transforming patient care. The race to transform healthcare is on. This progress stems from a place where research, talent, infrastructure, and a commitment to collaboration can come together. A thriving ecosystem is a prerequisite, and that’s exactly what Ghent can deliver.

Anchor institutions like Ghent University, Ghent University Hospital, and VIB sit at the heart of this cluster. With over 275,000 inhabitants and a student body north of 90,000, the city offers the largest student population in Flanders. Additionally, the city is home to a significant number of PhD students and internationally recognised research programs, providing local companies with the skilled workforce they need to grow. When you combine this with a culture of collaboration among academia, industry, and government, you create a fertile environment for innovation.

Ghent is renowned for its clinical expertise, which has fostered a closely-knit community in the field. This proximity offers several advantages on several levels. Firstly, this can accelerate the process of turning discoveries into therapies and medical devices. Companies also have the opportunity to test their technology in real-world hospital environments, which helps shorten development cycles and allows them to witness the effects firsthand. Moreover, access to clinical trials, patient data, and regulatory expertise is just a phone call away.

In 2023, the city ranked as a top 10 European hub for healthtech investment and Dealroom’s Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2025 names Ghent a “Density Leader”, ranking 17^th globally per capita. It’s also the home of high-growth spin-outs such as argenx, Sequana, Ablynx and Exevir.

Why infrastructure matters

Now, local policy is doubling down on these strengths with strategic investments in infrastructure, creating spaces for startups to become global players. More than just office space, these types of technologies require specialised labs, cleanrooms, and flexible facilities that can adapt as companies grow. It’s essential to have specialised environments that meet strict regulatory and technical standards. Shared core facilities provide access to high-end equipment and feature flexible, modular designs, enabling companies to scale effectively.

That’s precisely what you can find in Ghent: purpose-built spaces that offer real opportunities for you. Let’s explore a few options for your tech.

Bio-Incubator at VIB, a leading institute in life sciences research and innovation

If you’re looking to plug into a vast biotech ecosystem, this might be your cup of tea. Next to VIB’s headquarters, this building also offers spaces for 10 to 15 biotech companies, welcoming entrepreneurial startups, spin-outs from established players, and international entrants seeking a European foothold. Each unit gives you everything you need to hit the ground running: a fully equipped BSL-2 lab for your research, a dedicated support space for essential functions, topped off with modern office space for your team. All of this is to keep your science and business seamlessly connected. The modular units can be combined to form up to four units, covering a total area of more than 1,000 m². This building officially opened in April 2024 and was built based on over 25 years of incubator experience.

Your future neighbours? One of the tenants is Obulytix, which uses synthetic biology to develop precision biologics that selectively eliminate drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, helping tackle the antimicrobial resistance crisis. Another is Orionis Bioscience, developing novel precision medicines, such as molecular glues, cytokines, and cell engagers. All of this is to harness the body’s natural defences to fight cancer. There’s also ATB Therapeutics, redefining targeted therapies with its proprietary atbody platform, delivering potent treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases. And 272BIO is bringing cutting-edge biotherapeutics to veterinary medicine, developing affordable biologic drugs for livestock and companion animals through innovative technologies. Because, let’s not forget, Ghent University is globally recognised for its excellence in veterinary studies, ranking 4th place in the ShanghaiRanking.

The Nucleus

Just like the Bio-Incubator at VIB, The Nucleus is also located in the heart of the vibrant Tech Lane Ghent Science Park. This building offers casco infrastructure, allowing tenants to fully customise their labs and offices to match their specific technical and operational needs. Far more than bricks and mortar, this is a place where community can thrive. Here, researchers and entrepreneurs can collaborate and exchange knowledge. Opening in March 2026, the premises will feature over 5,000 m² of shared meeting rooms, event spaces, networking areas, and fully customizable lab spaces, with GMP cleanrooms as an option. This building exemplifies the region’s serious commitment to technology, supported by funding from numerous local partners.

The first tenant? CESPE (Ghent University’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Engineering & Manufacturing), working to accelerate sustainable, agile manufacturing of the medicines of tomorrow. This consortium brings together academic and industrial partners to pilot new manufacturing methods. Additionally, they offer a CESPE Academy, which provides courses for professionals in the (bio)pharmaceutical industry.

For companies looking to shape their future in Ghent, this could be a blank canvas. A place where you can build the infrastructure suited to your science, while tapping into one of Europe’s most dynamic tech ecosystems.

Plus Ultra

This third facility is also located on Ghent Tech Lane Science Park and is set to become one of its most ambitious science facilities. The plans depict a 20,000 m² multi-tenant building designed to provide biopharma companies with the space they need to grow. Developed by PMV and Kadans Science Partner, this project will house an accelerator, featuring 15,000 m² of modular labs and offices designed for scaling companies.

Plus Ultra aims to cluster expertise in healthtech, pharma, agrotech, and sustainable biochemistry. You’ll be able to find shared meeting spaces, networking areas, and collaborative zones integrated throughout. Much like The Nucleus, science and business will be able to thrive side by side.

Nobel I

Ghent University Hospital’s Nobel I marks the beginning of a more future-ready hospital campus. With its 12 stories, it’s designed as a flexible, sustainable space that combines clinical care and research. Today, it houses several hospital departments and IT services, but it also serves as a testing ground for new systems and technologies that will shape healthcare for decades to come.

One of its most significant features is the upcoming GMP cleanroom facility for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Scheduled to open within the next year, this specialised floor will enable the production of cell and gene therapies in accordance with strict European standards. It’s a significant investment and positions Ghent at the forefront of next-generation treatment development. Currently, this facility is only used for projects initiated by the hospital, with room for cooperation between academia and industry.

Why Ghent should be on your radar

You’ll find more than bricks in this city. You’ll find a mature ecosystem where talent, science, industry, business, and policy converge to improve patient care. The city’s policy and strategy reflect a clear trend: to become a stronger healthtech hub, you need more than breakthrough ideas. You require purpose-built environments to meet the highest technical and regulatory standards. You need labs that meet the highest standards, spaces that spark collaboration and a sniff of creativity, and a community that shares knowledge freely.

By combining modular labs, GMP facilities, communal spaces and a dense network of academic and industrial expertise, Ghent is positioning itself as a European biopharma powerhouse. The blueprint is already in motion. If your company is working on cell and gene therapies, AI-driven diagnostics, sustainable pharma or if you need to tap into a vast network of expertise, Ghent has what you’re looking for.

The foundation is already strong, but the next chapter is being written as we speak. The Brain is set to become a hub for AI-driven technology, where data and biology will be able to converge to accelerate progress. And WATT The Health is creating a vibrant space for startups, corporates, researchers and scale-ups to create solutions in digital health and sustainable pharma.

Ready to scale your tech ambitions? Contact the Invest in Ghent team and bring your vision to life.

Not sure if your tech would fit in? Let’s have a chat! We can offer a soft landing package.

Want to know more about healthtech in Ghent? Visit https://stad.gent/en/invest-ghent/future-tech/healthtech.