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Picture of Biovia

Biovia

Biovia is the health innovation cluster for Flanders, supporting members in medical biotech, medtech, digital health, agtech and industrial biotech through funding, education, connection and representation. Biovia helps companies succeed and fosters a better environment for innovation, so we can grow stronger, together—forging a path to a healthier future for people and planet.
Picture of Biovia

Biovia

Biovia is the health innovation cluster for Flanders, supporting members in medical biotech, medtech, digital health, agtech and industrial biotech through funding, education, connection and representation. Biovia helps companies succeed and fosters a better environment for innovation, so we can grow stronger, together—forging a path to a healthier future for people and planet.

Health Innovation Funding: Spearhead Clusters Lead the Way in Flanders

BioVox spoke with Sara Van Overmeire and Annie Renders of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) about the origin and role of spearhead clusters. VLAIO is the Flemish government’s point of contact for all entrepreneurs in Flanders. It relies on Biovia and other spearhead clusters to bring companies together and support them in setting up innovative projects.

Co-Creation in Agrifood and Bio-Based Innovation: Accelerating Trust and Impact

As a sector, agrifood biotech has enormous potential to improve the sustainability, resilience, and productivity of our food systems. Yet many promising innovations still fail to reach the market, often because they are not sufficiently aligned with real-world needs or adoption barriers. The B-Trust project aims to involve end-users from the start, to help make agrifood R&D more relevant, equitable, and impactful.

MDR and IVDR Revisions Bode Well for European Medtech Innovation

In December 2025, the European Commission unveiled proposed revisions to the EU’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR). The changes aim to accelerate the path to market for medtech and digital health companies by making the rulebook easier to navigate without lowering the bar on patient safety. Innovators have greeted the announcement with cautious optimism.

To PhD or Not to PhD: A Growing Question in the Life Sciences

An increasing number of PhD students are concerned about their career prospects. Currently, only around 5-10% of PhD graduates remain in academia — the vast majority have to navigate an unfamiliar job market, where industry demand for their highly educated profiles appears to be in decline. Is a PhD still the best route to professional success? And what can students do to prepare themselves?

A Champions League of European Health Innovation Clusters

Recently at the Medicon Valley Alliance Summit in Copenhagen, the spotlight was on European competitiveness. In a keynote, panelists from four of Europe’s leading life sciences hubs shared their intention to establish a “Champions League” of clusters, working as a team to strengthen health innovation for Europe as a whole.

Personalized medicine: Europe’s seeds are sown but not yet grown

To truly improve patients’ lives through personalized medicine, the seeds of innovation must be sown, and its capacity must be grown. Europe undoubtedly excels as an R&D hub, yet we fall behind when transforming ideas into tangible products and services. So how can we create an environment where personalized medicine can flourish and deliver real solutions for patients? That question was the focus of a recent meeting at the European Parliament where the PRECISEU consortium brought together key stakeholders to discuss the future of the field.

Reclaiming the mind: How virtual reality helped one woman silence the voices in her head

After 30 years of schizophrenia, a Danish woman found freedom through virtual reality therapy. Now the startup behind it HekaVR is changing the face of mental health care. This emotional story of success will be shared in a keynote at the HealthTech Investor Summit on 8-10 December in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Science for Health 2025: How to anchor innovation in Belgium?

Belgium puts a lot of resources into research and innovation, supporting the creation of spinouts and startups with brilliant potential health solutions. But as they grow, most of those companies eventually hit a point where local support isn’t enough—they have to look beyond Europe for their manufacturing, clinical trials, and funding needs. How can Belgium close this gap so companies can stay and thrive in Europe?

Science for Health 2025: Stronger Regions, Greater Impact

Belgium’s flagship “biology meets technology” conference returns to Brussels this fall with a clear message: collaboration is key to keeping Europe at the front of health innovation. On 4 November 2025, Science for Health will explore how Belgium’s regional strengths and synergies can be combined to accelerate ATMP and new modalities—such as radioligand therapies and digital health solutions—to reinforce the country's global position in biotech and healthtech.

The benefits of One Health in Flanders

Biovia is Europe’s first industry-led One Health innovation cluster—uniting medical biotech, medtech, digital health, agtech and industrial biotech to advance human and planetary health. Katrien Lorré explains how this unified approach benefits companies by unlocking opportunities and fostering a better environment for health innovation.

Belgian biotech retains its top position despite the turbulent times

Belgium’s biotech sector defied global headwinds in 2024, delivering growth and key milestones. The latest analysis compiled by KBC Securities and PMV for Biovia confirms Belgium’s leadership in European health innovation. But staying on top will demand continued resilience and strategic focus.

Biovia: the new health innovation cluster for human and planetary health

A fresh chapter in Flemish healthtech and life sciences has begun with the launch of Biovia: the health innovation cluster resulting from the merger of flanders.bio and MEDVIA. Unveiled at Knowledge for Growth, the flagship annual conference of the Flemish life sciences sector, this new industry-driven organization brings more than 450 members together in one unified ecosystem – cultivating connections and forging a path to a healthier future for people and planet.

European HealthTech Innovation Needs a Lifeline – Join the Conversation to Drive Change

Ghent, Belgium, 4 December 2024 – European health technology (HealthTech) is at a critical crossroad. Despite groundbreaking research, a thriving startup scene and ambitious talent, the sector struggles to translate innovation into actionable impact. Challenges such as regulatory restrictions, fragmented markets, and funding gaps are slowing progress, while the clock is ticking and other regions of the world are surging ahead.

The Future of Health is Tech

Ghent, Belgium, 4 December 2024 - At MEDVIA, we see the future of HealthTech filled with potential – a future powered by the intersection of health and technology. This is where breakthroughs in healthtech, medtech, AI and digital solutions promise to transform care delivery. It’s where patients have a voice, hospitals and caregivers have access to cutting-edge innovations, and technology like AI is making personalized medicine a reality. That future isn’t distant; it’s already here.

Intelligent dentistry: AI is making surgeries safer

The AIPLANT project aims to reduce complications from dental implant surgery using AI-based preoperative planning. The project is a collaboration between the Centre for Dentomaxillofacial Imaging at UZ Leuven, AI startup Relu, and Xentro Dental.