BIOTECH IN FLANDERS - A STUNNING STORY

A new competence center

Starting from a blank sheet of paper …

In early 1994, Jo Bury and Rudy Dekeyser, experts at the Agency for Innovation through Science and Technology (IWT), receive a phone call from their superior, Christine Claus. The message says they are expected at the Minister President’s office in an hour. At that time, Bury and Dekeyser are in charge of the Flemish Biotechnology Action Program (VLAB), which is subsidizing a number of academic Emerging Technology Centers (ETCs).

During their talk, Van den Brande argues that Flanders has enormous potential in the life sciences. Our scientists have a worldwide reputation with their cutting-edge research. But unlike what he has seen in the United States and Canada, this knowledge translates too little into economic and societal added value for Flanders. Van den Brande wants to invest one billion Belgian francs (about 25 million euros) annually to put Flemish biotechnology on the international map. But only on the condition that a knowledge economy will result. There must be ‘valorization’.

Excellence in research must be a spearhead, but the translation into social and economic value is at least as important. From the beginning, Van den Brande makes it clear that he does not want to give researchers a blank check. As Minister-President of Flanders, but also as Minister of innovation and economy, he considers it important to link innovation to economic value. So with his initiative, he does not want to focus on ‘basic research for research’s sake’, ‘l’art pour l’art’ – as he puts it. No, the results must be translated into economic and social development, employment and new products. “Here is a white sheet of paper, it is up to you to come back with a plan to realize this ambition,” Vanden Brande concludes the meeting.

“We stood bewildered back on the street. With a white sheet in our hands and a giddy head,” says Jo Bury. “How were we supposed to shape that plan?” Inspiration comes quickly, however ... Thanks in part to Dirk Callaerts, Van den Brande’s cabinet member at the time. Bury, Dekeyser and Callaerts form an operational trio, under the watchful eye of IWT Director General Christine Claus.

The first version of the plan consists of a series of ‘bullet points’, no more. These bullet points outline how to get from knowledge to economic and societal value. “These were simple, obvious things: patenting knowledge, licensing that knowledge to companies, pooling technologies to create start-ups, ensuring financial support – partly from the government, partly private capital ... in short, the ABC of technology transfer,” Dekeyser recalls.

The trio immediately envisions the creation of a new institute, not a new organization that awards grants for research. This would mainly reinforce the existing fragmentation and create too little strategic impact. They only see benefit in a real institute that in itself is responsible for the entire innovation chain: from knowledge creation to spin-off company. They will bet on excellence in basic research, concentration of resources, long-term structural funding and the professional development of a full innovation pipeline. “The strength of the chain is determined by the weakest link. So all the links had to be strong,” Bury says.