The interdisciplinary cooperation between British pharmaceutical company GSK, whose vaccine branch has a strong presence in Wallonia, and the Imec research centre in Leuven, is expected to lead to innovative solutions in the field of biopharmacy.
Belgium already has a solid reputation in biopharmaceuticals and nanotechnology. In the latter, for example, the medical industry is working on chips for diagnostic devices and a smart cast with thousands of sensors to monitor the heart and other vital organs. Both are developed by Imec. We have high-level medicine, with several leading pharmaceutical companies, state-of-the-art hospitals, a strong biotech ecosystem with a large number of start-ups, and innovative academic research.
GSK and Imec have just completed a year of intense and promising research. They have high ambitions: first, to find out how to automate production processes, for example by using special sensors and chips in bioreactors to perform constant, real-time quality control, and second, to try to develop and produce better and newer vaccines more quickly. Tailor-made care and treatment for each patient are also possible in the long term.
The synergies between Imec's nanotechnology expertise and our pharmaceutical sector will strengthen Belgium's strategic role in vaccine research and development, which is in perfect synergy with the policy to make our country the Health and Biotech Valley of tomorrow.
