HISTORY

• Origins

  The roots of the BioPark were created by ULB in 1999 when the University founded the Institute for Medical and Molecular Biology (IBMM) in Charleroi, employing 250 researchers, and creating a home for three spin-off companies:

  • Henogen acquired by Novasep in 2009 and still active in the BioPark
  • Delphi Genetics still active in the BioPark
  • Euroscreen renamed into Ogeda and acquired in 2017 by Astellas Pharmaceuticals

  

  

• Major Confirmations

  In 2004 and 2011, two additional institutes were created by ULB on the BioPark:

  • The Institute for Medical Immunology (IMI), in partnership with GSK and the Walloon Region.
  • The Center for Medical and Molecular Imaging (CMMI) in partnership with UMONS and with the support of FEDER European funds.

  

• The Incubator

  In 2010, i-Tech Incubator (now BioPark Incubator) was founded on the BioPark to accelerate the creation of start-up companies offering support in the fund-raising process, the creation of business plans, market validation, etc.

  

• Today

  Today Brussels South Charleroi BioPark encompasses the full biotech innovation chain from target identification to commercial biomanufacturing with the presence of leading research institutes, service providers, fast growing companies, world class venture capital players and international business expertise. This provides a rich environment in which to collaborate and grow businesses. It also creates a dynamic, highly qualified talent pool.

  

• A Dedicated Organization

  Since January 2019, the development of Brussels South Charleroi BioPark is coordinated by BioPark Dev SA, the legal entity responsible for coordinating the activities at the BioPark. The main shareholders of BioPark Dev SA are ULB, Sambrinvest, Igretec Charleroi Entreprendre and EEBIC Ventures.