Innovation & Business Summer School

Innovation & Business Summer School

25 August 2025 - 29 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center & VIB HQ

entrepreneurship
translational research
live training

Innovation & Business Summer School

Target Audience:
VIB PhD student
VIB postdoc
VIB staff scientist
VIB group leader or expert
Flemish academic or researcher
Non-Flemish academic or researcher
Industry professional
Location:

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center & VIB HQ

Duration:

25 - 28 August 2025 (9h30 - 17h) in Bio-Accelerator Ghent and 29 August (9h30 - 13h30) at VIB HQ Ghent

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General context

Do you want to know how scientific inventions are turned into real-life medicines, products, and agricultural innovations? Are you interested in how patents serve to protect your invention? Or would you like to learn what it takes to create a biotech startup company? Join VIB’s Innovation & Business team in our annual summer course on technology transfer!

At VIB, we're on a mission to turn our scientific discoveries into real-world solutions that benefit both society and the economy. Our dedicated Innovation & Business team works tirelessly to bring these breakthroughs to life by securing patents, devising strategic intellectual property (IP) plans, forging partnerships with industry leaders, licensing our IP and know-how, and even fostering the creation of spin-off companies.

In the past half-decade alone, our efforts have yielded impressive results. We've built a portfolio boasting over 250 active patent families, formed over 1500 partnerships with industry pioneers, generated more than € 130 million in industrial revenue, and facilitated the birth of 36 dynamic spin-off ventures.

VIB Innovation & Business also features a unique drug discovery unit (VIB Discovery Sciences) which collaborates with VIB labs to derisk small molecules and antibodies and make them more appealing for biotech or pharma companies.

Learning outcomes

This course will give you a flavor of:

  • How to protect your invention through a patent application.
  • What steps are necessary to commercialize your work.
  • How to set up partnerships with industry.
  • What it takes to set up a spin-off company.
  • How to turn your research into value for society.
Approach

Supported by speakers from biotech companies and investment firms, VIB’s Innovation & Business Team will go into detail on real life valorization approaches. We will discuss the basics of Intellectual Property Rights, including a hands-on patent search on your favourite topic. We will go through term sheets and contracts that shape the framework of industrial collaborations and investments. You will be engaging in a lively contract negotiation exercise, tackling a real-world case between company representatives and VIB's valorization managers. On top of that, you will be introduced to the various stages of setting up a start-up company, and join a thrilling live start-up pitching event and showcase your idea to a jury panel, featuring an exclusive guest venture capital speaker.

We warmly invite participants to submit a short abstract on a potential business idea prior to the start of the course, so we can select a number of topics for the startup pitching exercise which will be held in small teams. We will email you more details regarding the requirements for your abstract and then, in the course of June, invite you to submit your abstract.

Event intended for

We set up this course to introduce VIB scientists to the technology transfer process and the life sciences ecosystem surrounding us. The course is also open to external participants, but please note that all examples and case studies will focus on life science topics.

Extra information
Testimonials
testimonials

This was by far the best course I have attended, with a great balance of theory and practice. The theory was deep enough to tickle one's brain to look into the topic further but not too deep making it boring for a less interested audience. The practical sessions and guest lectures were well timed to encompass all the aspects already introduced during the theory classes. The sessions were intense but the well timed breaks made digesting the information smooth. Overall, this was an excellently organized course, well planned to the minute and very informative. 

Participant edition 2024

This broad training provides a good introduction on the different steps involved in technology transfer. If you are interested in transferring research results to investors or setting up an own company, this course offers sufficient tools, guidelines and Tips & Tricks to start exploring this field.

Participant edition 2023

It was an extremely useful training. I learnt a lot about the different topics, and the trainers were really excellent. There was a good balance between theory and exercise, and enough time for each session so we could really interact with the speakers to ask questions and engage in discussions. Due to the alternation of talks/exercises and also due to the fact that the day did not start very early nor end very late, it was easy to keep your attention to the course and learn as much as possible.

Participant edition 2022

Program

Innovation & Business at VIB - Intellectual Property part 1

-

Welcome - Innovation & Business: VIBs Tech transfer lane to success in Biotech! (Carla Snoeck)

Introduction to intellectual property rights (Jan Demolder)

Pitching exercise: introduction

-

Patentability requirements (Visnja Popovic)

Writing a patent application (Visnja Popovic)

Claim drafting exercise (Visnja Popovic, Jan Demolder, Griet Den Herder)

-

Reception (optional)

-

Dinner (optional)

Intellectual Property part 2

-

Discovery & RISK! – Journey through the valley of death (Bruno Dombrecht)

Patent procedures and freedom to operate (Griet Den Herder)

Pitching exercise: discuss

-

Guest lecture: Karine Clauwaert, CEO at ABSCINT, BE

Patent search: intro and example (Pawel Bieniasz-Krzywiec)

Pitching excercise: Patentability and IP/competition-landscape analysis (IP team)
   

Business Development

-

Public Private partnerships (Jan Staelens)

Contracting: Introduction & CDAs

MTA negotiation workshop (Laura Lapienyte)

-

Guest lecture: Erik van der Biezen, Innovation & Scouting Manager at BASF

Licensing exercise: Term sheets and negotiations (Ethan Kuo & Business Development team)

 

New Ventures part 1

-

Key ingredients for building a successful business 

Building a business and fundraising - pitching your plan

-

Company valuation (Griet Vanpoucke)

Pitching exercise: preparation pitch

New Ventures part 2

-

Pitching your Newco (+feedback)

Guest lecture: Ellie McGuire, Polaris Partners, US

Pitching Award and closing

-

Lunch and adjourn

Practical info

Location & Venue

25 August 2025 - 28 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center

Technologiepark 21
9052 Zwijnaarde
Belgium

29 August 2025

VIB HQ

Suzanne Tassierstraat 1
9052 Gent
Belgium

Public transport

25 August 2025 - 28 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center
Public transport

From Ghent Sint-Pieters station, you can take a bus to Technologiepark. Please check Routeplanner De Lijn for schedules.

 

29 August 2025

VIB HQ
Public transport

There is a shuttle bus (MaxMobiel) that runs between Ghent Sint Pieters railway station and Eiland Zwijnaarde. The VIB stop is the third (and last) stop on the inward journey. You can also get off the bus at Mainfreight (first stop) and cover the last 350 metres on foot.

You can find the schedule via this link:  https://max-mobiel.be/en/shuttle-lines/shuttle-line/gent-sint-pieters-eiland-zwijnaarde

Please inform us upfront if you wish to make use of this shuttle so we can provide you with a QR code that you will need to show to the driver.

Bike

25 August 2025 - 28 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center
Bike

Looking for a custom cycling route? Try the online cycling route planner to easily and quickly identify the fastest, safest and/or most scenic route to any destination in Ghent.
Cycling route planner
 

Shared bicycles:

Several providers are active in the area.
Take a look at their platforms:
- Indigo Weel Pro app
- Bluebike
- DOTT
- BOLT eBikes
- Donkey Republic

There are also some public bicycle pumps at the park.

29 August 2025

VIB HQ
Bike

Use the high-quality cycling infrastructure to and from the business park and borrow shared bikes from Blue Bike, Donkey Republic or Dott (electric bikes) from various pick-up points in Ghent and the surrounding area. You can also quickly and easily plan your route using the online Cycling Route Planner of the City of Ghent.

Route description

25 August 2025 - 28 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center
Parking

Route description

There is only one entrance to Technologiepark. At the entrance, please take a ticket - Parking is only allowed in regular parking spots (for instance in front of the building) and in the new parking tower. Parking alongside the roads or in other places where there is no regular parking is prohibited.

29 August 2025

VIB HQ
Parking

Parking is only allowed in the Maaiveldparking (Bertha De Vriesestraat 5, Zwijnaarde). Reservations in advance are required, so please let us know your license plate if you wish us to reserve a parking spot.

Venue contact

25 August 2025 - 28 August 2025

Ghent - Bio-Accelerator Meeting Center
Location contact

+32 9 328 19 02

info@bio-accelerator.com

29 August 2025

VIB HQ
Location contact

+32 9 244 66 11

reception.eiland@vib.be