Belgium’s biotech startup ecosystem at an inflection point

Belgium has built one of Europe’s most credible biotech ecosystems—combining breakthrough science, strong research institutions, and a dense innovation network. The result is a sector positioned as a European leader.

However, turning that strength into consistent scale-up success remains difficult. Growth-stage funding gaps, limited industrialisation capacity, and fragmented support structures continue to slow progress at critical moments.

Our expert team used a data-backed approach to investigate the current status of the biotech startup ecosystem, discovering where Belgium outperforms other European biotech hubs, what’s holding companies back, and how Belgium can unlock its next wave of biotech growth. By benchmarking eight European ecosystems and validated by industry stakeholders, this whitepaper moves beyond diagnosis to outline practical, actionable priorities that will help biotech startups grow and scale.