Ghent–Gosselies, May 27, 2025 – The EU Biotech Campus and CESPE (Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Engineering and Manufacturing) are proud to announce a new strategic partnership.
This collaboration is built on a shared ambition: to equip biotech and biopharmaceutical industry talents with future-proof skills and to raise awareness of the importance of skills development in the life sciences sector. Together, the two partners will carry out joint communication initiatives to highlight the major challenges and opportunities in training within biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industries, and to connect industry stakeholders with the most relevant learning pathways.
“This partnership with CESPE is fully in line with our mission: to create the most dynamic and inclusive biotech training ecosystem in Belgium and Europe. By joining forces, we amplify our impact and inspire the next generation of talent.”
— Sabrina Ena, CEO of the EU Biotech Campus
“We are delighted to launch this partnership with the EU Biotech Campus. It represents a major step toward a future where talent and innovation are central. This collaboration plays a crucial role in developing skills and fostering continuous innovation, true to the spirit of the Belgian (bio)pharma ecosystem.”
— Christoph Portier, General Director of CESPE
This partnership marks the beginning of a strategic dialogue between two institutions committed to the growth of biotech and pharmaceutical ecosystems, through knowledge sharing, co-construction, and training.
Stay tuned to discover our first joint initiatives, focused on skills, innovation, and collaboration in the life sciences.
About the EU Biotech Campus
The EU Biotech Campus is a training center located at the Biopark in Gosselies, Charleroi (Belgium), in the heart of Wallonia’s Health Tech Valley.
Scheduled to open at the end of 2025, this 5,500 m² facility will feature state-of-the-art spaces and innovative programs to train talent in biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, and healthcare.
As a multi-operator, innovation-driven ecosystem, the EU Biotech Campus offers a unique environment where high-level immersive training meets the concrete needs of businesses and learners.
Its educational approach is based on:
- hands-on learning
exposure to advanced technologies
interdisciplinary exchanges
Programs cover bioproduction, digital transformation, advanced therapies, transversal skills (soft skills), and STEM awareness.
About UGent-CESPE
Ghent University (UGent) ranks among the world’s top 100 universities and is one of the largest academic institutions in Belgium. It is recognized for its high-level scientific, educational, and industrial collaborations.
Through UGent TechTransfer and platforms such as CESPE, the university supports researchers in valorizing science and transferring innovation to the market.
CESPE actively contributes to the development of innovative, sustainable, and flexible production processes for the medicines of tomorrow, through a multidisciplinary approach and collaborations with both academia and industry.
In addition to its research activities, CESPE places talent development at the heart of its mission, drawing on the diverse expertise of its members from both academic and industrial backgrounds.
This dynamic led to the creation of the CESPE Academy, which offers a wide range of basic and specialized training programs tailored to professionals in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors.
At the end of 2025, CESPE will move into “The Nucleus,” the new flagship building of the Tech Lane Ghent Science Park.
This strategic relocation will place CESPE at the heart of the Belgian pharmaceutical ecosystem, in close proximity to cutting-edge research institutes and international companies, thereby fostering collaboration, innovation, and the expansion of training opportunities.